Landfall: The Ship Series // Book One

by Jerry Aubin

  Zax forced himself to smile at the boy. “So, I’m going to give you five credits for catching my mistake. I’ll give you a chance at another forty which gets you back to even for the day if you can answer my last question. The colonists in the first wave are awake when they get sent down to start the new settlement. The other twenty thousand go down still packed in their cryotubes, though. Why is that?”

  The boy was quiet for a couple of secs before answering. “Well, sir, I can think of two reasons. First, it takes time to set up and organize a colony. We provide them with enough bots and consumable raw materials for the initial buildout and setup, but all that stuff still takes time. It’s probably a lot easier to get a colony up and running if you only have two hundred former Crew coordinating the initial work rather than twenty thousand useless civilians running around causing problems.”

  The boy pushed ahead without pausing for any comment from Zax. “The other reason for leaving the colonists in cryosleep is probably to prevent issues on board the Ship before they leave. Twenty thousand doesn’t sound like a lot of people compared to the ten million who are awake on board, but I’m guessing they could cause an awful lot of problems if they were scared about getting left behind and wanted to fight back instead.”

  “Great answers. You’ve earned the forty credits.” Zax acknowledged a raised hand on the other side of the room.

  “Sir—I saw you on the newsvid the other day. You went down with the scouting mission. What did you think about the planet? Would you be scared about getting settled on it?”

  Zax paused for a long moment and considered the question. He imagined living on a world where half of the landmass has just been roiled by the Ship’s nukes. He remembered watching one of the herbivores getting eaten alive by a carnivorous tree. It was all pretty terrifying to him, but that wasn’t a great answer for these kids to hear. After all, some of them had a decent shot of being at the bottom of the Leaderboard some day and finding themselves in a future first wave of colonists. He forced a smile. “It wasn’t all that bad.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Look at me—I’m a blubbering mess.

  After lunch, Zax visited Flight Ops for the first time since the mentorship contest started. He arrived as a CAP fighter launched and could be seen through the panorama streaking away into the void.

  He desperately wanted to believe there was no connection between Mikedo’s death and the information she shared with the Flight Boss a short time before it happened. Though he understood the rationale she had offered, it remained difficult for Zax to accept how the fighter’s existence posed any risk. Ultimately, if Mikedo thought it was true, then Zax would put faith in her opinion. She believed the information was worth killing over, so it stood to reason she might be dead because she had shared it with the Boss.

  Zax appraised the man who might have arranged Mikedo’s death. He was convinced the Boss would attempt to ascertain whether he had any knowledge about the mysterious fighter. If the Boss had killed Mikedo over its discovery, then Zax was certain he wouldn’t hesitate to do the same to him if the man harbored the slightest suspicion.

  The Flight Boss rose once he noticed Zax’s arrival. A cigar was clenched between his teeth as always and he grinned around it. “Cadet Zax—it’s great to see you again! We’ve missed having you around these past few weeks!”

  The warmth of the Boss’s greeting disarmed Zax. He had walked into Flight Ops brimming with dread, as if he had just been Culled, only to be greeted like a long-lost friend. He quickly concluded the man’s behavior should provoke even greater paranoia and pasted a smile on his lips. “Thank you, sir. It’s great to be back.”

  “Mini-Flight—come join Zax and me in the conference room.”

  Kalare stood in response to the Boss’s order and grinned at Zax as she approached. They fell into formation behind the Boss, and he led them to the small conference room attached to Flight Ops. He sat and gestured for the two of them to do the same.

  The Boss took his cigar out of his mouth and rested it on the table before he spoke. “I have to tell you how fantastic it’s been over the past few weeks to get reports about the amazing job the two of you have done with the mentorship contest. I heard nothing but high praise from the Marine instructors, and you can imagine how much it pains them to ever compliment Flight cadets. Sergeant Bailee, in particular, was blown away by your performance during the live fire exercise he crafted. He shared how his simulation was far too advanced for cadets your age and yet you nailed it.”

  The removal of his cigar allowed the Boss a smile far more broad than Zax had ever witnessed on the man. He jammed his fingernails into his palms in an effort to keep himself focused on the possibility of a trap. Zax refused to get caught off guard and slip up once the Boss started to probe for any weakness.

  The Boss’s smile faded as he continued. “Of course, we were all crushed by what happened to Lieutenant Mikedo. She was an amazing officer. Amazing. I remember her walking into this very same conference room for the first time like it was only yesterday. I picked her for my mentorship contest on a whim, really. I didn’t think she had a chance against the other two cadets, but there was some undefinable spark about her which demanded attention. She stood before me and insisted she would win and I would be stuck with her for a good long while. She was correct about winning, though not about how long I’d be stuck with her.”

  The Boss choked up and his eyes brimmed with tears. “I’m sorry to get all emotional here, cadets. M-M-Mikedo’s loss still hasn’t quite sunk in. Look at me—I’m a blubbering mess. That woman left a huge impression on everyone she met, and I will forever be a better person for having had her in my life. I was supposed to be mentoring her, but there were plenty of times where I swear it wound up being the other way around.”

