Mission: Attack on Europa

by V. A. Jeffrey

  The mech left us. We sat on the ground floor. The very bottom middle rows were filled and in the middle on the floor was a wide table console. A life-sized looking holographic image of Europa was spinning slowly on its axis from the hologram console on the table. Towering water vapor plumes rose through its stratosphere. Vast ice rifts crossed its surface like deep scars. Others were already gathered around the table. Quite a few seemed happy to see me.

  “Welcome.” I heard a few say.

  “Thanks. It's good to be back.” I was touched that they had even remembered me. Admiral Suttu cleared his throat.

  “One of the persons we were waiting to see. Let us get the first business out of the way,” he said, looking around at all those gathered. “We have decided to make Robert Astor of Earth an honorary member of the Martian Allied Powers,” he said with gravity.

  “The one that derailed the stargate scheme!” I heard someone say. I saw Genevieve smile at me, one of the rare occasions when I could detect genuine warmth in her hard, elfin-like face. Diamond Dog was grinning like a cheshire cat.

  “A regular war hero,” he said. “I knew it.”

  “Well, not just yet.” I said, feeling a bit sheepish. I wasn't much for folks making a big fuss over me.

  “Aww, come on man, enjoy the glory while you can. It may not last long out here,” said Diamond.

  “I'm afraid that we don't have anything to give you at this time but the respect due a warrior. But you are welcome here as an honored citizen of Ophir.”

  “Why, thank you. That's good enough for me.” I said.

  “Ayuh! Welcome, brother in spirit,” said the admiral. Everyone in the room shouted the same. Then Suttu turned to the holo-images again to study them while everyone assimilated the new entry among their ranks. A few other sentinels were coming in.

  Little recorder mechs whirred around our circle throughout the anteroom. Many of the faces I recognized. A few nodded briefly in respect. I also saw some new faces. Quite a few, in fact. Old Admiral Suttu was sitting on a wide, brushed metal throne stool right in the middle of the floor. He heaved a long, gurgling sigh, waiting patiently for the rest of the Alliance to gather.

  “I'm glad you made it all the way back from Earth, Robert,” he said and managed to produce a smile on that sourpuss face of his.

  “I'm glad too. And thank you again, for the honor. I'm sure you heard about the new fighter ships that came with me?”

  “You are very welcome. As for the ships? Indeed, indeed. A boon to us and in our very hour of need,” he said and then gazed curiosly at Diamond.

  “This is Diamond, a partner of mine and a great pilot.”

  “Good to meet you, Diamond,” he said in that deep, rough voice.

  “Glad I can help,” said Diamond. I wasn't sure what was going through his mind right now but he seemed to be taking it all in stride now. His experience didn't seem much like mine when I first came, a series of shocks that I barely recovered from before being introduced to yet another.

  When all had gathered, Suttu clapped his mighty hands together to signal that the meeting was in session. The great doors closed and locked.

  “Now, let's get down to business. We are come together for a last time before we embark on a historic mission. Here are the final plans after many arduous months of deliberation, argumentation,” he cast some meaningful glances around the room, “and mission planning.” He tapped a screen on the console and a real time image of Jupiter sprang alive. Large vortices of storms on Jupiter pounded and roared around its surface. So life-like it was that it was almost as if one could fall into the roiling clouds. Information in Hanga appeared and drilled down so quickly it was difficult to read. I could see ships, patrolling and prowling just above the surface of icy Europa and a few near Io.

  “Here are the most recent recordings we have of the base on Europa and their patrols.” The images changed focus to the surface of Europa, near a large ice lake. There was a dark building that looked like a silo at the bottom with a tall, slender tower rising from the base. We saw four heavily armored alien soldiers and a few mechs, all carrying what looked like blaster-rifles patrolling the perimeter.

  “They make regular patrols around the base every six hours. It sits at the edge of an ice shore of this lake, here,” he said, pointing a fat finger toward the land feature on the map. “It's location: forty-two degrees north. Three miles from the base is an auxiliary power station. The power station too must be destroyed. In fact, we must destroy it first and from our observations it will be less protected than the base.” Suttu brought up another series of holograms and maps of the base closer in on the surface on Europa.

  “We have devised the final plan. We take out the plant with detonators which will temporarily cripple functioning systems on the military base. We detonate bombs under the base, which sits on this frozen lake, here. This will require a submarine going under the ice layer to make it toward the base. The drilling team is finally assembled, I assume?”

  “The team is assembled,” said a Miku commander.

  “I think Wykrim said that a more powerful, faster drilling rig has been found than the one we were originally going to use?”

  “Yes,” said Captain Wykrim. “It's a mobile drilling rig. We pulled it from the wreckage of the gorgon when it attacked us a year ago. It should do the job. The only issue is how long it will take before we are discovered by a patrol.”

  “And I believe we have something in place to help us with that issue,” said Suttu. “Good. I must stress again, that the two units that will be on the ground on Europa are the true mission. These units will knock out their military base. The fleet will be there to create a diversion and act as cover for the ground units. Our hope is that the fleet will draw attention away from the activities of Unit One. Unit Two will help temporarily weaken any defense they may try to launch from the base. According to the information from the probes we've sent, at this particular location we drill a quarter of a mile down before we get to the lake beneath and can release the submarine. We'll be sending an unmanned submarine with the explosives along.”

