Escape to the Moon Islands: Quest of the Sunfish 1

by Mardi McConnochie

  Team A’s mission was to disable the electric fence. Team B was responsible for taking out the guards. Team A found the electric fence was non-functional and penetrated it easily. Team B found there were no guards on duty. The four teams entered the compound at 5.14 a.m.

  Less than an hour later, the encampment would be in flames, with scores of the inhabitants dead, injured or missing, including forty-two children. And yet the Admiralty team who carried out the raid, led by Commander Avery Beckett, was officially praised for its ‘surgical precision’.

  What really happened that morning on Moombass?

  Hulk Harbour is the largest refugee camp in the world. In the immediate aftermath of the Flood, desperate people from all over the world set out in boats to escape the rising waters. Some of them were escaping from coastal regions that disappeared under the sea, some from the ghost countries that were completely immersed by the Flood. Still others came seeking refuge in those fortunate countries that had escaped the worst effects of the Flood.

  Many of these ships were unsuitable for large groups of passengers, poorly provisioned, or had been damaged by the floodwaters, and in one of the great heroic acts of the post-flood period, the Admiralty found and escorted all these refugee ships to safer waters. A place was found for them in the great Bay of Kinute, on Tappa Island, off the north-east coast of Dux. But plans to repatriate these refugees came to nothing. Many of the refugees no longer had homes to go to; others were unwilling to return to countries rendered destitute by floods. Some nations closed their borders completely. Many more would accept only a small number of refugees in any given year. Waiting lists for the richest countries are now decades long. Hulk Harbour—a collection of rusting, barely habitable boats, floating in the filthy junk-strewn water of the Bay of Kinute—has become a permanent floating home to millions. Generations have been born there, with little hope of escape.

  Some of these refugees have taken matters into their own hands. Giving up on any hope of resettlement through official channels, they are leaving Hulk Harbour and finding their way south, to the Moon Islands. Although this low-lying part of the world was the hardest-hit by the Floods, for many people, it is their one hope of salvation. New communities are springing up there, unconnected to national governments or authorities. The Admiralty call it ‘a vast zone of lawlessness’. The people who live there see it as a kind of freedom. But it can be a perilous freedom.

  There is no doubt that piracy represents an ongoing threat to the security of international shipping. The Admiralty have long used this threat to justify their continuing presence at the heart of government. However, independent analysis of crime statistics over the post-flood period shows that the number of attacks currently grouped under the heading of piracy has been either steady or falling over the last ten years. These statistics are difficult to verify, as the Admiralty and government keep the details secret ‘for operational reasons’. However, it does seem clear that the trend in international piracy is downward. The public, however, believes that piracy is increasing, and is increasing in sophistication.

  The Admiralty has carried out a number of well-publicised raids on pirates and technology thieves over the last five years, with the stated objectives of reducing international piracy and smashing the trade in stolen technology.

  However there are persistent rumours that the technology making its way out of the Admiralty and onto the black market is not all being stolen by spies or pirates. Some say it is being provided by secret elements from within the Admiralty itself. These deep cover operatives are supplying new technology to pirates, creating an atmosphere of lawlessness and fear. The law-enforcement arm of the Admiralty then cracks down on these pirates, without ever seeming to uncover the source of the leak that let the technology onto the market in the first place.

  Moombass began as one of these crackdowns. But something went wrong.

  The electric fence around the camp on Moombass ran off a wind turbine generator. The Admiralty have argued that the presence of an electric fence indicates that the camp was a fortified compound. Residents say it was largely defensive; the electric fence had been put up to deter ordinary looters.

  There had been a celebration in the camp the night before the raid. A young couple had got married, and everyone had joined in the celebrations, which went until late into the night. When the marines broke into the camp at first light, the vast majority of the inhabitants were sleeping it off. Accounts differ about exactly what happened next.

