Mission: Attack on Europa

by V. A. Jeffrey

  “Oh yeah. We could definitely use them.” They took a look at our ships.

  “So this is the train, is it?” Asked Tulos. He strode down the length of the train, examining the black fighters. His breathing mask was full of condensation. “Impressive.”

  “The Big Boss, as we call him, has a secret project. These ships came out of that project. He wants them tested. I thought perhaps they might be most useful out here. I think that was his thinking as well.”

  “We'll take a good look at them once we get to the compound,” said Rychik.

  “Yeah. We need make a lot of room to get them back to our place,” said Genevieve. She went back to the rover to call and give instructions the mechs back at the compound.

  “It is good to see you again, Robert,” said Tulos. I nodded.

  “It's good to see you again too. I never really thought I'd be back.”

  “Mars draws people. It seems a dead place but it teems with life. It draws you back,” he said. “We shouldn't tarry here. After the separatists deserted Dorwe it's become dangerous to linger here.”

  “And your friend here?” Asked Rychik. “he must be rather experienced in the ways of life if he can come and go from Gunner's Run.”

  “That's Diamond for you. A new friend of mine and a great pilot. He's teaching me how to fly a ship better. He was good enough to come along on my harebrained scheme against the Realm.”

  “The Realm. Ever a looming darkness on our minds,” said Tulos heavily.

  “Tulos is right. We need to go,” called Genevieve from the rover.

  “Where is your android? You mentioned to Genevieve that you would be bringing him along in humanoid form?” Asked Rychik suddenly. I looked around. I didn't see Will.

  “Will?” I called. “Will? Where are you? Will?”

  We started looking around frantically, calling out for him.

  “Will, where are you?” I called and as I did it dawned on me. A terrible feeling grew in my gut, as if I'd been knocked to the ground. We couldn't find him anywhere near the train or near Genevieve's vehicle. He was nowhere to be found. Diamond put up a sensor scanner and so did Tulos and Rychik. Genevieve came running back.

  “What's happened?”

  “It's Will!” I exclaimed. “I can't find him anywhere! He's gone!”

  5

  When we finally moved the train back to Genevieve's hideout the argument moved from the intercom system throughout the ships to a meeting room at the compound hideout.

  “Look, I know that an android is important to have Bob, but we can build another one or even purchase or trade for one if it's that important.”

  “No, Genevieve. An android often carries with it extremely valuable information within its memory banks about its owners' business. It's far more than a mere mech. Some can act as assassins if advanced enough and programed for such use!” I said. “Will is very advanced. He's almost like a human being!”

  “This is a bad development,” said Tulos. He looked to Rychik. Rychik shrugged. “Thievery is different from scavenging. The scavenging culture here can be ruthless but there are still rules. If something obviously belongs to another and it is in their possession, it is still wrong to take it,” said Tulos.

  “Maybe the laser battle was really a ruse to get to Will,” I said. None of them agreed with this assessment.

  “I seriously doubt that. No one in their right mind is going to start a gun battle and lose two of their own crew for a mech. Even for an advanced mech like him,” said Rychik. “Most likely, they were opportunists looking for any advantage and your team happened to fall across their path.” I sighed, rolling my eyes in exasperation.

  “I thought at least some out here would have some honor,” I said unhappily.

  “We do have a code of honor among us. If that code is broken and we don't sue for our rights, any semblance of law and order we have, however tenuous, will completely breakdown,” he said.

  “In space those scumbag scavengers are called pirates. Or privateers,” said Diamond. However he was still gazing at the two aliens in fascination.

  “Everyone here is a scavenger, sir. One would not survive if they were not. It is how we exist. But some scavengers are also known thieves,” Tulos rebuked him.

  “We need to get him back!” I demanded, not wanting the discussion derailed.

  “And what do you expect we do? It's gone. We can get another one. What sort of information does this android have that we can't do without?” Asked Rychik.