  “How is the sub device supposed to work in all that cold?” Asked an old Suwudi warrior.

  “Technically it should work in frigid temperatures. It was built for very hard conditions. As are most things we have here.”

  “What works in theory is all well and good but we don't really know yet.”

  “Should we not have found out already?” Someone else complained.

  “We've been through this before. We don't have the luxury of testing these things in the ways we need to without the risk of being found out. Nor do we have the time,” said Suttu.

  “It will work if we keep within the time parameters. We have to work fast,” said a Glia female captain.

  “Yes. Now to our real problem.” Admiral Suttu turned in his seat and then heaved a great shuttering sigh before speaking again. The captains and others gathered watched and listened intently. You could hear pin drop.

  “We know that the loyalists have moved some of their gorgons from this base on Europa. Some have been flown to the base on Io. There were even reports that there may be some gorgon activity on Enceladus, though the data on that is inconclusive. We don't know where the others are located. We've received bits of information indicating that there may even be a second base on Europa where these ships have been moved. It is not certain. A few days ago we discovered that the enemy has installed a planetary cloaking shield barrier that makes it nearly impossible to penetrate in order to get or receive information. We know they've been working on this shield for some time but they've completed it more quickly that we'd anticipated. Information we've been gathering about them has dried up and our efforts are now blocked.”

  “Is this a full cloak or only an outer cloaking shield?” Asked Captain Wykrim.

  “The radar data we have indicates that it is only an outer shield. The base will no longer appear invisible once we land on the moon's surfac
e.”

  “But how do we get past this?” Asked someone else.

  “That's the burning question. We know the movements and times of patrols, certain weaknesses of the base and the auxiliary plant but things may have changed now that they are invisible to us. So the issue at hand, do we go in half-blind, which we will end up doing if we move forward with this mission? Or do we wait until we can find a way to pierce this cloaking shield?”

  “It would seem that all our carefully laid plans have been laid to waste, Admiral Suttu,” said another old Miku captain. It was Tagor, the one with the strange breathing apparatus, who looked more cyborg than flesh and blood being. His eyes, sallow and yellowish-green were filled with worry. Deep lines and wrinkles creased at their corners.

  “Is it possible that they know we're coming?” Asked another warrior, a human woman sentinel.

  “Of course it is possible,” said Admiral Suttu.

  “All that time we spent watching, waiting gathering information!” Grumbled a Glia captain. I could detect the frustration and near despair in her voice. I looked at my own team. The spirit of the gathered was either anger, frustration or anxiety. I remember a thing my grandmother once said long ago. No one has the right to despair unless they know for a certainty. And no man knows for certainty what the future holds. As a child I'd never understood what she meant. It was only now that we found ourselves in such a position, where things really did seem desperate that I understood the saying in some elementary way.

  “I say we go ahead anyway! If we sit here and do nothing we let them strengthen their own position. We strike sooner rather than later. We've sat around long enough!” Said a young Suwudi male captain.

  “But we have no idea what they know of us now. If we can't see them or watch them. . .”

  “We cannot go-”

  “Yes, we should!” Voices rose in a great wave of argument. The ones against the mission became the larger chorus. I was afraid. Of all the crazy things I'd experienced in the last few weeks I didn't give myself much time to feel anything real or deep. I couldn't afford to dwell in those depths. Too much was at stake. But I had a secret dancing on my tongue that might just turn things around. What had I come all this way for? Just for this mission to fail, even before it got off the ground? I looked at Genevieve.

  “I want to tell them about the hive wire!” I whispered. She stared at me for a long time, eventually lowering her eyes. Then she said:

  “Yes. I think you should. It might be our only chance.” I cleared my throat and got ready to shout over the other voices.

  “If we go back to try and gather more information it will be even more perilous than before!” A few quieted down but I wasn't sure all of them heard me as some still were arguing amongst themselves over the issue. I stood up.

  “Robert has something important to add here!” Announced Genvieve, pointing to me and looking at Admiral Suttu. He whirled his great bulk around and regarded me with a curious stare.

  “What do you have to add? What information, Robert of Earth?” I breathed deeply. Diamond gave me a slight smile and a thumbs up signal. He mouthed the words: “Right on!” That helped a lot as I got ready to speak in front of this rag tag and fiercely independent group of warriors.

  “When my friend Diamond here and I arrived only a few days ago we brought my android with us, a very high level, near sentient mech. The first of its kind on Earth as far as I know. What is important about him to you all here is that he has a piece hive wire implanted in his brain. Red wire from a mech who could communicate with first level mechs. Before it was destroyed.” I said. I heard gasps around the room.

  “You mean to say that you have such a think installed in your own mech?” Asked Suttu. It was so quiet now that I could hear them all trying not to breath even through various breathing apparatuses.

  “Yes.”

  “And how did you come by such a thing?”