  The official Admiralty report, written by Commander Beckett, states: ‘My men disabled the electric fence and entered the compound. We were fired upon by an unseen shooter and we immediately took cover and returned fire.’

  An eyewitness living on Moombass tells a different story. He says: ‘I woke up and saw a terrifying face looking in at me through the window of my house. It was a marine in helmet and combat goggles. He had a gun trained on me and my wife. We thought we were dead for sure. He chased us outside, and when we came out we saw they were emptying all the houses around us. I could see the people stumbling out, some of them still half-asleep. A couple of us were angry and started shouting back at them. That was a mistake. We started shouting, and then they started shooting.’

  The eyewitness estimates that at least fifteen people were shot in that initial exchange.

  Another eyewitness recalls: ‘They started going from house to house, tearing everything apart, knocking over the furniture. You could hear things going crash, smash. People’s precious possessions, being smashed to bits.

  ‘Then a man came and spoke to us. He was wearing a uniform and I saw his name on it—Beckett. He held up a picture—I didn’t know what it was exactly—some piece of high tech. He said, “If you want all this to stop, you’d better tell me where to find this. Or I’ll tear this place down to the nails and screws.”

  ‘At first no one said anything. Maybe they didn’t know what that thing was. I certainly didn’t know. Then finally Ambo says, “I’ll tell you where it is. Please don’t wreck our town.” The man called Beckett took him away.’

  According to the Admiralty’s report, Ambo Suz Mila, 35, was discovered hiding in his home with an automatic weapon. When marines attempted to enter the property to search it, he fired on them. The marines managed to subdue him and take him into custody, despite fierce opposition. When they searched his home they found a number of stolen items hidden there. Subsequently, Suz Mila would be charged with a range of offences, and accused of being the ringleader of the operation.

  But what was the nature of this operation?

  The waters around Moombass were once rich in marine life. The sudden change in sea level caused the fisheries to collapse, but since then Moombass has seen a revival of its fish stocks. For the people of Moombass, fish is an increasingly important part of their livelihood. The Moombass fishing fleet is small—only five boats—and just one of these is suitable for travelling long distances. This boat has become the island’s lifeline, transporting a part of its catch to the busy market at Gomba Island, which sells new, old and reconditioned tech as well as fish. Over the last few seasons, the Moombassans have begun making improvements to their fishing fleet. One of the things they bought was a device that could help them locate fish. Another was a better engine for their boat, so they could get their catch to market faster.

  The Admiralty alleges that these items were important new technologies stolen from Science Special Projects. Moombassan witnesses insist that none of these items were hidden in people’s homes. They had been bought openly, and were being used as part of the day-to-day business of the fishing fleet. They deny that there were large caches of weapons in the compound or on board the fishing boats, although each captain did keep a gun or two on board for self-defence.

  ‘Every pirate claims to be a fisherman until you find the automatic weapons in the hold,’ said Commander Avery Beckett at a press conference.

  ‘We’re not pirates. We’re just families, trying to l
ive our lives. Old people and parents and children trying to get by,’ said a Moombassan woman.

  Today, the future is uncertain for those who remain on Moombass. Their largest boat has been impounded as evidence, making it almost impossible for them to continue trading with Gomba. But still they hang on, hoping to rebuild. What choice do they have? They have nowhere else to go.

  When Annalie had finished reading, Essie looked at her expectantly. ‘Do you think it could be true?’

  ‘Which article?’

  ‘The long one, obviously.’

  ‘Sure,’ Annalie said. ‘You hear about stuff like that happening.’

  ‘Really?’ Essie asked. ‘Marines going into people’s camps and just shooting unarmed people?’

  ‘I’ve heard stories like that,’ Annalie said.

  ‘Well I haven’t!’ Essie said, upset. ‘The Admiralty I joined wouldn’t do stuff like that. They wouldn’t let someone like that work for them either.’

  ‘But he does work for them.’

