by Cheri Lasota
They made their way through the fairly crowded hub connector corridor. Solomon counted around thirty Nautilus and Challenge crewmembers embarking or disembarking from various docking modules. Most were heading down the crew lifts, but others were stopping by the coffee shops and restaurants located around the inner rim of the circular hub. The corridors and connectors were blessedly free of Reachers. Kasen must be doing his job keeping Reachers aboard the ship down at the ship's Crew Hatch.
They moved at a steady pace through the gunmetal grey interiors of the hub and joined a small group of maintenance and restaurant workers in Lift 1. A quick glance at them made Solomon sigh in relief; no members of Command were among them.
“Which stop?” one of the workers, a tall man sporting a ridiculous mustache, asked Solomon.
“Main,” he answered.
“Same for me,” Dextra said in a low voice.
“Hold the lift!” a shout came from the corridor.
Solomon sucked in a breath, realizing he'd recognize that voice anywhere.
The tall worker put his hand out to stop the slider from closing, and in walked Alexandra Justice and Commander Edge.
What the hell were they doing on this lift? He glanced at Dextra, and her eyes were about to bug out of her head. Solomon shook his head slightly and tried to reassure her with his eyes.
Just hold on, he wanted to tell her. Say nothing, and maybe we'll get out of here without the entire Founder crew descending on us. He moved them back behind a couple of taller guys toward the far right corner and turned his face to the side toward Dextra.
Edge and Justice stared straight ahead and didn't say a word. Once the doors closed, other quiet conversations erupted around them, but he and Dextra and his torturers remained silent.
Eventually, Edge turned toward Justice, and Solomon strained to listen. “We need to get back up to the transporter soon. We need to question him further.”
“We're late for the board meeting. We have to deal with that and this damned airlock issue first. He's not going anywhere.”
Solomon tried to exhale, but his breath came out in a ragged lump. He couldn't believe it, but it seemed his plan was still in play. They had no idea he'd escaped, and it seemed as if Brooker's rumor about an airlock leak on the SS Challenge was spreading fast. And of course, Challenge Command was going to have a devil of a time pinpointing the leak because it didn't actually exist. That should keep them busy for quite a while. If he and Dextra made it out of this elevator without being detected, they might just pull this off.
The moments ticked by. Solomon felt the sweat beading up on his forehead, remembering the feel of Edge's scalpel driving into his palm. It pulsed again, as much in pain as in the desperate need to sucker punch Dickson Edge right now. Damn that man.
The elevator came to an abrupt halt, knocking Dextra into him, and the door dinged and opened. Solomon took hold of her hand to steady her, but he didn't let go afterward. He held her back as people started to file out, Justice and Edge beginning to lead the way.
“Wait,” Edge said, blocking Alexandra from exiting, as the other workers filed out around them.
For a breathless moment, Dextra squeezed the life out of Solomon's hand while they waited for Edge's next move.
“Got a message from Challenge Security.” He stared blankly ahead, obviously reading the message via his DOT HUD.
Jesus, Edge. Get on with it already! The suspense was killing Solomon. He'd rather be arrested than stand right behind his torturer and be unable to act.
“It's nothing,” Edge finally said. “They haven't found any leaks as yet.”
“All right. Let's get going,” Alexandra said, rushing out.
When they had both left, Solomon paused the lift for a moment and just breathed.
“My God,” Dextra whispered. “I thought for sure my mother would turn around.”
Solomon glanced at her. “Still sure you want to come with me?”
She paused only a beat before responding. “Absolutely.”
After checking around the corner for Alexandra and Dickson, Solomon pulled Dextra out of the lift into the bustle of the Nautilus-11's Main Hub. Nautilus crew were everywhere and SS Challenge crew dotted the crowd as well. He scanned the expansive area surrounding the inner lifts, but didn't immediately see any Reachers loitering around the restaurants or corridors.
