“Anders, everything running as it should?” asked Kaufman.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Ok, people, listen up. I know things are going quicker than anyone could have imagined, but we were all selected because we were the most capable people for the job. I expect nothing less than exceptional service and duty from all of you. As Commander Denton said, in an ideal world we would all have had time to train with the ship before taking it into orbit. The fact is we couldn’t, so let’s do what we can now.”
“Sir, do we have any other flight crew or engineers on board?” asked Travers.
“No, for now it’s just us, I hope to enlist someone to take care of maintenance and repairs in the future, but no one has yet been appointed to us. Sergeant Denver, I want you to remain in charge on deck along with the three pilots, the rest of you, see to your quarters. Get into civi gear and familiarise yourself with the ship layout, you have two hours, at which point we will assemble for lunch, wherever that may be.”
“Sir, what do we do for chow?”
“The ship has been fully equipped for our needs, however, as with many things here, we have nobody to take care of us in that department, Travers.”
“Seems like we’re seriously in need of some staff, Sir.”
“Noted and agreed, I will do everything in my power to resolve this. This IBI field team has been established with an operational team allowance of twenty, as sanctioned by the colonies. It was essential that all of those twenty personal were field operatives. I will do my utmost to secure support staff for us. That’s all for now, remember, two hours and we’ll meet in the canteen.”
The bridge erupted into motion, the men and women of the unit scattering throughout the ship. None of them had any idea of the layout, nor had anyone had the time to prepare any material to educate them on the fact.
“Max, you’re with me, I want to know this ship inside out before we have to begin any serious work.”
“Good idea, where’d you want to head first?”
“Denton said this yacht has an armoury, I want to see it.”
The two men looked at a floor plan for the luxurious vessel. The fourth floor contained the bridge and a large viewing lounge. Third floor was mostly engines, engineering and storage. Second floor accommodation, first was the garage and maintenance shop.
“The log says that the armoury is on the first floor beside the parking lot.”
“Let’s go, then, Max.”
They walked back to the elevator, both looking around and marvelling at the lavish and decadent design and upholstery of what surrounded them. Never could they have imagined they would be given such exquisite a working and living space, but both were also aware that there would be a severe price to pay for it.
The elevator doors opened, they were at the hallway where they had first entered the ship. There was only one door that didn’t exit the ship. Kaufman hit the entry button and the door slid open before them. They went inside and just stood there gazing at the huge open plan floor. Six cars were lined up in the docking bay, with plenty of space between each. Three of the cars were Ford T1As and the others MG TR models, another common marque among the colonies.
The ceiling was seven metres high and a wide track led from the front of the vehicles out to the large docking door. To their other side was a thick walled utilitarian room that had been added very recently. It was in complete contrast to the rest of the ship’s design. The room had no windows, just one access door with a keycard scanner. Kaufman pulled out his ID and slipped it through the reader. A buzzer rang out and the door slid open.
The two men stepped through into the room that was about the size of Kaufman’s old office at the precinct. On the back wall was a rack of covert body armour vests. Each side of the room there were racks with weapons, various handguns, shotguns and submachine guns.
“This is all regular police gear,” said Max.
“Yeah, what’s your point?” asked Eric.
“Don’t you think we could do with something a little heavier for taking on these gangs?”
“Maybe, but Denton must have had this done in a hurry, he probably only had access to police kit at the time. If we need more we’ll sort it as we go.”
They walked and stood looking at the vehicles. All six were jet black, the Fords being indistinguishable from the one they had used previously.
“You’d think they’d give us something a bit more special, Eric.”
“Yes well, you know how it is, we need to be able to blend in on the ground. Let’s head up to the accommodation and see what digs we got.”
* * *
The doors of the elevator opened revealing a lavishly wide corridor, doors every five metres down the long corridor. Sergeant Lin stood before them, awaiting their arrival.
“Sir, your quarters are at the far end of the corridor, Sergeant Barski’s next door.”
“Thank you, Sergeant.”
“Looks like we’ve moved up in the world,” Max laughed.
“Don’t get used to it, I’m sure they’ll have us stuffed into a tin can at the first opportunity.”
Kaufman and Barski strolled on down the corridor, passing several of their team as they went back and forth between rooms. It was clear that there were individual rooms for everyone aboard, and the few that they got a glimpse of as they passed were more than spacious. Eric reached the end of the corridor, the last door, and hit the entry button.
Twin doors sleekly slid open, revealing a vast room before him. The huge bed stood at the rear middle of the room, the entire wall looking out into space. To his right was a Jacuzzi, to the left an office, all within the open plan room. The room was five times larger than his home. Space in the city was expensive, but the cost of having such a room on a ship that would descend into planetary atmospheres was something he could never have dreamed of.