  “Well. . .lots of information!” I sputtered in frustration. “We need him!”

  “Maybe they're right, Bob. I hated that we lost him. It's a terrible blow but we still have the ships, which is what's really important,” said Diamond. I felt my temper flare up but I counted to five and let out a slow breath. They didn't know. I needed to inform them of Will's value and not just because I saw him as a friend, where they merely saw him as a piece of expensive lost machinery. This was when I decided to tell them.

  “We need to get him back because a piece of alien hive wire is installed in his brain. I'd planned to take him along with us on the mission to Europa. If there are any first level hive mechs on that military base or on any of their ships, Will might be able to find a way to communicate with them. Do you see now why we need him back?” There was dead silence as that sunk in.

  “Elucidate,” demanded Tulos.

  “He is in possession of a technology we all need. A hive wire.”

  “He has the hive wire implanted in his brain?” Asked Genevieve. Her eyes brightened intensely. Even Rychik, rarely shaken by anything, looked surprised.

  “Yes!” I said. She glanced at her companions and then back at me. Diamond looked surprised too

  “What's. . .hive wire?” He asked.

  “It works kind of like the sensory areas in the cerebral cortex of a human brain. That's the best example I can give. That hive wire could help us win this upcoming battle.” I added. Diamond still looked confused.

  “If that's so, there is a way we can try to get him back. Maybe,” said Genevieve.

  “Okay, so let's-” I began but she threw up her hands in a motion for me to be quiet and listen.

  “There's no guarantee it will work, justice in Syzygy being what is it, but there is a process we can go through when it comes to something this important.”

  “Or dire,” added Tulos.

  “It's dangerous and can create ill will where we previously had none,” she warned.

  “They stole him. We need to get him back,” I said firmly. “or we'll be flying into Jovian space blind.”

  “He makes a very good point. With all the information we have, that single piece is the most important, if this Will android is able to use the hive wire to good advantage. I say we file a complaint against the thieves with the Head Tribunal,” said Tulos.

  “How do we know exactly who stole him?” I asked.

  “I think I know who they are. I got a quick look at their vehicle as they fled the scene. Brief, but it was all I needed. It was the Sigra gang,” she said.

  “The what?”

  “The Sigra gang. They're lowlifes of the worst kind. They prey on the profits and hard work of others. Used to be independents, or called themselves such,” spat Rychik in disgust.

  “Do they have a lot of friends?”

  “They used to. But they have a curious history of double-crossing people, even friends. Burned a lot of bridges here but they do still have some friends,” said Genevieve. “They are dangerous. I hate doing this but we'll file a formal complaint first thing in the morning. What that might accomplish is alerting the authorities that we've had something very valuable stolen. If we ever get it back,” she glanced at Rychik who remained silent, “If they try to file a complaint about stolen property, theirs will be rejected. They may even be subjected to exorbitant fines and containment.”

  “What in the world is a hive wire?” Asked Diamond quietly, probably more to himself than to anyo
ne else.

  . . .

  With this concern fresh on my mind it wasn't a restful night for me. Genevieve had us fed rather well as we sat in the mess hall, which was really a small room beside the galley separated by a long counter. We had purified ice water and cloned mutton with some gravy and root vegetables. It wasn't fancy by any means but any chance of something that tasted like real food was always welcome. Diamond wolfed his down quickly and sat back, taking in the scene around him. A small labor mech was busy cleaning up the galley while Diamond and myself were left.

  “One of them looks like a familiar creature to me. But what of the one with the long beard of tentacles?”

  “That's Tulos. He's of the Miku race.”

  “I see.”

  “The other is a Glia. It was a Glia you saw on your base masquerading as a military officer?”

  “The kind with wings? Yes.”

  “What you have to remember is that not all of them are enemies.”

  “But how can you tell?”

  “For one, I've worked side by side with Tulos and Rychik. I've learned about the different political factions here and many of them want freedom from their own oppressive government.”