  Essie looked at Annalie angrily. ‘We both went to Triumph so we could get into the Admiralty one day. How could you go to school, knowing you’d have to do active service, if you already knew they did things like this?’

  ‘I was never all that keen on going into the Admiralty at all!’ Annalie said. ‘It seemed like a—necessary evil. That’s the way Spinner made it sound. If you want to go to university and do something important with your life, you need to go to an Admiralty school.’

  ‘That’s all it ever was to you? Something your dad made you do so you could get on in life?’

  ‘Well, what was it to you?’ Annalie asked.

  ‘The mission—the oath—I believe in it. It’s important,’ Essie said, unable to express herself clearly.

  Annalie could see her distress. ‘I know you believe it. Lots of people do believe it. And of course the Admiralty do good work. Of course they do.’

  ‘They do,’ Essie agreed, somewhat appeased.

  ‘But in an organisation as big and complicated and powerful as the Admiralty, it’s probably not surprising there are a few rotten apples.’ This was the sort of thing she’d heard Spinner say; it was the closest he’d ever come to direct criticism.

  ‘If that article’s even half-true, then Beckett’s a bit more than a rotten apple,’ Essie said.

  ‘Right,’ Annalie said soberly. ‘Let’s hope we never run into him again.’

  A sighting

  Their next stop was an island that was a major staging post for travellers. It had a reputation for being rough and wild, but they hoped that as long as they were careful they’d be okay.

  They didn’t plan a lengthy stop: it was decided when they landed that Pod would fill the water tanks, Will would go and look for the spare part he needed, and Essie and Annalie would look for food. They would only be in port for an hour or two.

  Pod stood at the watering station, listening to the water as it poured from the hose into the tanks. Graham was perched on the railing beside him, watching the world go by.

  ‘Nice town,’ he squawked. ‘Trees.’

  It was a nice town, spreading around the wide harbour, a jungly mountain rising up behind it.

  ‘We stay here? No more sea,’ Graham suggested.

  ‘Can’t stay here. Bit more to go,’ Pod said.

  ‘Pod and Graham stay here.’

  ‘Don’t you want to see Spinner?’

  Graham let out a shriek.

  ‘Then we got to stay on the boat a bit longer. Be patient.’

  Graham whistled to let him know what he thought about being patient. ‘Spinner bad,’ Graham grumbled. ‘Go away too long. No biscuit.’

  ‘He misses you too,’ Pod said. ‘I’m sure he wants to get you back.’

  ‘See Spinner again, Graham bite nose off!’ he said defiantly.

  Pod had filled the first of his tanks. He put the hose into the second tank and screwed the lid securely back onto the first tank, keeping a watchful eye on what was going on around him. The port was a busy one, and all three water-pumping stations were occupied by different boats. There were two men standing nearby, not doing much, and Pod was trying to decide whether they looked suspicious or not, when he heard Graham let out a great musical squawk. He turned in time to see Graham taking off, wings flapping at a great rate, shrieking ‘Spinner! Spinner!’

  ‘Graham!’ he shouted. ‘Come back!’

  But the bird had already vanished into the crowd.

  Essie and Annalie had treated themselves to hot, flaky sausage rolls, golden-brown and warm from the oven, as well as the usual much less interesting provisions, and were walking back towards the boat.

  ‘Have you thought about what you’ll do after all this is over?’ Essie asked.

  ‘You mean, after we find Spinner?’ Annalie said. ‘Well, we’ll give him the boat back. And then I guess we’ll take it from there.’

  ‘Do you think he’s going to want to keep you and Will with him?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Annalie said. ‘He’ll probably keep Will. But he might want me to go back to school.’

  ‘Is that what you want to do?’ Essie asked.

  ‘I don’t know if they’d even have me back,’ Annalie said.

  ‘Oh, they’d have you back,’ Essie said. ‘You don’t have to worry about that.’

  ‘You reckon?’