* * *
Kaufman and Barski had used their two hours well to investigate the ship, they arrived back at the accommodation level and walked into the canteen. The room was intended to cater for the ship’s owner to use for entertaining guests, and was therefore as lavishly outfitted as a presidential dining suite. The crew had helped themselves to canned food that was stocked up in the stores, it was a stark contrast to the splendour of the hall.
Walking into the room, Eric took up his position at the head of the table, which had been carefully reserved for him. The crew were engaged in a roar of discussion, emphasising the luxury of their accommodations and the excitement of embarking on what had become a great adventure. None of the men and women before them had previously met, but you would never know it.
“Listen up!” shouted Kaufman.
The room quickly fell silent, all eyes on their new leader.
“I hope you have all become accustomed with the facilities of this vessel. I appreciate we are lacking in several areas, both equipment and staff wise. This new department was an emergency measure, but I will do my upmost to ensure we are fully kitted up over the coming few weeks.”
“Sir, how long till we reach the Mars colony?” asked Travers.
“I am told it is thirty-eight hours until our arrival. When you arrived at Fort Brenon a week ago your personal weapons were taken from you. Those weapons have been transferred to this ship and are in the lockers next to the armoury. The lockers already have your names and are programmed to your ID cards. I want you from now on to be carrying your personal arms at all times.”
“On board a ship, Sir?”
“I know it’s not per any regulations, Travers, but the reality is we live in dangerous times, and our duty is go headlong into that danger. You are all experts in your field, I expect nothing but the best. Take the rest of the day off, there’s a gym on Deck C, just past engineering. The lounge on the bridge level has some games tables and other entertainments. We have a huge task ahead of us, no doubt, but the last thing I want to do is burn you all out. You have all worked hard over the last week, many having come directly from yo
ur previous jobs without rest. Over the coming weeks we will be spending plenty of time travelling aboard this ship, some of that time will be used for investigative work, but much of it will be your free time.”
* * *
A day had passed with most of the crew taking time out to relax. Kaufman and Barski poured over information gathered from previous heists and robberies, along with a handful of the team. A day after they had set off, the two friends sat back in their chairs, feeling exhausted. They had learnt a lot about the incidents, but very little in terms of forming any clues as to the identity of location of the gangs involved. The information showed there were at least several well-organised groups, each with their own style. The intercom flashed in front of Kaufman, he tapped the open channel button.
“Sir, I have Commander Denton on the com for you,” said Weber.
“Thank you. Put him through.”
“Kaufman?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I apologise for not being in touch sooner, but we’re still more than busy getting set up here.”
“No problem, Sir.”
“I just wanted to outline a few details for you. Firstly, your ID cards will allow entry to as many facilities across the colonies as I can negotiate, but you will still need to wear badges. Your new shields are in production on the Mars Colony and will be delivered to you on arrival.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Also, by now you should have familiarised yourself with the ship, but there are a couple of things you will need to know. Firstly, you will find a box of intercom units in the armoury, the latest spec translucent earpieces. You should get all of your field team wearing them, they will allow you to remain in contact both with each other and anyone on board the ship.”
“Will do.”
“Also, the six cars you have on board. They may look the same as the cruisers you’re used to using, but they have two upgrades. They have the latest military armour, certified to Grade Three. They will withstand small arms fire at any distance and medium calibre ammunition up to fifty metres. Also the engines have been considerably boosted to both account for the weight and give you an advantage over other typical vehicles.”
“That’s good, Sir.”
“The outer skin is made of a new secret military technology, it allows the body to project any colour or information. This will mean you can present the image of anything you like, from police vehicles to civilian or anything else. There will likely come times where you need to blend in with whatever environment you’re in, this should help. The on board computer has a database of common skins for the vehicle, as well as a built in scanner, allowing you to scan vehicles up to twenty metres away and mimic them.”
“Ok, Sir, I have never heard of such technology, but it is sure to come in useful.”
“Listen up, Kaufman. We are going to give you as much support as we possibly can, but this unit is very much experimental. Some government experts have predicted that Mars will be hit by a major heist within days, but other than that, you’re going in blind.”
“I understand, Sir.”
“Tell me, is there anything else I can do?”
“Sir, I am happy with the field teams, but we need crew, engineers, a cook, cleaners.”
“Alright, I’ll get my associates to organise some people to join your crew on Mars. However, they will not carry badges nor hold any authority, the agreement between the colonies would not allow any increase in your team.”
“Got it, thank you, Sir.”
“I’ll be in contact once you’ve touched down on Mars but keep me informed of any developments. And Eric, we need a victory!”
“Yes, Sir, over and out.”
Kaufman hit the intercom button to end the call and looked at Max, whose face was pale and rigid with concern. Sergeant Lin was sat at the table with them going over the documentation. It appeared that she had not realised quite what a massive task they faced until that moment.
“Well at least we’ll have a cook before long, hey,” said Eric.