  “Political factions?” Diamond expressed, his face frowning with disbelief.

  “Yes. Think humans are the only ones with complex social and political systems?”

  ”Well, until that day on the base I had no idea that we weren't alone in the universe, Bob.” He shifted in his seat. “So when is this mission, exactly? How are we suppose to accomplish this?”

  “We'll find out soon what we're going to do.” Genevieve walked back in, appraising Diamond for a few seconds before taking up a seat opposite from us behind the counter.

  “I'm so glad you guys came. I wasn't sure if you would even answer my call. And those ships!” She said excitedly. “What a gold mine! Tell me, Diamond, what made you come out here with Bob?”

  “We work for the same guy and I'm always up for an adventure.”

  “The men on my team, they don't frighten you then?”

  “No. I'm quite aware that we have them among us. I suspect it's the reason why I was asked to come out here with Bob.” he said, giving me a sidelong glance.

  “And you guys work for this Vartan guy?” We both nodded.

  “Well you'll find a whole new world out here. We get smugglers out here on rare occasion too.”

  “You do?”

  “Yeah. One in particular, a guy who calls himself Lantris.” This made Diamond's wide, easy smile crumple and disappear. He stiffened and his eyes darkened.

  “They're new around here but I've heard they're trying to make inroads, trying to get their hands on alien technology.”

  “What do they plan to do with it?” I asked, watching Diamond's face.

  “I have no idea. Whether they even understand it is a wonder. I barely understand it and I've lived here for years.”

  “I see. Most likely callow, short-sighted snakes like him just want to profit from it,” Diamond growled. Genevieve got up and went to the galley. I watched Diamond closely.

  “What's the matter?”

  “Huh? Nothing.”

  “Come on, we're on the same team now. What's wrong? Something about what she said?” I asked. Genevieve peeked out at us through the galley doorway.

  “Well,” he finally said, “I, as I told you before, had some run-ins with some powerful smugglers. Had a confrontation with one especially. Lantris and his gang. That's one of his names. Also goes by the handle of The Collector. Also by the name of Diarmid King. He threatened to have me embalmed and mounted onto the bow of one of his ships as a figurehead if I didn't get out of the business.”

  “What did you do to him?” I asked.

  “Nothing. I was just better at what I did, faster and I didn't skim profits off the top. I didn't try to get over on clients or other smugglers. People trusted me. Others hired me and my group sometimes instead of his people. We were up and coming. Lantris and his gang and a couple of the other bosses felt threatened about us muscling in on their territory. I disbanded my group and left the life after receiving a cryptic message from one of my clients. She told me that she'd heard I was going to be set up by Lantris through some guy named Rayvis. A fake job. I had reason enough to believe her. I'd had more than enough confrontations with this guy. I told my team about it and told them they could either continue with a new leader or disband. We disbanded. It was shortly around that time that I was contacted by The Boss.”

  “The Boss. Who is The Boss?” Asked Genevieve from the galley.

  “The guy we work for. Runs Vartan, Inc.” I said. “He's also the one who sent these ships. Some of the finest and fastest ships in the system. Black Wings, according to Diamond. He knows ships.”

  “Oh, right. Well, good,” she firmly. “We need all the help we can get.” She came back to the table with a large metal mug of what looked like and smelled like beer.

  “Genevieve, what happened to Dorwe?” I asked, suddenly remembering. She leaned back and crossed her legs slowly and then looked up at me.

  “There's been some changes around here since you've left, Bob. The most significant being a new city. Dorwe was abandoned. It was a separatist camp. They've built a new city far west of here, in one of the canyons of the Valles Marineris. It's been in planning for years. And now it's growing. The name of the new city is Ophir. It's an ambitious project and it's been a long time in the making.”

  “It would seem they're getting organized.”

  “Yes.” She sighed.

  “What?”