Most of the crew sectors on Nautilus were located in and around its cylindrical core. Shops, eateries, and markets lined the outer perimeters while the long spiral arm leading off into the various ship sectors spun off to their right. And here again was the same odd mixture of natural and modern decor as could be found on the Solix Sky Docking Station. As much as he admired Alastair Johns, he decidedly disliked his sense of style. He led Dextra down the crew passage toward the Nautilus-11 conference compartments. They would be meeting in Compartment 1A, where all Joint Command Board meetings took place, he had no doubt.
“Do you know where any tracking dampeners are located?” she asked. “There must be some on Nautilus or Challenge.”
“Yes, I've got some hidden on Challenge.” He touched his wrist, annoyed at himself for forgetting that Command would start tracking them once they realized he was missing. If he wasn't still smarting from his wounds, he'd cut it out of his wrist. He needed every safeguard he could get. But it was unlikely they'd discover him gone until after the board meeting.
“If we make it there.”
“We will,” Solomon said. “Trust me.”
She raised a thin eyebrow, and her dark lips twisted into an incredulous smile.
He grinned back. “Well, try at least.”
“No promises.”
“Fair enough.”
“Hold on while I destroy the guard's chip.” Solomon pulled out the DOT he had shoved into his pocket earlier. He pressed the release button on the back of the wrist unit, and with a beep, the chip popped out. He didn't have much strength in his injured hand, but he was able to bend and crack the delicate components. He tossed it into the nearest waste receptacle.
“Okay, let's go,” he said, directing her with gentle pressure on her shoulder toward the flow of people in the center aisle.
They cut through a couple of empty compartments in the center of the hub and finally made it to the right corridor, but a guard stood in front of the slider leading to Conference Compartment 1A. He was going to be a big problem.
Dextra held out her arm to stop Solomon. “Wait here,” she said confidently. “I'll take care of him.”
“Be careful,” Solomon hissed as she walked down the corridor at a steady clip, the movement of her hips catching his eye. For a split-second, Solomon worried she'd bust into the meeting and start screaming for help. He waited, ready to bolt.
Dextra must have smiled at the guard, because he grinned at her with a nod. “Ms. Justice.”
She spoke to him briefly and the guy nodded.
“Are you sure he wanted me to leave my post?”
Dextra finally spoke loud enough for Solomon to hear. “That's what I heard. Secondhand, of course. I can keep an eye on things here, if you like. That was my intention, anyway.”
“Yes. I'll just see what he wants. Be back in a bit.”
The guard moved down the opposite corridor, and Solomon released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
Dextra waved him over.
“Thank you,” he said, not knowing what else to say.
She nodded. “Useful, that's me.”
“I'd be happy to give you a glowing letter of recommendation.”
“I'm touched. Now, I don't know how long that idiot is going to be gone, so all I can say is you better have a good plan for this next bit, Reach.”
“Simple: we sneak in there and eavesdrop on their plans. Then we head to the ship before the meeting breaks up.”
“So, zero chance of success, then?”
“Where's your vote of confidence now? There's an extra podium and some chairs sta
cked right by this door, actually. I plan to tuck us in behind them. That should give us an earful of what they're saying and possibly a clear line of sight.”
“And what if something goes wrong?”
“You are going to be my bargaining chip.”
“What?” She was genuinely concerned at that admission. He hoped it wouldn't come to that. Given what he'd seen of Alexandra, Mads, and Dickson today, he wouldn't put it past them to sacrifice Dextra for the “greater good.”
“Just follow my lead,” Solomon reassured her. “I'll get us through this.”
“Why do I not feel overly confident just now?”
“Because the fate of your life is in the hands of a man you barely know.”
“Well, you're perceptive. I'll give you that.”
“Let's get going. The guard won't be gone for long,” Solomon said.
Solomon peeked through the slider's window. The meeting table was out of his immediate view, but no one lingered around the area beyond the slider. It looked like they had a real chance of slipping in undetected.
