“It’s creepy as hell.”
He reached the door on the far side of the chamber and, scanning around the edges, couldn’t see any damage. His inspection stopped when he saw the security lock.
“This the right door?”
“Yeah. Keep it moving. She’s got enough oxygen in there for a few minutes.”
Sid turned away from the door and searched the room. He identified the guard’s station and saw the guard lying on the ground in front of it. The downed man had a heavy beam crushing his chest, and Sid felt some small relief because that meant the loss of air from this portion of Lunar Base hadn’t caused his death.
He stepped over to the guard with the thought of rifling his pockets to find the security pass key and saw it clipped to his waistband.
“Thanks, mate,” he said with no humor in his voice. With the key in one hand, he grabbed the fellow’s chair with the other and dragged it over to the security door. Working as quickly as he could, he unfolded the sheet material he’d gotten from Lenny.
He stood on the chair and, reaching up, used the tape to seal one edge of the material above the door. Ducking under the sheet, he taped an edge down the wall on each side of the door and squatted to complete the seal by taping the final edge in a strip across the floor.
Standing inside what he hoped was an air-tight envelope, he keyed the door. It didn’t move. He keyed it again, this time pushing on the door with both hands and kicking it with his foot. It slid halfway open, and a rush of air from the hallway pushed out, billowing the sheet material like a boat’s sail catching fresh wind.
He slipped inside and began tugging the door, coaxing it to close as he keyed it shut. He flicked a glance at the sheet straining to contain the life-giving air inside the hallway. A portion of tape had started a slow peel from the wall. Spurred by the sight, he squared up in front of the door’s edge, lifted a foot and braced it against the jamb, arched his back, and pulled with both hands. The door began moving, and he rotated inside as it slid shut.
Light in the tunnel-like hallway came from a single source. Cheryl sat on the floor, unmoving. Her head slumped forward; her back propped against the wall. Her hands curled around her brightly lit com in her lap.
Chapter 27
Sid ran to her side. “Cheryl,” he called as he pulled an oxygen mask out of his pack. Placing it over her nose and mouth, he triggered the flow of gas.
He pulled her off the wall, squatted behind her, and let her slump back into him. Bending her arms so her hands were back in her lap, he grasped her elbows and lifted out and up.
“Flap your wings,” he said, using the instructions they’d learned together years ago in training camp. He raised both her elbows in matching arcs upward, and by doing so, lifted her diaphragm to inflate her lungs. Letting her arms drop, he reached around her in a bear hug and squeezed slowly to force an exhale.
He repeated the procedure, forcing breaths with each manipulation. A green dot on the oxygen mask lit, signaling that she breathed on her own. Leaning her back against the wall, he grabbed his com and used it to evaluate her vital signs. Her eyes opened at the same moment his com indicated she was recovering. They popped wide and she recoiled.
“It’s me, sweetie. Sid.”
She hesitated for a moment and relaxed. Using her fingers, she probed her face.
He angled his head and examined the purple welt on her chin. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
She reached up and touched behind her head. He probed gently and felt the swelling, but the skin wasn’t broken. Holding open each eye, he used his com to scan her retinas. “No sign of concussion,” he said, looking at the display.
He let her sit, giving her time to re-orient and recover. She spread her arms and straightened her back, reminding Sid of a person stretching after waking up in the morning. Feeling a wash of relief and joy at the sight of her animation and alert behavior, he thought about giving her a hug. He settled for stroking her arm.
“What happened?” she asked, lifting the mask.
“The Kardish attacked Lunar Base and now are orbiting Earth.”
“Do you have any water?”
While he fished in his pack, she said, “Criss, give me an update.”
Sid held his finger up in front of his faceplate near his mouth. He toggled to local communication. “Is Criss talking to you?” he asked.
“No. He’s not responding. I hear silence. It’s weird.”
“He’s down. He disappeared out of my head about the same time the Kardish appeared, so it seems pretty clear the two are connected.”
Cheryl looked at the pile of fallen rock and brought her fingers to her lips. “Grace is in there.” She looked at Sid, her eyes blinking rapidly.
Thinking about the fate of Hop, Jefe, and Dent, Sid leaned in and kissed her gently on the forehead. “I’m sorry. The next days are going to be rough.”
He took her space coveralls out of his pack. “Let’s get you dressed.” Picking up a foot, he fed her leg into the suit. “First priority is to get you up to the scout. We can talk more when you’re safe. Lenny’s up there, by the way.” He fed her other foot into the coveralls. “Can you stand? This will be a whole lot easier if you help.”
Holding both her hands, he pulled her upright and she finished suiting up. He lifted his finger near his mouth, pointed upward, and toggled to open communication.
“Hey, Len, I have her and she’s okay. We’re coming up.”
* * *
“That’s great news,” said Lenny, slumping back in the pilot’s chair. He’d been tracking Cheryl through her com since he’d found her. With a swipe and tap, he’d enabled sound when Sid reached her. So he heard everything, and it made him wonder.
Sid had told him that the government was testing direct ground support technology to feed him intel. So why did they need to act all private about it? And it seemed curious that they’d refer to ground support—a group of people and crystals—in the singular and call it a “he.” Then again, Lucy was two crystals, and she was just called Lucy.
