Redemption Protocol (Contact)
Page 27
Weaver’s hand hurt but she felt strangely happy. She felt a couple of pats on her shoulder.
Havoc leaned over her. He smiled, concern in his eyes.
“Well done.”
They were in.
She'd done it.
“Well done, Evelyn. What happened?” Fournier said.
She struggled to articulate it.
“I don't know exactly. I felt a mixture of heightened awareness and sensory deprivation. I was in an abstract place where I felt capable of powerful thought, but deprived of my normal senses. When I solved the sequence I felt pure elation.”
Fournier grunted.
“Extraordinary. A unique identity. Well done, Touvenay.”
“Thank you.”
Weaver marveled at the possibilities.
“We could discover the true nature of consciousness here, if this device can measure it.”
“Is anyone home?” Touvenay said.
Weaver looked at the entrance.
67.
Havoc advanced cautiously toward the cavernous entrance. He had to get close so that the wind wouldn’t blast his microdrones away before they managed to get inside.
“I'm sending in three microdrones.”
Three microdrones lifted off his arm and flew into the gaping maw of the cavern, toward the faint lights that glowed like wisps floating over a swamp. Havoc monitored the microdrones traversing the entrance. Data transmission was uninterrupted. He backed away, wary and alert, and stopped by Weaver.
“How's your hand?”
Weaver grimaced.
He nodded toward the nearest pair of cabins.
“Let's go.”
Weaver nodded and they set off. They were rocked by gusts as they moved toward the container. Fortunately the weather continued to calm as forecast. Havoc monitored the microdrone feeds. The first thing the feeds revealed was an access panel inside the entrance, with a different ideogram to the one on the outside. He highlighted the symbol to Weaver.
“Easier or harder?”
Weaver inspected it.
“It's an easier row. So presumably easier.”
He nodded, satisfied.
The feeds showed five staircases leading downward, each with different sized steps. The staircase in the center had the largest steps, each dropping over a meter. On the left hand side was a ramp.
“Different races? Or radically different sizes during development?” Touvenay said.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Weaver said.
The microdrones flew down the stairs, descending beneath the Colosseum to a vast cavern below. At first glance the chamber resembled a temple filled with glowing altars.
Havoc gestured for Weaver to enter the cabin as he inspected the feeds.
“No life signs. No apparent threat so far. I'm going to move them further in.”
He followed Weaver in through the lock and pointed at her arm.
“Strip.”
Weaver retracted the forearm of her suit. Havoc gently rotated her hand as he examined it. Her augmented body had continuously circulated fresh blood to minimize the damage, but even with the warm air blasting over it the panel had been extremely cold.
He gave her a reassuring smile.
“Contact burn from the cold. Looks ok. You'll live.”
She nodded.
“Very brave, Weaver.”
“Thank you.”
He applied a burn pack to her hand while he reviewed the drone feeds.
On the floor of the cavern were evenly spaced, dimly glowing sections of curved wall that radiated a blue-gray phosphorescence. In front of each curved section of wall stood a plinth three meters high and half a meter wide, tilted back at a slight angle. The plinths were a dark marble texture and had faintly glowing ideograms inscribed down their sides.
Weaver sounded breathless.
“Amazing.”
Havoc was preoccupied with the scale of the place.
“It does look very... alien.”
Weaver frowned.
“The plinth materials resemble the access panels.”
Havoc directed one of the drones high above the others, providing a sweeping view of the entire chamber. The illumination from the stacks combined to give a gentle glow to the whole cavern.
He tied off the dressing.
“You're done.”
“Thanks.”
He gestured at the lock.
“Shall we?”
She nodded and they exited the cabin. They leaned into the wind and headed back toward the others huddled near the gate. Charles pointed at the entrance.
“Is something reflecting at the back?”
Havoc directed one of the drones to the back of the cavern. A gigantic window came into view that curved across the entire rear wall. They examined the image being relayed by the microdrone as it approached the window.
“Is that what I think it is?” Karch said.
“I think so,” Weaver said.
Charles whistled.
“Wow.”
Kemensky was shaking his head. Actually, he might just be shaking.
“That’s incredible.”
Havoc couldn't quite believe what he was seeing either. From the sounds coming over the radio, neither could anyone on the Intrepid.
“Ok, we're going to start moving inside.”
“Understood,” Tyburn said.
Havoc turned to the scientists.
“Weaver, Kemensky, you two ok going inside? We might need your help with the panels.”
“Yes,” Weaver said.
“Definitely,” Kemensky said.
Havoc nodded.
“Great, let’s move toward the entrance. Do not step over yet.”
They assembled in front of the giant gateway.
“Step forward on three. One, two, step.”
They crossed the threshold. Charles pointed into the cavern.
“The light is changing.”
Below them the chamber brightened.
“It's getting brighter,” Tomas said.
Kemensky glanced up.
“Is that warm atmo?”
Karch nodded.