  “We've had several conflagrations in Syzygy over the last six months. Certain interests clashing. An element from the loyalists' camp is starting to taint some here. Old attitudes die hard. The communities here are fragmenting.”

  “It seems they were already fragile to begin with. What happened?”

  “One of the secret vivisection labs here was destroyed in a fire and all the people who ran it killed.”

  “I can't say I feel bad.”

  “I don't either but we humans have to really watch our backs now. Some were furious over it. Officially, they can't say much but they can do a lot of damage to those who are friendly to human interests behind the scenes.”

  “And all near the eve of our first mission to take out a loyalist military base,” I said.

  “I know.” She downed her drink and set it on the table. She turned and motioned for us to follow her. Genevieve went to her machine workshop filled with odds and ends and all manner of broken, unfinished machines that she was building.

  “We'll need to send a report to the enforcer squad, that's police, and a formal complaint to the Head Tribunal tonight.” She pulled up a screen on a computer console. Soon an electronic form appeared in Hanga.

  “What's this?” Asked Diamond.

  “Paperwork.”

  “Out here too?” He said in dismay.

  “Out here too.” When she'd finished filling it out she whirled around in her chair and fixed Diamond with a mischievous grin.

  “Now! First thing in the morning, we'll test out those ships!” My stomach began to churn. Hopefully the two of them wouldn't want me around for that.

  . . .

  Luckily that next day Diamond and Genevieve didn't ask for me to help out so I was free to explore the compound and thought to explore the metal workshop. Tulos had a visitor to see him and Rychik was off on his own business for the day.

  As I turned a corner I came upon something unexpected. I'd accidentally bumped into a labor mech going on its rounds. It squealed, picking up the boxes it had dropped and then went on its way again. I decided to follow it at a distance. I saw it turn and go into a supply room full of boxes. In this room it opened another door and went inside, seemingly oblivious to my presence right around the corner. After waiting a few minutes I followed and opened the door. Beyond was a corridor. I crept down the corridor only to come out a doorway directly out the o
ther end which led to what looked like a hidden door. I felt drawn to follow the mech for some reason as if I'd find something I needed. My senses goaded me to investigate and I was learning to follow them and to trust my instincts. I could hear two voices, both male. One I didn't recognize at all. The other sounded like Tulos. I peeked around the corner and I did indeed see Tulos and another alien male dressed in what looked like the robes of a cleric or a monk. He had his hands and arms folded within the robe. They were both speaking English but this one spoke with a very different accent which led me to believe that perhaps the other's native tongue wasn't Hanga. English, was one of the universal languages spoken here on Mars besides Chinese, Russian and German.

  The conversation sounded as if it would be relatively unimportant to an outsider but I was keen on listening anyway.

  “Rychik has told me of your sacred find. I am under the impression that you've had it in your possession for some time now.”

  “Yes I have.”

  “It is a holy object, a sacred gift from the deity. Such a precious thing would be in safe keeping at the temple.”

  “I don't know. I myself have longed for such a weapon, longed to wield it. To test my skills as a warrior with it. I think such things are meant to be used, not to sit on altars. Anyway, it was given to me for safekeeping. ”

  “By whom, may I ask?” The hairs on my back stood on end. I didn't feel comfortable about that question at all. Who is this guy?

  “That, I am not at liberty to say. That is confidential.”

  “I see. Well. If you will not give it up, consider allowing us at the temple to hold it temporarily. Such a weapon could be a great relic. A relic as geat value, Tulos. Many people would stream to the temple to see it and to offer prayers. It can brng many back to the path of peace.” There was a pause. “You do realize that to wield such a weapon requires ultimate skill in the Kriya arts of one of the followers of Jannis, if you are not noble born?”

  “It is a very tempting offer Pemanu, and I am well aware of the requirements, but for now I would like to become more acquainted with the sword in a passive spiritual way. As a follower of the Order of Jannis I want to become more knowledgeable of the ancient ways of the Jannisii in regards to it. Such knowledge does not start with aggression.”