The Broken Cage (Solstice 31 Saga Book 2)

by Martin Wilsey

  Cook stood next to the command chair with his arms crossed. “Look, Captain. I know you're worried about Hume, but Hamilton is missing. We have searched the entire base and she is just gone.”

  AI~Ben added, “The last time she was online was the day before the probe was built.”

  “She has been missing for a week and we’re only noticing now?” Jimbo stated the obvious. “Search again. Use the scanners. Use the drones. Check inside closed areas. Even the lower areas we have not accessed. Maybe she did.”

  “Ben, secure the bridge and all essential areas of the Memphis. We’re going out to look. Shaw, you stay here and monitor for Hume.” Everyone else, followed Jim off the bridge. “Inform everyone of the search, and tell them their assigned areas. We only have about twelve hours before we can contact Hume.”

  ***

  Four hours later, they found a large stash of emergency rations, empty food wrappers and three of the missing weapons.

  Cook shook his head and said, “Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot. Over.”

  They stood on top of a 140,000 liter, foamcrete water tank. This was one of the tanks that served the base. It was accessed by a long ladder that led up into the dark. Cook looked at Jimbo and then at Kuss, the only ones there; he opened the tank’s inspection hatch at their feet, and shined a light inside.

  Hamilton's body floated in the water, ten meters below.

  ***

  Hume's eyes fluttered open.

  She was in a warm, candlelit room. She heard a fire crackling in a hearth.

  Where the hell am I?

  She waited for her mind to reboot. Her thirst was the first system online.

  “Water,” she whispered.

  Someone rose from a nearby chair and said, “She said you would be thirsty when you awoke. Here you are, dear.” Hume saw a lean, young woman come into her field of view, with a mug for her to drink from. “Not too much, all at once.”

  After sipping a few times, she asked, “Where am I?”

  “You are in Salterkirk. How you managed it, I will never know. Poole thought you should have died,” the woman said.

  “I will get Rand. She will want to know you're awake.”

  “Rand?” She struggled to speak. Hume was still waking up. “Here? ALIVE?”

  She threw back the covers and tried to jump out of bed, but only managed to throw herself onto the floor. She wore some kind of homespun tunic. With a Herculean effort, she pushed herself up from the floor, on her hands and knees.

  “I need to contact the Memphis.” She teetered, tried to stand and failed. “Where is Rand?” She was frantic.

  “Alright.” Vi helped Hume to her feet. “This way.” She directed Hume's drunken momentum to the doorway and down a hall. “How long have I been out?” Hume demanded.

  “Almost a day,” she replied, as the hall opened into a great room. “Rand!” Vi called out.

  The front door flew open, and Rand came directly to Hume and gathered her into a hug. Hume collapsed, her knees buckled. Still holding her, Rand swept her up, took her to one of the overstuffed chairs and settled her in.

  “Vi, bring water, please,” Rand said.

  “You're alive,” Hume choked out.

  “Yes. I almost couldn't say that for you.” Rand smiled.

  Vi returned with the water. Hume drank.

  “Rand, listen. There are others. I need to send them data in that sensor package. Now. How long have I been out? Is the moon visible?”

  “Slow down. Drink.” Hume sipped and collected herself.

  “Sixteen of us survived on the captain's pinnace. They need the data on that sensor array to fly down here without being shot out of the sky.”

  Hume had not noticed the other two men behind Rand, until one of them spoke. “The moon set about two hours ago,” Tannhauser said.

  “What's wrong with her skin?” the other said.

  “I have tight beam laser comms on the Hammerhead. They need that data.” Hume was frantic. “It maps the hole in the defense grid around the planet. If they don't hear from me, they will come through anyway, without it.”

  “Okay. Okay. Drink.” Hume did. “We will get you on your feet by the time the moon is back up. I promise. Now, tell me. Who else survived? Until yesterday, I thought I was the only one.”

  Vi handed Hume a large mug of soup with a spoon in it. Hume realized she was starving.

