by Sayuri Ueda
Tigris turned to Calendula. “I have to go back. The woman said they shot Album. Whoever these people are, they’re armed. I have to help Fortia. You take care of the children.”
“Right now we have to think of the others. It’s the leader’s duty to sacrifice for the sake of the many.”
“How can you be so cold? Because you quarreled with Fortia about the Monaurals?” Tigris demanded. “Are you still bitter?”
“Stop it. That has nothing to do with it.”
“They won’t find me if I go alone. Go ahead without me.”
“Listen to yourself. Are you out of your mind? How do you expect to rescue Fortia when you’re not even armed?” Calendula said.
“I’ll make due with what’s around the house.”
“These are professionals you’re dealing with. What, are you going to fight them swinging a chair and desk?”
Suddenly, there was a tremendous noise as the top of the door was riddled with welts. What looked like shards of glass scattered in every direction at the same time, and something cool rained down over the Rounds’ heads.
The Rounds let out cries and screams. Something ricocheted off a branch of a bush nearby and burst at Tigris’s and Calendula’s feet.
“It’s coming from Fortia’s unit.”
“Bullets?”
“They look like capsules of some kind. There’s something in them.”
Fearing injury, the Rounds fled from the door at once. Being shot at was an entirely new experience for the Rounds. One of the Rounds, panic-stricken at the thought of being hit, began to run, pushing and shoving the others around em. Couples with children tried to get out of the way of the coming stampede. However, Calendula managed to calmly direct everyone from falling over each other, keeping the situation from devolving.
After several moments, the onslaught of capsules died down.
“Are they out of bullets?”
“I don’t know.”
“No one was hit. Were they just trying to scare us off?”
Tigris went to where one of the capsules fell. The ground was wet. The capsules were not metallic but appeared to be large liquid-filled spheroids. Just as Tigris moved closer for a smell, Calendula pulled em back.
“Don’t! It could be toxic. You might be breathing in its vapors.”
“It’s all right. I don’t smell a thing.”
“Whoever they are, they were clearly aiming in our direction. Something’s not right. The tingling sensation on my skin—don’t you feel it? And my throat is sore.”
Calendula contacted the control room via her wearable. “Maybe they’ll be able to open the door from the outside. Quickly.”
Because Fortia had had the presence of mind to switch to an all-station broadcast, Kline and Shirosaki had heard the last exchange.
The transmission from Calendula that followed alerted them to the situation inside the special district.
That was when the security units realized they had been completely duped. They also learned that because a possible toxic substance had been dispersed near the entrance, the Rounds were unable to open the door.
“What the hell happened?” Harding snarled. “SSD won’t like this.”
Once Harding, Arino, and Miles had arrived in the control room, Shirosaki said, “There were eight security staff stationed in front of that entrance, yet the intruders were able to enter the special district undetected. How can that be?”
“We’re looking into it,” Kline replied.
“Can you pull up the station schematic again?” Shirosaki asked Kline.
Kline tapped a button on the controls, and the same three-dimensional schematic of the station Shirosaki had studied at the meeting appeared.
“If they didn’t go through the front door, they can only have used the maintenance shafts,” said Harding. “But we already confirmed that the special district can’t be accessed from the maintenance shafts.”
“This data might have been falsified. Maybe there’s an access point that’s been erased from this schematic,” Shirosaki said.
“You mean someone erased part of the existing shafts and access points from the schematic? We should check a hard copy.”
“Whoever it is was able to overwrite the electronic data. They would have gotten to the paper data too.” Shirosaki asked Kline, “Who on the staff would be able to tamper with the data like this?”
Kline grimaced. “One of the engineers on the maintenance staff.”
“Anyone on that staff that hasn’t reported back since the explosions in the infirmary and lab?”
“We confirmed the locations of all staff a moment ago. We didn’t turn up anyone suspicious.”
“There has to be a leak somewhere. Please check again. Are you still connected with Calendula?”
“Yes,” Kline said.
“Good, keep em on the line. Have em report back everything that’s going on inside the special district.”
“Leave that to me,” volunteered Miles. “Commander, you need to open a line of communication with the terrorists.”
“I’d rather Shirosaki handle it,” Harding said. “I don’t have the patience for negotiating.”
Shirosaki nodded. Going to one of the computer terminals, he opened a channel to the special district.
Shirosaki spoke calmly toward the blackened display.
“This is Commander Shirosaki of the Special Security Division. We have the access door of the special district completely surrounded. Throw down your weapons and we’ll guarantee your lives. Respond.”
A woman’s voice issued forth from the terminal. “The Rounds certainly are a practical race—to abandon their leader so easily.”
“First, tell us who you are.”
“My name is Karina Majella. I’m certain you’ve heard of me.”
Shirosaki couldn’t hide his shock. Harding, Miles, and Arino were all struck dumb with astonishment.
Some of the station staff, sensing the ominous mood, looked at each other despite not recognizing the name.
