Labra turned to face him next. Like Jordan, she couldn’t quite make eye contact, and her words sounded like they caused her physical pain, coming up. “They say he became involved in some terrorist group. People were killed. The police shot him and some woman on sight when they showed up.”
She stopped talking and began sobbing. Guernsey put his arms around her, which she reciprocated. Luckily, Jordan kept talking. It had always been the boy’s strong suit, and for once, it came in handy.
“They think the woman with him was a contact. A doctor, somebody who worked for the Formists. They claim they got all kinds of evidence she collaborated with the Sky Children, or whatever the hell they’re called. They think she might have recruited him or something.”
Guernsey looked back at the monitor. He saw them flashing Ward’s picture, then the woman’s, followed by some lady making a statement about how she and her people weren’t involved, and some officer saying stuff about an “ongoing investigation.” Guernsey didn’t recognize or care about any of these other figures. The details of the case really made no difference to him.
However, it had happened. And as far as he was concerned, the people who came for Ward and took him away were responsible.
“Gryaznyye svin'i!”
Everyone in their little circle recognized those words and looked angrily at Muscovy. Guernsey would have hit him had the neural spike not thoroughly conditioned him not to act hastily. He chose to lash out with words instead.
“Watch your fucking mouth, Zory! Some people here called that man a friend!”
“Not him!” Muscovy replied indignantly. “The fucking pigs who killed him!”
This surprised everyone in their group. All looked at Muscovy with disbelief. Only Jordan seemed willing to point out the irony of his statement. “Zory, you hated Jer. Nobody talked about killing him more than you.”
“Fuck that shit, Ward was one of us! And those svin’i killed him.”
Muscovy looked to be on the verge of tears himself. A strange and terrible feeling came over Guernsey just then. Muscovy was correct; Ward had been one of them. Not just a crew boss or a fellow convict. Guernsey had truly considered him to be a friend. And the last time they had spoken, he had drawn a line between them.
Out there, us and you. What better way to deny a man’s friendship?
Guernsey had never expected to see Ward again, only because it seemed like too much to hope for. Now that he knew he wouldn’t, that line could never be removed.
And now, all he could do was pull those friends that remained tighter. They stood there together for as long as they possibly could, barely aware of whatever else spewed from the monitor.
“Turing to other news, a mysterious quantum sleeve recently emerged in the Solar System’s networks. An unidentified sleeve of considerable size, this file is apparently encrypted and attracting a great deal of attention from amateur cryptologists and hackers. Other interested parties include Interpol, who refused to comment on whether it constituted a Trojan horse program or anything that could be a threat to Survey security. After surfacing in the Cronian and Jovian systems mere weeks ago, it appears to be making its way through the Survey. No indications yet of where it came from or what it could be, but many are determined to find out . . .”
###
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Glossary
"Chto yebat' vy delayete, vy duractive" (Russian) "What the fuck are you doing, fool?"
Cronian Adjective, pertaining to the planet Saturn and its system of moons.
“Das ni wakati ein anruf aux armes!” (German-Swahili-French hybrid) “Now is the time to answer the call to arms!”
Dumb Matter Any form of matter that is not composed of synthetic, self-adjusting and/or self-modifying molecules (aka. “normal” matter).
Dysonists The Solar faction known for their advocacy of creating megastructures around the Sun. Named in honor of 20th century mathematician and physicist Freeman Dyson.
Extro Short form for Extropian (i.e. a person dedicated to the improvement of the human condition through technological integration and intervention.) Applies to the vast majority of human beings living in the inner Solar System – on Venus, Earth, Luna and Mars.
Foglet Term used to refer to a small “utility fog” – i.e. a cloud of nanomachines that are self-replicating, self-adjusting and modify themselves to accommodate many functions.
Folio Paper-thin display device, developed in the early 22nd century, made obsolete by implantable electronics and neural looms (see below). Uncommon amongst Extro worlds, but still used by inhabitants of the outer Solar System and other unaugmented humans.
Formists The Solar faction known for its advocacy of terraforming Mars.
Gearhead Pejorative for Extropian, referring to the presence of neural implants.
Great Acceleration, the Term used to describe the technological revolution that took place in the mid-21st century. Characterized by large and concurrent developments in machine intelligence, nanotechnology and biotechnology, leading to an age of post-scarcity, human augmentation, and vastly accelerated technological change.