  “Jimbo's command crew and ten others. But, they are almost out of food. We need to get them the data, or they will die.”

  Rand couldn't speak.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Hume

  “Hume’s courage saved us. Her raw guts.”

  --Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: Captain James Worthington, senior surviving member of the Ventura's command crew.

  <<<>>>

  “Jimbo, you need to get some rest. You haven't slept since she crossed the defense grid,” Dr. Shaw said to Jimbo.

  “We won't emerge for another pass for another six hours, Jim,” Muir added. “We’ll call you when we’re about to get another view.”

  Jimbo left the bridge, and headed for his bunk, when AI~Ben spoke to him, in his head, “Captain, there is movement in the target area you wanted me to watch.”

  A window opened in Jim's personal HUD that showed a view of the stash of rations. Bowen stepped up off the ladder, went directly to the food and began to devour two entire days’ worth of rations.

  “Ben, call Cook and Kuss, and have them meet me in the conference room.”

  Three minutes later, they arrived there and Jim told them the plan. Two minutes after that, Bowen left the top of the tank.

  “Ben, contact Bowen. Have her report directly to the conference room.”

  She arrived in fifteen minutes, a walk that should have taken five minutes. She entered into what seemed like an argument between Kuss and Cook about the way to scan using a point-to-point laser comms device.

  Bowen had her usual face on. The you-are-all-fools face.

  Everyone had a glass of water in front of them as they continued to argue. Jimbo drank deeply from his, and in a polite gesture, poured a glass and slid it over to Bowen.

  She shrank from the glass, trying to be inconspicuous about it.

  Cook said, “I think you were right, Captain.”

  The argument stopped.

  Bowen looked at Worthington, and said, in a condescending tone, “Right about what?”

  Worthington leaned forward, and said, “You.”

  Kuss shot her.

  Two needles stuck into her sternum and filled her nervous system with electricity, and pain. She convulsed in the chair for a few seconds and then passed out.

  Kuss searched her and found one of the weapons, concealed on her.

  “I guess I won’t have to apologize to her, after all. Take her to the secondary airlock. Bind her hands behind her back. I need some sleep,” he said, as he got up and walked out. “I’ll deal with her, later.”

  ***

  “Sir, we’re going to be coming clear in about twenty minutes,” Muir said, over the comms to Worthington.

  “Acknowledged,” was all he said.

  Jim sat up. He was still in his clothes. He had not even bothered to take off his boots. He swung his feet onto the floor, trying not to think, just yet.

  The door chimed.

  “Come,” he said.

  The door slid open, and Jim was surprised to see Dr. Shaw there, holding a protein bar and a mug of steaming tea.

  “I’m not letting you out of here, until you eat this bar and drink this tea,” she said.

  “Ben, how many minutes until we emerge?” Jim asked.

  “Emergency medical override. Please see Dr. Shaw for any additional information,” AI~Ben said.

  “Are you serious?” Jim asked, looking up at her.

  “What do you think?” she replied, handing him the steaming mug.

  He took a sip. It was extra strong.

  She o
pened the energy bar. The smell of peanut butter and oatmeal filled the cabin. He realized he was ravenous. He took it and ate it. It only took him three minutes to finish it.

  “Ben, status?”

  “It's okay, Ben. Thanks for your help,” Dr. Shaw said.

  “We will clear the planet in sixteen minutes. Dr. Bowen is awake and demanding to speak to you,” AI~Ben replied.

  “Ben, tell her I said this: I know you killed Sharon. I’m running out of reasons not to introduce you to this moon’s surface. I’m heading to the bridge.” Then, he added, “Thanks, Beth.”

  “If you hold a lottery for who gets to space that bitch, I'm in.”

  “Get in line.” He smiled.

  They left the cabin as he sipped his tea.

  ***

  Jim decided to make Bowen cool her heels. After visiting the head, he went to the bridge. Cook, Muir, Kuss, Ibenez, and Elkin were there, looking over Muir's shoulder, at the tactical station.