  “I went to the kregei, called The Fist with a companion a year earlier, his name is Sworda, on a mission to track down the murderer of a man who held the only known plans to build a stargate. I know you are all familiar with that incident. At the time we managed to catch and dismantle an enemy mech patrolling the site.”

  “You know Sworda, the one who points toward the way of Jannis?” Asked someone, clearly surprised.

  “I do. I count him among my very good friends. He helped me when I first came to Mars, or Yiral, and didn't know anything about the planet. Anyway, the mech would have sounded an alarm on us if we hadn't destroyed it. I went in to finish my own business with the murderer, however, Sworda had dismantled it for parts. As a gift to me, he gave me the wire.”

  “That truly is a great friend! And great gift!” I heard someone say. There was an excited buzz rising in the room, getting louder.

  “Anyway,” I went on, “I have a team back home. One of them is good at building machines and programs. He installed it in the android. Genevieve called me and asked me to come back to Syzygy to help you all in the fight and I came bringing a train of fighter ships and this android with the hive wire installed in his brain. My hope is that if we can get close enough to their military base on Europa the android can communicate remotely or at least hear the communications of higher order mechs in or around the base or perhaps on one of their ships It's a long shot. Maybe a crazy plan but it's a chance to gain an advantage no matter how insane it sounds. I say we. . . well, I say we go through with the mission with the android in tow.” I said, looking around and then I sat down. The room was electrified now.

  “We had no idea this secret was in out midst! I change my mind! We should go!”

  “But still! We do not have the surety we had before. Anything can go wrong!”

  “Things will go most certainly wrong if we don't carry it out. We cannot wait and now that we all have this new information, how can we not act?” Implored Tulos.

  “The mission should go ahead!” Urged Genevieve and she applauded.

  “What say you all?” Commanded Admiral Suttu. “Those who are unwilling, let your wishes be made known now.” I could see now that things worked very differently here than on Earth when it came to order and rank. Suttu was still in charge but he had to have agreement from equals as well as those under him.

  “If this is true about the android, let us go ahead. We must go ahead with the mission,” demanded Captain Tagor.

  Now I was sweating rivers under my clothes, hoping to all the gates of heaven that we would actually be able to retrieve Will after having stood up and opened my big mouth.

  “Where is your android? Did you not bring him?” Those of us on Genevieve's team all glanced around at each other for a few seconds before I opened my mouth once again to answer. Genevieve put her hand on my shoulder and smiled slightly.

  “We left him safe and secure at my base. We felt it only wise to bring him out when we are ready to deploy.”

  “And when were you going to tell us about this new information, Genevieve?” Demanded a Glia female sentinel. She had her hands on her hips.

  “I honestly didn't know that Robert had this secret until he arrived. We only found out a few days ago ourselves.”

  “Please, bring him! Bring him before the council! This is the most exciting thing we have heard since our plan to attack the base!”

  “We will do this,”she said confidently.

  “Genevieve!” Whispered Diamond. “I have ghosting technology enabled on my own ship, the Ghost. I think it might also be of great use to them.” She smiled widely.

  “Why, I was just going to mention that to the council.” Well, we've solved at least one problem. I thought.

  I wanted to stay in this new city and explore it and find Sworda but thought better of it. We had too much work and planning to do.

  Instead of staying, Tulos and Rychik had agreed to take turns flying home while the rest of us slept. Tulos reminded us that we had one more stakeout. After leaving the Oculus I wondered how in the world we were goi
ng to deliver on that promise. And I wondered where I could find Sworda or even Gruwdal. Where in all this jumble of new buildings and grand city planning was he? But I didn't say anything more about it or anything else until we reached our shuttle carrier. I didn't want it to accidentally slip in conversation that we no longer had Will in our possession. Only that perhaps later I would search for him. For now, we had to steal back the android from the thieves and hope we didn't spark a violent conflagration in the process.

  And none of this addressed the fact, now that I'd thought of it, that the hive wire in Will's brain wasn't working!

  Umm, yeah. I plum forgot to mention that part.

  10

  It was midnight when we made our move. We were in an especially seedy part of Syzygy – I didn't realize that was even possible – riding in a long, beat up looking speeder. The reason for taking it was that it made virtually no noise. Diamond Dog himself was impressed with Genevieve's mechanical skills. She called it the Stealth Cat. The windows were deeply tinted so that we could ride without being seen clearly. It was directed by a sophisticated GPS.

  We came to a slow halt under an old, abandoned hangar. Tulos scanned the area and when satisfied that no one was lurking about nearby, we got out.

  “Our destination is right around the corner,” Rychik whispered. “A white carrier with the shipment should be arriving within the minute. Prepare yourselves.” We had it all banged out. Tulos, Genevieve and Diamond would take care of the shipment crew. Afterward, they would help Rychik empty one of the barrels and he would get inside it, carrying the tiny canister of gas with him. This barrel along with the others would get transferred into the hideout by the thugs' mechs. The gas would work silently, a colorless and odorless substance that would infect the breathable air in the entire building, rendering those inside sick within minutes. Rychik said to give it five to ten minutes and he would then climb out of the barrel and allow us entry.