  The Boss turned away for a moment, and when he faced them again, there were tears streaking his cheeks. The knot of paranoia in Zax’s stomach untied itself. It was clearly impossible for this man to have hurt Mikedo for any reason. The Omega took a couple of deep breaths and then continued.

  “So, I’m going against my own instincts and have made a decision based on Mikedo’s recommendation. I’m going to mentor both of you. Everyone reports you make an amazing team, so I’ve decided to keep nurturing your connection. I’m hoping we can prove that sometimes one plus one can be much greater than two.”

  Zax was struck dumbfounded by the officer’s words and display of emotion. He walked into Flight Ops terrified about what might happen as a result of interacting with the Boss, and now his thoughts had been spun 180 degrees. This man could never have been involved with what happened to Mikedo. Zax desperately wanted to believe that meant no one was. He couldn’t imagine a scenario where the second most powerful officer on board would be unaware of a decision to murder a member of the Crew. Bad luck happened sometimes, and Zax’s mind worked furiously to convince himself Mikedo’s death was just that—rotten chance.

  His paranoia about the Boss had always been accompanied by enough disbelief that Zax was sufficiently primed to replace it with excitement provided with enough reason to do so. He was beyond thrilled to learn his career would be massively boosted by working with the man and even more so hearing it would happen with Kalare by his side. She was clearly insane and oftentimes drove him crazy, but he could not agree more about how they made a great team. He glanced at her expecting to find the same level of excitement but discovered she wore an expression of consternation instead.

  “Sir—” Kalare hesitated. “I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t quite know how to say this. Your offer comes as a tremendous surprise. I thought I was out of the running for your mentorship after I got hurt and didn’t participate in the recon mission. I wasn’t bothered because I knew how much Zax cared about winning, and I felt he deserved it far more than I did. That should be even more true when you hear I don’t even know if I want to stay involved with Flight much longer. I respectfully decline your offer, particularly since
you’re extending it because you want me and Zax to keep working so closely together. He deserves better than a partner who isn’t one hundred percent committed.”

  Zax expected the Boss to be angry, but the man smiled at Kalare instead. “I have to say, cadet, this is the first time I’ve ever had someone attempt to turn down my offer of mentorship. Anyone else in the Crew would gnaw off their arm for this opportunity. Your ability to speak your mind and make unconventional choices is precisely what I need in people I work with, however.

  “I acknowledge you want to decline my offer, but I order you to hold off on making that final until we leave this system in forty-eight hours. I’m sending the two of you on a mission before then which I hope might influence your decision. Both of you meet me inside the hangar tomorrow after lunch. You’re dismissed.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  You’re the pilot.

  Zax woke the next morning in a haze. He had wanted to spend time with Kalare after their meeting and convince her to accept the Boss’s offer, but the Plug training which had immediately followed occupied him right up until lights out and their paths never crossed.

  ‘Training’ was a misnomer for what Zax had endured. He went into the session expecting instructions about how to accomplish amazing things with his new implant. What he got instead was seven hours of isolation in a pitch black room where he was forced to remain perfectly still while seemingly random images and noises were pumped into the headphones and goggles he wore. The room’s temperature alternated between painfully hot and freezing cold, and once in a while his chair delivered electric jolts when he closed his eyes for too long or fidgeted too much.

  The stated purpose of the session was the formation of various sensory pathways between his brain and the Plug. The actual outcome was the instigation of a crushing headache. The pain had receded by the morning, but Zax’s brain still seemed to be operating a half sec behind the rest of his body.

  After an extra long (twenty demerits) and extra hot (twenty additional demerits) shower, Zax headed to the mess hall. To his dismay, Kalare was not at their usual table and was nowhere to be found. He desperately needed a few mins with her to discuss the Flight Boss. Zax would never have believed it two weeks earlier, but he wanted nothing more than for Kalare to accept the Boss’s offer so the two of them would be mentored together.

  The morning newsvid droned while Zax ate. There was not a single mention of the new colony on the planet below. The first story announced an FTL Transit, which was scheduled the next day after lunch, but from there it went into mundane news about random happenings on board. It was as if the former Crew members and twenty thousand civilians down on the planet no longer existed, which Zax supposed was more true than not as far as most of the Ship was concerned.

  Zax set out for another round of Plug training after breakfast. He dreaded what kind of torture was in store, but discovered instead the compartment was empty except for the instructor. The man stood as Zax entered.

  “Good morning, cadet. I’m sorry, but we’ve been forced to delay the final portion of your Plug training. I was informed the Boss requires your participation in something later today and that will not leave us sufficient time to complete the session. I’ve already booked you a new appointment in two days.”

  Zax was not disappointed about skipping the session in favor of whatever surprise the Boss had in store at the hangar, but one thing bugged him. “Sir—is it possible for you to just tell me how to access the message that is waiting for me? The blinking red light in my field of vision is driving me crazy.”

  “I’m sorry, cadet, but that’s impossible. We have strict training protocols, and I would incur serious demerits if I taught you how to access messages before you had completed the earlier lessons. Maybe this news will provide some consolation, though. I have a note here from the doctor that says I’m supposed to tell you not to worry about throwing up anymore. I have no idea what that means, so I hope you understand it.”