  “Updates?” was all he said, as he sat in the command chair.

  “We have been analyzing the new data from the dish and it's not good,” Muir said, as they quieted.

  “This defense grid is like nothing we have ever seen. We can’t figure out how the grid stays in fixed positions. The weapons platforms are standard geosynchronous satellites. There is an odd field around the defense grid orbitals that seem to push against each other and the planet.”

  Just then, the screen lit up.

  “Memphis, this is Hume. Come in.” It was her.

  “Hume, you sure took your sweet time. Are you secure?” Jim asked.

  “I'm alright. I’ll explain, later. Data upload commencing, now,” Hume said.

  Data flowed via the laser link. There was a lot of it. It was going to take a while.

  “Jimbo, you won't believe it,” Hume said.

  “I knew, if anyone could pull off that stupid stunt, it was you, Hume,” he said.

  “Sir, I found Rand. She saved me.”

  The bridge froze, for a moment.

  “Where is she?” he asked, dumbfounded.

  “I'm right here,” Rand replied. “Talk about taking your time. Damn, Jimbo!”

  “Rand! Is anyone with you?” Jimbo asked.

  “No. It’s just me. I happened to be inside one of the shuttles when the flight deck on the Ventura broke up. I crashed hard, but got away with an EM that is damaged but functional,” Rand said.

  “Jim, Hume told me you plan to come down here. We have a good place to hide the Memphis, if you can make it. The coordinates are coming up with the data.”

  “Better and better.” Jim smiled.

  “There is something wrong here, Jim. It is an odd mix of old tech and no tech. I have seen old shuttles, old plate-style data pads, and even a few plasma rifles. But, most of the population lives a preindustrial, almost medieval, lifestyle.”

  Rand spent time telling Jimbo what had happened since she arrived. She told him about Salterkirk and a hangar base she had found there. She spoke about Vi and Tannhauser and what she had learned about the culture and the people.

  Hume detailed what happened after she penetrated the defense grid. The nanites managed to stay ahead of the damage she did to her body.

  “I don't know if I will ever be able to get that pressure suit completely clean. Right now, the Hammerhead is parked on a landing pad on the north side of the Salterkirk hangar. Has the data transmission completed? If not, we may need to move it to another location with a better line of sight,” Hume stated.

  Muir spoke up. “It completed a few minutes ago. I have been reviewing the telemetry.” Muir paused, before continuing. “We are very lucky to have packed all those sensors in, Hume. If you had gone through with hot grav-foils, with your external temp up, or any faster than you did, you'd be dead.” He shifted to another set of controls. “Ben, can you model this data and propose a potential, cold, glide path for the Memphis? All systems shut down. Ten meters per second.”

  A simulation came up on the main screen, showing the size of the sensor gap and the size of the Memphis. It will be a very tight fit. Possible, but very difficult.

  “We will need to study this, in greater detail,” Jimbo said.

  “Don't take too long,” said Beth Shaw. “We only have about a month's worth of short rations left.”

  “That reminds me.” Worthington looked at Cook. “We found Hamilton. She's dead. Bowen killed her. I don't know why, yet.”

  “What? That bitch,” Hume said. “I should have blown her out the airlock when I had the chance.”

  “She is currently cooling her heels in the secondary hangar’s airlock,” Jimbo said.

  “Sir, before we lose contact, I need to tell you something else,” Rand said. “One of the people we are with is named Coff. He's a tracker. He works for a Keeper named Ronan. He believes we may be able to work with this Keeper.”

  Hume added, “With your permission, sir, I'd like to fly Coff back to the East Isles, where this Keeper lives. I might be able to persuade him to help us.”

  “A Keeper?” Jimbo looked around at shrugging shoulders. “I will leave it to you, to assess and to act. Don't take too long. Even after we get to the ground, we’re going to require material support of some kind. We also have another Emergency Module to locate,” Jimbo said. “But, that one seems to be in an area where there is fighting of some kind. We will need to go, carefully.”