Since they both were connected to direct ground support, or had been anyway, this lent credence to Sid’s story that Cheryl held a special status, and perhaps she had rare skills that would prove useful against the Kardish. The two were certainly lovers, but there was more going on here than a lovesick guy risking everything to rescue his lady.
Their exchange had provided some answers, but it also opened new questions. He wanted to know more. Tap. He started a record of their conversations. Eventually, he’d learn enough so all the pieces made sense.
* * *
The sight and sound of Kardish weapons caused Criss to react. He pushed Juice flat on the ground, stepped over her, and took two running leaps, each sending him soaring more than twenty human steps.
His second leap landed him behind a huge oak tree, its mighty branches stretching up into the forest canopy. The Kardish fired their weapons as he sailed through the air, but they underestimated his speed and agility, and each energy bolt zipped behind him.
At the base of the tree, he squatted and jumped straight up, the massive trunk acting as a barrier protecting him from the threat. He reached a thick branch high above the ground, landed on all fours like a cat, and leapt again. For this second jump, he projected himself out, flying above what he now saw were two Kardish soldiers, both with their weapons drawn, and both peering in the direction of the base of the oak tree.
Still flying through the air, he grasped a branch above and behind the aliens. He swung up as he stopped his forward motion, flipped over so he was facing downward, and waited for gravity to take over. They were still looking toward the tree when he landed behind them.
He didn’t give them time to react. With his fingers arched back, he snapped both of his arms forward. His lower palms connected with the base of each one’s neck, and they crumpled in silence at his feet.
Criss bent over each and rifled their clothes, collecting weapons, communicators, tools�
��any device he could find. Without taking time to study or analyze his cache, he stuffed everything in a carry pack one of them had dropped.
He lifted the larger of the two off the ground, slung him over his shoulder, and scrambled high up into the large oak tree. He propped the alien in a crook between a branch and the trunk, dropped to the ground, and repeated the process for the smaller soldier.
When he landed on the ground a second time, he snatched up the carry pack full of devices and said to Juice. “I’ll be back in a minute. Stay hidden.”
He didn’t wait for her to respond. Dashing around a stand of trees, he headed deep into the woods. He ran as fast as the synbod was able for half a minute, fell to his knees, dug a hole, dropped the pack in, pushed the dirt back in place, scattered leaves to hide the hole, and ran back to Juice.
“Hurry.” He took her hand, and together they dashed down the hill.
Nighttime was coming and he needed to stop and let Juice sleep. They would start again before dawn and make a sprint for the lodge. Having already consumed the last of their provisions, by the end of tomorrow, he would be approaching a do-or-die status where the synbod would need milk.
As the darkness intensified, he stopped beneath yet another majestic tree with broad branches high off the ground. “Ready for bed, young lady?” He squatted in front of her, and she let out a small yelp of surprise as he pulled her over his shoulder. Carrying her up into the tree, he set her down on a branch.
“Hold on,” he said, guiding her hand to a branch for support.
Criss sat on a thick limb near her, leaned back against the trunk, and let his legs hang down on either side. Fluffing the few pieces of clothes they’d kept from the night before, he set them on the broad surface in front of him, then helped her climb up and sit on the bit of padding.
She leaned back into him, and he wrapped his arms around her. She sighed.
After a bit, she asked, “Where did you go with that stuff from the soldiers?”
“My sense is that some of those devices can be tracked.” He adjusted her thermal cape as he spoke, ensuring her warmth and concealment. “I’m hoping that when the Kardish find the carry pack but no sign of the soldiers, the mystery will consume time and cause them to move slower and with more care. None of them will want to be the next victims.”
Bringing his knees up on either side of her, he secured her in a cradle. He rested his chin on top of her head and hummed a quiet lullaby. It took her most of an hour to fall asleep, and he remained still for the next seven.
He spent that time working through billions of what-if scenarios. In the distance, he heard the Kardish and drones searching near where he’d attacked the soldiers. Eventually they’d move on. He hoped he and Juice had a few more hours before that happened.
He put his odds of getting to the milk supply before the synbod’s strength faded at about fifty-fifty. He fretted most about Juice. If the synbod’s energy failed, she would act heroically in an attempt to secure the life-giving liquid on her own. No words he could say would stop her.
He feared she would die trying to save him.
* * *
Cheryl sat on Sid’s bunk and let him play medic. At an emotional level, she was in shock from learning that everyone on Lunar Base was missing and presumed dead. But she’d been hardened enough over the past couple of years to know that grieving was a luxury. The Kardish threaten Earth, she thought, building resolve. Defeating them is my priority.
Sid used the scout’s medical scan to run a full diagnostic. It confirmed she didn’t have a concussion and her bruised jaw wasn’t broken. Once she knew she was okay, she waved him away and stood in front of the mirror. He sprawled on the bunk and watched her.
She tilted her head back and examined her chin, wincing at the sight of the purple splotch. She’d taken meds to reduce the pain and accelerate healing. This will take a week to fade, she thought, turning her head left and right to see it from both sides.