  Zax’s face broke out into a huge smile. “Yes sir, I understand what the doctor’s talking about.” With all of his excitement about getting Plugged In, Zax had forgotten about the other benefits he had long been promised regarding his implant:

  No more giving up food in advance of FTL jumps—

  No more nutripellets—

  No more cleaning up vomit—

  No more Puke Boy!

  His elation about the FTL news carried Zax through the boredom of hours with nothing to do before lunch, and he eventually headed to the mess hall with a bounce in his step. Once again, Kalare was nowhere to be found. He was forced to consider whether she was actively avoiding him because she had decided to decline the Boss’s offer. He put aside the worries since he still had another full day to convince her to do otherwise. He grabbed a quick bite on his own and headed off to meet the Boss.

  As he entered the hangar, Zax discovered Kalare had already arrived. The Flight Boss stood next to her with a silver case in his hand. He was speaking to Kalare, but her body language suggested she wasn’t particularly engaged in the conversation. Zax feared if she wasn’t chewing on the Boss’s ear it was the best signal yet she would decline his offer. The Boss greeted him.

  “Good afternoon, Zax. I’m sorry we had to delay your second round of Plug training for another day. Hopefully, you won’t mind once you learn what I have in store for the two of you. Besides—it will give you another day to recover from all the fun of that initial session.”

  “Thank you, sir. And yes, I won’t mind some additional time to try to forget about the first day of Plug training.”

  The Boss flashed a smile at Zax’s reply and then turned to Kalare. “Sorry to be speaking cryptically, Kalare. You’ll find out what we’re talking about soon enough when you get your Plug. Mikedo convinced me to get Zax implanted early before she left for the planet. If you decide to let me mentor you, we’ll get yours done soon too. Let’s get today’s adventure started.”

  The Boss strode off towards a corner of the hangar, and Zax and Kalare fell in behind him. Considering the massive amounts of work involved with transferring the settlers and their supplies down to the colony over the previous days, the hangar was surprisingly empty. There was only a handful of Crew performing various tasks. The Boss led them towards a small shuttle which sat prepped for departure.

  “I need to have this case delivered to the head of Colonial Security before we leave the planet tomorrow.” The Boss continued with a grin. “I figured since Kalare never got a chance to go down to the surface, and since your trip was cut short, Zax, you two would be the perfect messengers.”

  Zax was thrilled about another opportunity to visit the surface. Particularly one that wouldn’t involve stomping around the jungle wearing ChamWare. “Thank you, sir! Where’s the pilot?”

  “You’re the pilot. I royally screwed up and forgot to hand the case over before the colonists left. I don’t want to get in trouble with the Captain, so I’ve kept the entire trip secret and only involved the bare minimum of Crew.”

  The Boss laughed at Zax’s expression of confusion and concern. “Don’t worry, cadet. The shuttle is configured to take off, land, and return on autopilot. It has all of my override codes preprogrammed so it can get off the Ship and return without triggering any alarms. All you have to do is verbally issue two commands—one to launch from here and then another when it’s time to return from the surface. Do you think you can manage that?”

  Zax nodded, though he couldn’t help but wonder what in the case was so important the Boss would go through all of this subterfuge to have it delivered. If the shuttle was effectively configured as an automated drone and didn’t require a pilot, it meant the Boss’s decision to send Zax and Kalare along for the ride was his last attempt to convince Kalare how being mentored by him would involve interesting opportunities. Zax believed this strategy was working since Kalare appeared excited as she asked questions.

  “Sir—how do we find the head of security? Will
she meet our shuttle, or are we going to have to search for her?”

  Zax’s enthusiasm for the trip faded once he fully processed what Kalare asked. He had managed to avoid any encounters with Cyrus before his departure with the first wave of colonists, but now Zax was visiting the planet. What would happen if he stepped off the shuttle and the first person he ran into was a psychopath who had promised to kill him? He listened carefully as the Boss replied.

  “You don’t have to worry about any of that. The landing pad for the shuttle is right next to the main administration building and the chief will be working in there. All of the civilians are still in their cryotubes and everyone in security with the exception of the chief is away on an all-day recon mission. I wouldn’t dare send you two down without a Marine escort if there was actually anyone around other than the chief. Most of Colonial Security would kill you on sight so they could hijack the shuttle and attempt to sneak their way back onto the Ship. Those former Crew got Culled for lots of different reasons, but none of them had it happen because they were too smart.”

  They shared a polite laugh at the Boss’s joke, though Zax’s was a little more genuine due to his relief about avoiding any chance meeting with Cyrus. The Boss gestured for Kalare and Zax to enter the shuttle.

  “Good luck down there, cadets. I’ll be waiting here for the shuttle when it returns.”

  Ninety secs later they were strapped in and Zax issued the command to launch. He glanced over at Kalare a short time after they departed the hanger. She stared out the shuttle window with a melancholy expression on her face.

  “This trip had you excited at first,” Zax said, “but it isn’t changing your mind about getting mentored by the Flight Boss, is it?”