“Yes, from overhead.”
“It's warming up in there?” Tyburn said.
“Seems to be,” Charles said.
The environment was reacting to their presence. Havoc couldn't say he was that keen.
“Still getting brighter,” Kemensky said.
Weaver shook her head.
“For us but not for the microdrones?”
“Consciousness again?” Charles said.
Weaver shrugged.
Havoc moved cautiously over to his left, toward the top of the ramp.
“Stay here, everyone. Karch, keep an eye on them.”
Havoc set off down the ramp. He reached the bottom and crabbed slowly sideways to stand below the middle staircase. He stood there for a minute, watching.
“Ok, everyone, come to me. Same route, on the left.”
He watched the feeds from the drones in his mind's eye as the others made their way down the ramp.
“Confirm signal is good Intrepid.”
“Confirmed,” Tyburn said.
The others collected at the base of the staircase.
“Thank you, Intrepid. Ok, everyone, stay here.”
He moved between the illuminated stacks, creeping slowly across the cavern, until he approached the giant curving window. He swept right and left, scanning everywhere, scrutinizing everything. One second you're fine, the next second you're dead. That's how ambushes worked.
He looked through the window, seeing directly what the drones had already transmitted. It was mind blowing. He scanned the cavern again, sweeping back through the stacks.
“This is the most perfect trap that you could design. Maybe this is where the idiotic visitors bring themselves to save the aliens the trouble.”
Weaver chuckled.
“You spend ninety percent of your life worrying about
what could go wrong.”
“Ninety nine.”
“'An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure,' my grandma used to say,” Weaver said.
“Wise woman.”
Havoc scanned again. He worked through the possible ways that an enemy agent could take advantage of them being here. He concluded that it looked ok. He glanced up. Unless the roof fell in.
“Novosa?”
“All clear from here.”
“Tyburn?”
“You’re clear.”
Havoc looked back across the chamber.
“Ok, come to me.”
The others made their way across. Weaver smiled at him as she approached.
“I'm impressed, Havoc. You're more like a bank manager than a combat specialist.”
“That's me.”
Weaver stared through the window with a look of astonishment. The princes joined her, their mouths hanging open. Kemensky joined them.
“That has got to be the most incredible thing I've ever seen.”
Karch brought up the rear.
“Careful not to drool on the glass, boys.”
Karch reached the window.
“Oh my God.”
Havoc looked down.
Situated in the chamber below was a bona fide alien spacecraft. It resembled a droplet of molten metal propelled at light speed then frozen. Where human ships were rounded and blunt, this ship was teardrops, sweeping curves and rapier thrusts.
Kemensky walked along as he stared down at the ship.
“It's beautiful. It's perfect.”
Further along the window a giant staircase led down to the ship. As Kemensky neared the top steps the adjacent window slid open.
Kemensky stopped dead. Havoc dropped into a crouch.
“Stay there, Kemensky. Don't move further.”
Weaver frowned.
“Did that happen for the microdrones?”
Havoc directed microdrones through the opening.
“No. Stay there. I'll send them in.”
The drones buzzed past Kemensky.
“This is Darkwood. Fournier has been stable since you left. Whittenhorn agrees it's safe to let him journey to the surface with us.”
“If I’m confined to the shuttle for any reason then no harm done,” Fournier said.
Havoc concentrated on the ship hangar below. He advanced along the window toward the stairs.
“Uh huh. You're coming down, Darkwood?”
“Absolutely we are. We're leaving as soon as we can. Don't fly that thing away.”
Havoc could hear the excitement in Darkwood's voice. Apparently everyone wanted in on the action. Havoc moved to the top of the steps, reviewing the feeds from below. It looked ok. He advanced into the hangar, one giant step at a time. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
The alien ship was the quintessence of speed, like a falcon diving or a cheetah sprinting. He circled the ship, one complete revolution, and returned to the base of the staircase. He breathed a little easier.
“Karch, could you erect a screen lock over the entrance.”
“I'm on it.”
“Thanks.”
Kemensky peered through the window overhead.
“Can we come down now?”
Havoc looked around. They were two gateways inside now – increased risk. He weighed it up.
“Ok. Come on down. No one touches the ship, ok?”
“Ok.”
They made their way down. Havoc thought Charles hadn't closed his mouth since he'd come in. Kemensky grinned as he jumped off the final step.
“No smaller steps or ramps down to here.”
Fournier laughed.
“No kids in the garage.”
Havoc chuckled nervously.
The others walked around the ship. Kemensky stared at it, hypnotized. He reached out and stroked it before Havoc could stop him.
“It feels... lustrous. I'm so excited. I can't stop grinning.”
Havoc breathed again.
“Don’t touch it, Kemensky. Do that again and you’re out of here.”
Weaver looked across at Havoc with an amused expression.
Kemensky was oblivious. He trailed a hand along the ship as he walked round it. A large panel sprung open and slid up. The ship glowed from the inside. Havoc dodged sideways, sectioning off the entrance, scanning what was inside.