She stripped off her clothes and used the room projector to examine her naked body. The inspection revealed a nasty bruise on her thigh. Turning, she put her foot up on the bed and tilted her leg so she could see the bruise directly. Sid sat up and helped her look. She waited until he lifted his eyes to meet hers and gave him a smile she hoped showed she was ready to carry her weight in whatever came next.
“How’s Lenny working out?” she asked, stepping into the mist shower.
“The guy’s a tech wizard. You’re here because of him.”
“I’ll be sure to thank him. I had my doubts about him, given the stories I’d heard.”
As she washed, she considered that the defense array hadn’t detected the Kardish vessel, even though Criss had been clear that their arrival was imminent. And the aliens had wiped out Lunar Base before the array could get off a single shot. Given that, she couldn’t see a path forward, even with Lenny’s tech wizardry.
She hoped Sid’s improvising skills might provide a solution. “What do we do now?”
“That’s a tough one. We have three people, two goals, and one ship.”
“What are our goals?”
“Get Criss back in the game. And stop the Kardish.”
She flipped on the dry cycle, and as the warm air whooshed around her, said, “I don’t have any fresh clothes. Would you see if there’s anything I can borrow from the crew closet?”
“Sure thing.”
When she stepped out of the shower, he remained slouched on the bed. He wasn’t looking her in the eyes. “Oh, you meant now?” he asked, feigning innocence.
Deep in the recesses of her mind, she flashed appreciation that, in spite of her bruised appearance, he seemed to find her attractive. She stepped over to the closet, cycled through the options, and found clothes in her size and style.
“Good for you, Criss,” she said as she pulled them out. She turned her back to him as she dressed. “What’s wrong with us all going to get Criss first and then going after the Kardish?”
“I don’t know what his problem is. It may be a malfunction. Maybe the Kardish have him. If we do get him in our possession, how long will it take Juice to get him secure and back in the game? And if the three of us are taken out trying to help him, what options are left for Earth?”
“You think Juice is okay?” she asked, the crease in her forehead reflecting her worry.
“She has to be. Every plan I improvise includes you, Criss, and Juice in the mix. We all need to be helping and supporting each other.”
Cheryl hadn’t digested the subtext of his message when he stood and enveloped her in his arms. She welcomed the physical contact and his gentle manner and melted against him.
“All my best ideas have us first splitting into two teams,” he said. “Lenny and I will find a way aboard the dreadnaught. You take the scout, go get Juice and Criss, and hightail it back here as fast as you can.”
She pulled her head back and looked into his eyes. “You want me to go alone?” No way. Piloting a ship solo is dangerous. Injury and even death too often occurred for want of an extra pair of eyes or hands helping with some otherwise routine task.
Holding her hand, he sat on the bed and coaxed her down next to him. She sat and waited for an explanation, but he didn’t say anything. Thinking about the “three people, two goals, and one ship” dilemma, she tried to rationalize such a high-risk action.
Crazy stunts aren’t my thing, but these circumstances are anything but normal. Her military training added a leave-no-one-behind impulse when she thought about Juice—her teammate and best friend—stranded without support in the midst of an alien invasion. And she couldn’t come up with an alternative for getting Criss back in the game.
“The defense array didn’t see the scout,” she said. “So we know the cloak works. Do you think it hides us from the Kardish?”
“I’d say yes. On their inbound flight, we passed so close they practically hit us. They either didn’t see us or ignored us.” Sid checked the time. “Lucy’s bee
n flying toward the dreadnaught, and we’re about three hours out. Since we’re still alive, I’d say they can’t see us coming.”
Sid activated a wall panel, and they studied the Kardish flagship together. Menacing in its silent presence, the huge black tapered cylinder, devoid of external features, orbited their home world.
A swarm of drones, apparently having returned from Earth, approached the vessel. A massive hangar door, midway down the length of the dreadnaught, lumbered open to greet them. The drones flew through, and the hangar door slid closed.
“How are you and Lenny going to get inside?” She couldn’t begin to imagine how that might work.
“I’m more worried about how long he and I can survive once we’re in, and if we can figure out a way to take them out if you don’t make it back in time.”
Chapter 28
Listening to their conversation, Lenny paused in his work to picture Cheryl stepping from the shower. The hot and cramped conditions of the engine room thwarted his imagination from providing details of the scene the way he liked it. Disappointed at the lost opportunity, he resolved to place the camball in Sid’s compartment when he had the chance.
Standing on a toolbox, he leaned forward to get a better look at a fitting. He’d attached a cubby seat to one drone and was finishing up on a second. Sid hadn’t given him a reason for the task. The brute had issued the “request” in his usual manner, and Lenny was too intimidated to ask for a reason, let alone refuse to help.
He understood from what he’d heard that Sid wanted him as his partner in the adventures to come. He was flattered until he heard that Cheryl would fly the scout back to Earth alone. Given this, his mind rushed to a frightening conclusion. The crazy bastard plans on riding a drone onto the dreadnaught. And he thinks I will too.
He looked at the two death machines, each modestly bigger than he was and fitted with a cubby seat, sitting ready for deployment. Fear flooded through him.
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