“Karina Majella.” Miles scowled. “What the hell is she doing here?”
Shirosaki leaned into the microphone. “Why are you here? For what purpose?”
“A little freelance work at the request of a group called the Vessel of Life. I’m not fond of putting on such a display, but this is what my employers wanted. Even this exchange we’re having now is apparently necessary to announce the group’s intentions. And to broadcast what’s happening in real-time back to Mars.”
The monitor in the control room switched on. A woman with a well-proportioned face of mixed Asian heritage blipped onscreen. She appeared to be in her late thirties. She was lightly dressed but armed. She smiled at Shirosaki.
Kline let out a cry that sounded like a shriek. Preda, standing next to her, swallowed hard.
“Calm down,” warned Shirosaki under his breath. “We have no idea what she’s planning. If we play this right, we might be able to end this right here.”
But Kline pushed Shirosaki aside and slammed her hands down on the computer terminal. “What is the meaning of this? Answer me—Von Chaillot!”
Onscreen, an apologetic look came over Karina’s face. “I appreciated our friendship over the years, Kline. Thanks to you, I feel like I know Jupiter-I like the back of my hand. Down to every detail. You taught me so many things. I’m grateful.”
“You fooled me. Was that your plan from the start?”
“Believe me, I didn’t want to do this if I could help it. But I didn’t have a choice. You were a good friend, Kline. I won’t ever forget that.”
Kline’s body trembled, but she could not speak.
“What’s going on?” Shirosaki asked.
“That woman is a friend. Von Chaillot, a biologist researching Europa’s ocean. We’ve been friends for ten years. She’s been traveling back and forth between Europa and Jupiter-I to conduct her biological research. She wasn’t playing the part of a researcher. She was an honest, hardworking
scientist. She was going to take me in the research submarine to show me the ocean. She was a kind and intelligent woman. Why?”
“She’s a sleeper,” Harding said coolly. “Ten years is a long time to lie dormant, but a sure way to earn your trust.”
“It’s possible she came to Europa ten years ago as a researcher but was hired to sabotage the station only recently,” Shirosaki interjected.
“How do you know that?”
“Karina isn’t the type to sacrifice ten years of her life to lie low as a sleeper,” explained Shirosaki. “Doesn’t have the patience for it. Besides, she has no prior connection with the Vessel of Life. She said she was freelancing. From the sound of it, she may have taken the job for some reason we don’t know about.”
Ignoring Harding, who was looking none too satisfied, Shirosaki switched on the mic again. “You said you were freelancing—a hired gun. Then why don’t we make a deal? I don’t know what they’re paying you, but maybe you’d like to hear some options in exchange for releasing the Rounds from the special district.”
“Not likely. My orders are to kill every last one of them.”
“Look, you don’t have to answer right away. Let’s you and I work this out.”
“I’m afraid you don’t have much time. I’ve disseminated a certain package in the special district. If you don’t want the rest of the station to be contaminated, I suggest you stop the Rounds from trying to escape.”
“What have you done?”
“That’s for you to find out.”
Had she released a chemical weapon? Some sort of lethal virus?
Shirosaki turned down the audio feed and said to Kline, “We’re going in.”
“But, Commander—”
“Whatever’s been disseminated, we’ll eventually need to send a medical team inside. Or would you prefer to completely seal off the special district and allow the Rounds to die?”
“It’s reckless to open the access door without knowing the kind of biological weapon we’re dealing with,” Preda cut in. “Rescuing the Rounds is critical, yes, but we also have to think of the staff.”
“We can maintain the special district at negative pressure—manipulate the environmental controls so the special district is constantly drawing in air from the outside when we open the door. That way we can prevent the contaminant from spreading. The security teams are already in their environmental suits. As long as the suits don’t tear, they won’t be affected. I need you to lower the atmospheric pressure inside the special district. And do you have any UV irradiation units on the station?”
“Yes, we have several,” replied Kline.
“Good, we’ll use them for sanitation purposes. We also need antiseptics—sodium hypochlorite, isopropanol, phtharal—whatever you can get your hands on. A research station like this one should have plenty of what we need.”
“You plan to go in without knowing how many terrorists you’re up against?”
“We’re trained in counterterrorism, Ms. Kline. Their numbers are irrelevant. There’s no need for worry.”
“That’s right,” Harding grunted. “Shirosaki, you keep negotiating with her. I’ll command the rescue.”
“Good. But don’t kill her.”
“Why not?”
“We need to know what exactly was spread in the special district. Karina is a biologist. If it’s a virus of some kind, she could have valuable information about how to neutralize it.”
“The captain’s orders were to eliminate the terrorists.”
“When we’re through interrogating her, you’re welcome to do what you want,” Shirosaki said. “But keep her alive until we’ve had a chance to question Karina.”
“I don’t recall having to take orders from you, Shirosaki.”
“Then I’m asking you as a fellow officer.” Shirosaki bowed his head toward Harding. “There are babies in that community. I don’t want them to die in vain.”