“Back away, Kemensky!”
Kemensky put his head inside.
“Amazing.”
A circular shaft angled up into the center of the craft. The walls emitted a diffuse golden light. Kemensky circled his head as he stared into the opening.
“A-ma-zing.”
Havoc cursed under his breath as he covered Kemensky. His sense of unease pierced to the core of his being. There were so many unknowns here. They were like monkeys playing in the control room of a reactor.
“If something happens here we won't be able to control the situation. We don't know enough.”
Weaver turned to him.
“Surely Mr Havoc isn't nervous?”
“Nervous as hell. This might be enough excitement for one day.”
“I wonder what this does,” Weaver said.
Havoc spun round at this verbal equivalent of a red flashing light.
“What?”
Weaver stood by two plinths in the corner of the ship bay, situated in front of another curving section of glowing wall.
She winked at him.
“Sorry, couldn’t resist.”
He shook his head in exasperation. He felt like he was herding toddlers through the jungle.
Kemensky stared up into the glowing tunnel like a dog looking at its dinner.
“We should go inside.”
Havoc shook his head.
“No. And if we do, it will be me going in first.”
Kemensky stepped to one side, gave Havoc his most winning smile and gestured invitingly with his hand. Havoc couldn't recall Kemensky looking so jubilant. Havoc was pleased for Kemensky, but there was no way he was getting in that ship, not right now.
“Not gonna happen, Kemensky.”
Novosa spoke from the shuttle.
“Word from Intrepid and it's not good. Chaucer has stepped out of a lock.”
“What?” Charles said.
Kemensky looked shocked.
“Oh no,” Weaver said.
“Suicide,” Novosa confirmed.
Havoc shook his head. His mind reeled.
“What a waste.”
Goddamn it. Chaucer had killed himself. Contamination, sabotage, suicide. At this rate they'd all be gone in a week. Had he been too hard on Chaucer? Was it him that had pushed Chaucer over the edge?
“Move out of the way, Kemensky.”
Havoc mantled up into the shaft of the alien ship. The others gathered in a semicircle, like penguins watching what happens to the first diver off the ice floe.
Havoc marched up the passage into the alien craft.
“If I'm not out in five minutes, run.”
Kemensky turned to the others.
“Do you think he meant run after him or away?”
Weaver shouted after him.
“In after you or away?”
“In, of course,” Tomas said.
“I think he meant away,” Charles said.
“Away!”
68.
Havoc piloted their shuttle up to the pyramid.
The Aral ice ocean rolled away beneath them, clouds swirling above the sheets of ice interspersed with pools and wide expanses of slush. Heavy red mist clung stubbornly to the surface, scarcely dissipating into the clouds above. In places the ice was ruptured and vents disgorged billowing clouds of fulvous gas that spilled over the mist like oil on water.
Touvenay had called it the Aral ice ocean – he continued to name Plash's geographical features at a prodigious rate. 'Names are handles', Touvenay had said, 'though we must not let the convenience of naming interfere with the uniqueness of seeing.'
“I would be happy to lead us into the pyramid.”
Havoc nodded.
“I appreciate that, Charles, but if you don't mind I’ll take care of it.”
“I know what I'm doing.”
“I don't doubt it,” Havoc lied.
“I'm twenty years old. I'm not a boy.”
Havoc smiled.
“We're about to do something that most twenty year old soldiers aren't very good at Your Highness.”
“What do you mean?”
“Running away. We're trying to avoid a fight.”
Charles stuck out his chin.
“I heard you say yourself that you would rather we destroyed the Guardians.”
Havoc made a face.
“Yes, but that was from orbit while I drank a cup of tea.”
Charles recoiled a little.
“But where's the glory in that?”
Havoc blinked.
“Glory?”
Charles nodded.
“Honor.”
Havoc twisted to face him.
“Is this you talking or your brother Tomas?”
“Half-brother,” Tomas said.
“Half-brother, then.”
“A victory without danger is a triumph without glory,” Charles said.
Havoc nodded.
“Exactly. Sounds perfect.”
“You can't mean that?” Charles said.
Wow, Havoc thought, we are really not on the same page here.
“Charles, my perfect battle is a battle avoided. If necessary, I will settle for a good battle––”
The princes nodded knowingly without understanding a word.
“––which I consider to be vaporizing my enemy before they know the battle has started.”
Tomas choked.
“What? The road to glory is paved with sacrifice and death. Onward, and never mind the cost––”
Havoc raised an eyebrow.
“––in human blood and sacrifice. Yes. Where did you hear that?”
“On the ship.”
Havoc felt surprised.
“On our ship?”
“Mr Tyburn.”
Havoc absorbed this. He resolved to find out more about Tyburn if he ever got back from this mission. Tyburn must have known Forge when he was in Strike, despite his instinctive denial on the Intrepid.