  “Sir, we’re going to lose them in eight minutes, with our current position,” Tyrrell said, from the comms station.

  “Hume. We can't thank you enough for pulling this off. I believe you have saved our lives. If we had just flown through blind, we'd all be dead.”

  “Be careful, sir. We're not home, yet,” Hume replied.

  “I'm glad you're not dead, Rand,” Worthington also said. “Let's keep it that way.”

  “Doing my best, Captain.” Rand emphasized the word captain.

  “Report back in, at moonrise tomorrow.” Jimbo closed the connection.

  “Hume out.”

  ***

  Rand waited for Hume to bring the Hammerhead into the main hangar. She flew it near the back, to let it settle down in the shadows.

  It happened to settle right in front of the door that Rand had found but was unable to open.

  As Hume got out of the Hammerhead, the dust she kicked up swirled about and showed that a positive pressure draft blew out of the seam along the door's edge.

  She looked at the door and at Rand, before she said, “What's in there?”

  Rand shrugged. “I never got the chance to open it.”

  Hume pulled a large multi-tool out of the pocket of her flight suit and had the control panel opened, quickly. “No power. Old-school. Hang on.”

  Hume examined the inside of the panel with the multi-tool’s light and reached up inside to use the tool above, out of sight. After a moment, another panel, directly above that one opened, revealing a single metal lever. She reached up, and with a lot of effort, the lever slowly tilted out until it was 90° from its original position. She worked the lever back and forth, and the door slowly jacked open with each pull.

  “It's a manual open,” Hume said, as she struggled with it.

  “Here, let me.”

  Rand took a turn and it opened further. Soon, it was opened far enough for Hume to squeeze through.

  They shined the light in first and looked around.

  There were some work benches and high stools visible. The ceiling was probably the same height as the hangar itself as the light didn't seem to reach that far.

  They worked the lever some more, before entering.

  Both drew their sidearms and activated the tactical lights.

  They found themselves in a large shop. There were big machines that looked like drill presses and milling machines. They were corroded and looked inoperable. There was no power.

  There were all kinds of hand tools, neatly stored about. They explored for the next hour. They found many usefu
l items that could help with repairs to the Memphis.

  “What we really need is a fabricator,” Hume said to Rand, as they started down a corridor that went deeper into the mountain.

  Their lights fell on a wide, double door marked, ‘Reactor Room’.

  They easily pushed open the doors.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  The East Isles

  “Ronan was the smartest man on that godforsaken planet.”

  --Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: Lieutenant Valerie Hume, the security chief on the Memphis.

  <<<>>>

  Coff walked around the Hammerhead, working up enough courage to touch it. When he finally did, he realized he had never felt anything so smooth, except glass. The black and red machine was sleek and smaller than any shuttle he had ever seen. He could almost see through the tinted windshield of the canopy. The inside was small. One seat behind the other. The entire thing would fit in an ox cart.

  “Ever fly in a shuttle before, Coff?” Hume's voice startled him.

  “Bloody anvil!” He cursed and fell against the Hammerheads body. “I hate it in here. Always dark.”

  “It helps us to hide from the sky, from the Keepers. They watch from the sky. But, you already knew that,” Hume said, looking to the hangar’s opening. There were stars visible above the water. The air was calm.

  “Coff, why do they call them Keepers?” Hume asked.

  The question left Coff uncertain. “Um...They are Keepers of the faith, of the magic. Why is your skin like that?” Hume had very dark skin, like her mother. But, her facial features resembled her Asian father. Her eyes were so brown they looked black and her close-cropped hair was jet-black, straight and spiked, in an unkempt way.

  “I was born this way.” Hume tilted her head. “Have you never seen a Black person before?”

  Coff felt self-conscious looking at her now. “No.” Then, words tumbled out. “Sometimes, they talked about black trackers and black Keepers, but I didn't think it was literal. Or real.”