Harding bit his lip and grumbled, “All right,” before leaving the control room.
As soon as he was gone, Shirosaki instructed Arino. “Keep an eye on him. If you can, get to Karina before he does.”
“Right.”
After Arino rushed out of the room after Harding, Shirosaki raised the volume on the microphone and resumed negotiations. “All right, we’ll hold off from opening the access door for now. But tell us at least what we’re dealing with. Is it a biological weapon of some kind? Or chemical?”
“Now why would I tell you that?”
“Come on, Karina. What are the symptoms?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
“How long do the Rounds have if they’re not treated?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Then at least update us on Album’s condition,” Shirosaki said. “We can walk you through the steps to treat em.”
“I’ve stopped the bleeding. He’s alive for now.”
“You’re not a doctor, and ey needs to be properly treated.”
Karina was nothing if not composed. Shirosaki wondered just where that self-assurance came from. Was she bluffing about having contaminated the Rounds? Or maybe she was telling the truth and intended to use the cure as a bargaining chip.
The cure. The data to create an antivirus. She might be planning to use that knowledge to demand something in return. Or maybe she had no interest in negotiating and had already secured an escape route off the station.
“I’m begging you. There are babies in the Round community. The babies and the young ones will be the first to go down if they’re infected.”
Karina’s lip curled upward almost imperceptibly. She pointed the gun directly at the screen and said, “One thing you should know. Only I know the contents of the substance that was dispersed. If you kill me, you can kiss any hope of an antidote goodbye. Remember that.”
There was a violent crack and then the monitor went black. The transmission abruptly ended.
“Just as I thought. She’s planning to use whatever data she has to bargain her way off the station.”
“But she shot out the screen.”
“Probably to keep us from learning their numbers.”
Miles, who’d been talking to Calendula on his wearable, turned around and reported, “There can’t be too many of them, although it’s hard to tell their exact numbers. Fortia and Album are the only hostages. The rest of the Rounds are concentrated around the access door. But no one appears to be watching over them. Calendula doesn’t know what was disseminated, but so far no fatalities. Whatever this substance is, it hasn’t taken effect yet.”
“Then all we need to do is go in and secure the situation in Fortia’s residence.”
“Yes, but the intruders are armed with a long-range sniper rifle. That’s how they dispersed the contaminant.”
“How far is Fortia’s residence from the entrance?” Shirosaki asked Kline.
“About five hundred meters in a straight line.”
“Someone is a good shot,” muttered Miles.
“A straight line would take you there in six to seven minutes, but it actually takes about ten minutes on the winding path.”
“How are the bioengineered plants arranged?”
Kline pulled up a schematic of the special district onto the big screen.
Shirosaki took a hard look at the layout, his mind working a mile a minute. They would be able to use the bushes as cover. The question was how they would access the special district.
They would be found out if they went through the front door. The access point the intruders had used would likely be blocked or booby-trapped by now. What other route could there be?
Shirosaki pointed to a spot on one wall of the space station that was in proximity to the special district. “What about this air lock?”
“We haven’t had the occasion to use it since it was installed,” Kline said.
“Was this air lock put here for the purpose of connecting the station with the supership—the one Fortia was talking ab
out?”
“Yes, that’s right. The air lock will be used to travel back and forth between the special district and the Apertio.”
“Can it be opened?”
“Yes. It’s locked, but we can deactivate the program from here.”
“Then please do it. This is our way in. The task force will wear space suits and exit the station. They’ll move along this inner wall here and enter the special district from this air lock. Since they won’t be going out to the outer wall, their space suits should protect them from the cosmic radiation. Let’s get to work.”
Once they had procured the necessary supplies and completed preparations for the mission, Kline asked Shirosaki, “What kind of woman is Karina Majella?”
Shirosaki regarded Kline stone-faced. “I’d be revealing a part of your friend’s past you may not want to hear.”
“I want to know the truth.”
“She’s a notorious terrorist that various agencies have been hunting from Earth to Mars. She was active mainly in Asia, someone whose name I’d heard often up until twenty years ago. Majella isn’t her actual name but something like a pseudonym, perhaps taken from the Latin word meaning ‘greatness.’ Rumor has it that she also carries around the medal of St. Gerard Majella.”
“St. Gerard?”
“The patron saint of childbirth. This medal has an odd design. St. Gerard is depicted holding the crucifix with something like a skull or severed head sitting on top of the table next to him. As a non-Catholic, I find it a curious thing to have for a charm,” Shirosaki said.
“Has Karina always been associated with the Vessel of Life?”
“Back when she lived on Earth, she belonged to an organization called Libra. In the early part of the twenty-first century, China established the free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, giving birth to a massive market of 2.9 billion people. The agreement, along with the exploration of underground resources of the Russian Far East and the development of a logistics network for natural gas and oil resources, sparked a period of great economic activity in Asia. An Asian monetary unit and an unthinkable volume of products, electronic currency, and laws to regulate them were born.