The two sergeants finally loosened up and chuckled, but still in a reserved way. Few of the crew had ever been to Mars, not only were they walking into the unknown, but also into what would likely be a very dangerous situation.
* * *
It had felt like a long and tedious journey to the Mars colony, far more than the two days it had actually been. IBI1 was making its final descent onto the planet that was almost universally referred to as ‘Red’. Despite many of the crew’s homes being overly populated and cities polluted, they were far more welcoming than the inhospitable surface of Mars. The landscape was hard and jagged with knife-edge rock formations and mountains.
Approximately one half of the planet had been developed and built on by colonisers. Everyone lived within sealed buildings, with large clear domes scattering the surface that allowed the appearance of open-air parks. Massive clear tunnels joined buildings and domes together, much like a giant hamster cage. Many of the parks had artificial grass and trees giving it some resemblance to Earth, but it was never real enough to fool anyone that was not born off world.
The crew stood on the deck watching their descent and marvelling at what they could see, a true masterpiece of design and construction, even if it couldn’t be called attractive in any way.
“Why the hell would you want to live here?” asked Barski.
“People always want a fresh start, many come for work, for less pollution, or just a change of scenery,” said Kaufman.
“Yeah, why’d you never come then?”
“Because I had a job, and never saw a need to leave our city.”
“Sir, you’ve lived in Los Brezos your whole life?” asked Lin.
“Yes I have. Now remember, you need to reset your watches to Mars time. Their days are a little longer than ours, 24.35 hours in a day, and twenty-four months in a year. Also remember that the moon bears no correlation to the day’s cycle, MTC was established to maintain standard with Earth time.”
The ship approached a docking bay, the doors opening wide to allow them through into their designated flight path, as appointed them by the docking marshal. Their hulking luxury yacht glided smoothly into the large doors and into a tunnel. The pilot brought them to a standstill as the entrance behind them shut and next doors opened before them. The whole of the Mars Colony had to stay as a contained and sealed environment at all times.
With just the slightest propulsion they again moved off and through the doors, out into a huge domed spaceport, large enough for several hundred large vessels at any one time. They put down on Bay 316, in the city of Marsau, the first and largest on the planet. Being the economic and political capitol of the colony, as well as home to the largest banks and richest individuals, it was a clear target for the gangs.
As the ship touched down on the landing bay, they could already see that a police detachment was waiting for them. Kaufman wasted no time in getting to the door. They had a lot of pressure placed on their shoulders, and the long journey to the colony had made them all anxious to get to work and get some results. Eric stepped down the ramp of their ship, followed by his crew, a man in a well cut and expensive suit approached them from between the police guard.
“Lieutenant Kaufman?”
“Yes, Sir,” he replied.
“Name’s Becker, Chief of Police in the city.”
“Good to meet you, Sir.”
“I am told you are on a tight schedule so we will not have time for pleasantries. I cannot tell you how much I dislike any Earth force operating on our soil, Lieutenant, but I also appreciate the desperate nature of the situation. Commander Denton requested that these four join your crew, they were selected by my assistant personally.”
Kaufman looked over to the two men and two women who stood beside the Chief, he could see they were not police or military personnel from their body language alone.
“Sergeant Denver, see the new crew aboard and to their duties.”
He looked ba
ck at the Police Chief, he was no better a man than Miller who he used to work for, but at least like all men in his position, he appreciated the problem for what it was and would work with them to find a solution.
“What else can I get you, Lieutenant?”
“We could do with an office at a city precinct and an officer who is familiar with the area to assist us.”
“Precinct 12 will be your best bet, I’ll have my assistant send you co-ordinates and let them know you’ll be arriving. I hope you can understand, Lieutenant, I know you have an important job to do, but I have to help run this city, I must leave you now.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
The Chief turned and walked out of the docking facility, his police escort leaving with him.
“Alright, Charlie and Delta squads, led by Diaz and Denver are to stay aboard, we’ll need the ship to remain as command and control, as well as give us support from the docks area. Alpha and Bravo led by Barski and Lin are with me, get three cruisers out here, we leave immediately!”
* * *
It was a forty-minute ride to the police precinct, the terrain looking nothing like anything they were used to. Mars had substantially lower tower blocks than, only thirty storeys at their highest, with many artificial parks spaced in between business and residential districts. It was also a much cleaner city than Los Brezos, their atmosphere processors controlling much of the pollution and city employees keeping it much more presentable. By all accounts one would think that it was a better place to live than any city on Earth, but the limitation of the controlled atmosphere was always a barrier for many. Eventually they could see the police precinct, following the signs to an underground parking lot. As their car drew to a halt, Kaufman hit the intercom.
“This is Kaufman, Come in IBI1.”
“This is IBI1,” replied Diaz.
“Get hold of Denton, we need to know if they have gotten any further on intel on the next heist, any info you can get at all, get back to us asap!”
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