“Use your pass to get us through,” Solomon whispered. “Mine might already be flagged.”
Dextra waved her wrist in front of the slider's codebox, and it slid open quietly. They ducked down and immediately hid behind the podium and chairs stacked in the far corner of the meeting room. Solomon slowly moved some of the chairs to shield them from anyone exiting or entering the room from this far door. Then they knelt on the floor and listened in to the meeting already in progress, looking through the legs of the chairs to watch as all the bigwigs discussed their fate.
“Is it certain, Daniela?” he heard Alexandra Justice say.
“Yes,” Docking Commander Daniela Marcks replied. “Given the sheer number of nukes both countries let loose, nuclear winter is a mathematical certainty according to our own Astro Lab experts as well as the International Consortium.”
Solomon shifted his position so he could find her location. Her flame red hair and petite frame stood out among the dour faces of the other board members. So she was here. Good. He'd start tracking her whereabouts after this. He was going to need her later.
Silence took over the group as Marcks's words sunk in. It wasn't every day you heard about the imminent destruction of the only planet you've ever lived on. And nothing was ever going to be certain about New Eden. Once the Nautilus Fleet had gatejumped through the wormhole, Earth had lost contact with them.
There was no way to know how the Founders had fared through the jump at Sideris Gate other than to assume that the ships he had built for them had made it through safely. He had tried to make sure of that with a protective layer of nanosilc lining the hulls, buffering each ship from micrometeorites, solar radiation, and space debris.
“Let's go over the details again,” he heard Alexandra Justice say.
“Simple,” Marcks said. “We need to reduce time to launch by a half-day given what the latest calculations show. Leave too late and we'll miss the maximum thrust window for our Earth slingshot.”
“We knew going into this that the addition of the Serica group would affect our time table,” Edge said, a layer of exasperation underneath his words.
Solomon moved over a couple of inches so he could peer through the chairs to better watch the proceedings. It sounded like they'd had this plan for a while now.
“The Serica group has been our biggest delay.” Flight Director Giles Benson stood and pressed his palms onto the table. “I still say we need to leave them.”
Dickson Edge glanced around the room. “You all know why that is not an option.”
“If you hadn't started this mess,” Benson countered, “we would have left already.”
He stared coldly at Commander Edge, who seemed to be struggling between a desire to shout in Benson's face or punch him. He stood and opted for shouting.
“Everyone here has a stake in this except you, Benson. I don't think you get a vote on this one. Even if you did, you'd be outnumbered.”
“I wouldn't make that assumption lightly,” Benson said, glancing around at each board member, “if I were you, Commander.”
“Dickson is right, Giles,” Alexandra said.
Benson ignored Alexandra entirely and kept his eyes on Edge. “We've got one chance to leave this station. Ten thousand people cannot be held hostage by these people, no matter how important they are. The needs of the many, remember?”
“You can say that easily since you've outlived everyone who ever gave a damn about you, Benson.”
The older man's smile spoke of a grim certainty that Solomon didn't quite understand. “Granted, but that fact also allows me to view this situation dispassionately.”
“Enough, gentlemen. Our launch window is short, and we cannot wait to make a decision,” the Docking Commander Marcks said. “The Serica group's extra cargo has reduced our surplus fuel tolerances as well.”
“We extracted nothing out of Vida Rosado,” Mads Graversen finally piped in. “She wouldn't reveal the location of the missing part or tell us where the 3D design is. Even the backup file is missing. It is most certainly sabotage. We need to get Solomon Reach talking immediately,” he said, steepling his fingers in front of him with maddening calm. “He is the key.”
“Agreed,” Alexandra said, causing Dextra to drop her jaw in horror at her mother.
“Forgive my ignorance, but who is this Vida Rosado?” Jiva Yarod asked.
“She's the Propulsion Sector Drive Ops Chief,” Alexandra said. “She is in charge of the Cavitran Drive systems.”
“Ah, I don't believe I've met her as yet,” came Jiva's reply.