  ‘You were one of the smartest people in our year,’ Essie said. ‘They’d have you back like a shot.’

  Annalie was silent for a moment as they walked along. ‘What about you? What will you do?’

  Essie felt a wave of sadness wash over her. ‘I don’t know. Mum said she couldn’t afford to keep me at Triumph any more, but then Dad said he was going to make them take me back. I don’t know how much leverage he’s going to have if he’s a convicted felon.’ Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of her dad humiliated, diminished, locked away with dangerous, violent criminals.

  Annalie looked at her sympathetically. ‘We’ll work something out. Maybe they’ll take us both back.’ She paused. ‘Back to locker inspections and cleaning our boots with a toothbrush.’

  ‘Climbing ropes in PE.’

  ‘Fun people like Tiffany.’

  Essie laughed through her tears. ‘So much to look forward to.’

  ‘We could always switch to piracy.’

  ‘There’d be a lot less rules.’

  Annalie shot her a more serious look. ‘Well, whatever happens, there’ll always be a place for you on the boat, you know.’

  Essie gave her a little smile of gratitude.

  Pod finished filling the water tanks in an agony of uncertainty. He knew he should be chasing after Graham, but he couldn’t leave until the tanks were filled and paid for—and even when they were, he didn’t want to leave the boat unprotected.

  Will came back, carrying spare parts, as Pod was paying for the water.

  ‘Problem,’ Pod said. ‘Graham took off.’

  ‘Stupid bird,’ Will growled.

  ‘I think he saw your dad.’

  Will stared at Pod for a moment, frozen to the spot, then turned to look wildly at the crowd. ‘Did you see him?’ he cried. ‘Where did he go?’

  ‘Only saw Graham flying off after him. He went that way.’ Pod pointed.

  His heart pounding, Will ran. Could it really be true? Spinner, here?

  ‘Did you ever used to watch that vidshow Below Decks?’ Essie asked.

  Annalie shook her head.

  ‘Oh, it was the best show. It was all about young Admiralty sailors and officers going to sea for the first time. There were heaps of them: Below Decks: Courage, Below Decks: Victory. There was even a Below Decks: Triumph.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘They didn’t shoot it on the real ship. I’m sure most of it was done in a studio, although you couldn’t tell. Below Decks: Courage was the best—it was the first one, the others were all spin offs. It looked so exciting, being on a battleship and doing your service. H
aving adventures, doing good deeds, saving the world. There was a lot of romance too, which I wasn’t so keen on, not when I was little anyway.’

  ‘And you thought that’s what it would really be like?’

  ‘Well, I hoped,’ Essie said.

  ‘The reality is probably a lot less fun,’ Annalie said.

  They walked in silence for a moment or two.

  ‘What do you think will happen to us if we don’t go back to Triumph?’ Essie asked.

  ‘I guess, eventually, we’ll go somewhere else.’

  ‘My parents always told me that if you didn’t go to the right school, get into university, make the right kind of start, you’d never get anywhere.’ Do you think it’s true?’ Essie asked.

  ‘The world’s full of people who don’t go to good schools or university, and they still lead interesting, valuable, important lives,’ Annalie said firmly, although she felt much less certain about this than she sounded.

  Essie considered this. ‘I don’t care about valuable and important. But I’m hoping for interesting.’

  ‘What do you want to do when you grow up?’ Annalie asked.

  ‘I hadn’t really worked that out yet,’ Essie said.

  Annalie stopped suddenly, and caught Essie’s arm. ‘Look—is that a uniform?’

  Almost as if their talk of the Admiralty had conjured him up, they saw an Admiralty marine standing in a doorway, looking about as if she was monitoring the street.

  ‘Is she looking for someone?’ Essie asked.

  The two girls looked at each other, suddenly full of dread. ‘We need to get back to the boat!’ Annalie said.

  Will had stopped running, out of breath, and was now walking down the main street, calling, ‘Graham! Where are you?’