“These new people you're bringing on haven't even been quarantined appropriately,” Benson protested. “They will almost certainly cause an outbreak of disease aboard ship.”
“Benson is correct,” Nautilus Operations Manager James Reece piped in. “They could potentially kill us all. At least the Reachers have already been cleared for travel, Commander. And their skill sets are invaluable.”
“We've gone over this, Reece,” SS Challenge Flight Surgeon Mava Sparks, a short-haired woman in her early forties, piped in. “We'll put those with illnesses in the isolated cryo chamber compartment, and a dedicated tech in Med Bay will be monitoring vitals throughout the journey.”
“I'm with Justice and Graversen on this,” Commander Edge said. “We have yet to get Solomon Reach to talk. That's our number one priority. Every other decision related to the launch must come after that.”
“Agreed. We need to stop wasting time,” Justice said. “Let's get back to our interrogation of Reach.”
“Interrogation?” Jiva Yarod asked with raised eyebrows.
“Yes, Jiva. Interrogation,” Justice said dryly. “Chief Reach is being . . . combative.”
“Perhaps he's being combative because you're interrogating him, XO Justice.”
Solomon instinctively nodded in agreement, which made Dextra smile grimly at him. This guy Jiva—Solomon recalled he was a lead engineer on Nautilus-11 or something like that but not a usual member of the board—was a bit more perceptive than they gave him credit for. He must be standing in for another member, but Solomon couldn't call up the name.
“He's a means to an end, Jiva. He—and his crew—will not be joining us, so it doesn't matter.”
“Hmm . . . so you say,” was Jiva's reply.
Solomon made a mental note. This Jiva guy might be a potential ally. Same with Reece, who was nodding along with Jiva's comments.
“As I see it, we have two scenarios—well, three actually,” Benson said. “One: we don't get Reach talking, and in that scenario, we all inevitably die from some nasty means in a nuclear winter if we don't get swept up in a weapons race, gang war, or one of the natural disasters taking place all over the world. I think we'd all agree that scenario is less than appealing.
“Two: we get the ship operational, and the Serica group switches places with the Reacher crew you selected to boot off the ship. Y
ou'll somehow boot them off the ship without raising suspicions or causing a mutiny. If it comes to a fight and damage is done to the ship, nobody's leaving.”
“I already have a plan to get the Reachers not already in cryo sleep off the ship,” Edge said. “We plan to send out an all-staff missive from Reach's account stating that he wants to gather them all in one place on Nautilus-11 to relay some key information regarding their duties during the journey. They won't question—”
“Three,” Benson said, cutting him off, “we let the Reachers stay aboard to avoid a mutiny or other complications, and we—as I said before—get the hell out of here. I say we put it to a board vote and be done with this.”
Everyone at the table glanced at each other, seemingly weighing what the result of such a vote would be and whether it was worth the risk. Solomon could see the cogs in their minds rolling.
“Seconded,” Jiva said.
So he was of the democratic variety, Solomon thought. Good, then. Of course, it made sense, since he was not likely to vote in such a proceeding under usual circumstances.
“I see we had the same idea, Chief.”
The sound of Vida Rosado's whisper behind him made Solomon smile. Excellent. At least he'd find out how things were going on her end.
“Vida!” Solomon whispered though he wanted to shout. He turned and pulled her into a hug. “Did they hurt you? What's your status?” He didn't immediately see any damage, but pain took many forms.
“Don't worry, boss. I'm fine,” Vida whispered, brushing off his concern while glancing warily at Dextra. “Aren't you a Justice?”
Solomon saw Dextra nod out of the corner of his eye.
“She's with us now, Vida. Report.”
“Yes, sir. It was mostly just threats and finger wagging. I didn't give them any information. But I was able to disable the Serica locking system. I don't think anyone is aware of it yet, but I didn't risk looking inside the sector, so I have no firsthand knowledge of who they've got in there and how many there are.”