Great Migration, the Term used to refer to the mass-migrations from Earth that took place between the late 21st century and the 23rd century. During this period, settlements were created on the Moon (Luna), Mars and Venus before expanding into the outer Solar System.
Gryaznyye svin'i (Russian) Dirty pigs!
Gyros The Solar Faction known for establishing massive O’Neil Cylinders throughout the Solar System. Name refers to the fact that the cylinders rotate in order to provide artificial gravity.
Hab Short form for space habitat, referring to facilities that orbit a planet, moon, or at a Lagrange Point.
Jovian Adjective, pertaining to the planet Jupiter and its system of moons.
Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics (LGCD) environment An environment in which objects and processes are simulated based on recreated and recombined fundamental particles. Similar to holograms, except that simulations are physically real.
LEO Low Earth Orbit, referring to an orbit that is between the Earth's surface and 2,000 kilometers (1,200 mi) above it.
Loom (Neural) Colloquial term for the most common neural augmentation among Extros. Consists of microscopic filaments that reinforce neural connections and implants that allow for wireless interfacing, communications and virtual/augmented reality displays.
Medimachines Specialized nanorobots designed to reside within the human body and provide constant medical care.
Narkozavisimost (Russian) Drug-addict.
Polymorphic Referring to materials that are composed of self-adjusting and self-modifying molecules (i.e. “smart matter”). These materials generally maintain rigidity, but can change their shape, properties or texture as required.
Retro Pejorative for an inhabitant of the outer Solar System or anyone who eschews enhancement and augmentation. Short for “retrogressive”.
Singularity, the See Great Acceleration, the
Suka (Russian) Bitch.
Survey, the The wireless quantum network connecting Venus, Earth and Mars. Contains the sum total of all recorded information and services. All registered humans, devices, and geolocations are connected and monitored by the Survey.
Svin'yoy (Russian) Pig.
Tovarishchi (Russian) Comrades.
Uasi (Swahili) Rebellion.
Uranian Adjective, pertaining to the planet Uranus and its system of moons.
“Ya sobirayus' ubit' tebya Tvoya mat' chertovski –”
(Russian) “I'm going to kill you, your mother fucking – ”
Zdravstvuyte (Russian) Hello.
The following is an exc
erpt of
The Jovian Manifesto
Book 2
of
The Formist Series
MATTHEW WILLIAMS
Copyright © 2017 Matthew Williams
One
Their stasis period ended. The ship’s automated systems slowly brought them out, raising their bodies’ temperature and restoring their minds to wakefulness. As they came to, their wetware merged with the ship’s systems, gradually feeding them swarms of data.
Telemetry
Distance
Speed
Time of arrival
Their pods finished draining themselves of their protective fluids, and then opened onto a cool deck. Saana’s body was the first to emerge, starting with a single, shaky foot, and followed shortly thereafter by the rest. At their current speed and distance, gravity was not yet available. But the floor responded by becoming tacky and supportive, anchoring her in place as she emerged.
Four more bodies followed. Different in outward appearance, but identical in nature. All belonged to men and women who were currently bringing their neural suites up to date, digesting information from the ship’s data feed to bring themselves back to the present. She took in the faces and profiles of each.
Dina Okran – T901302
Bastion Henrissaint – T1049113
Miri Popov – M22931
Elizabeth Konsou – C3134
Saana reached out to them, using the squad frequency.
[Assimilate mission package data. Deployment in minus forty-three kiloseconds]
[Affirmative] came four simultaneous replies.
Her squad did as they were told, running over the mission data which had been uploaded to their neural cortices prior to being put into stasis. As they carried out their duties, they also went about the decidedly worldly process of cleaning themselves up and donning their coveralls.
Saana took the opportunity to consult the ship cams and check on their position. While the navigation systems assured her that they were fast approaching Ganymede, she preferred to get an outside look and see it with her own eyes. Or the closest approximation of such.
The ship’s front-facing sensors obliged her, producing an image of a disk which resembled a half-moon. On the light side, the mottled ice of the surface gleamed, peppered with lights indicating the presence of the settlements. On the dark side, faint glows were visible, the result of Jovian radiation interacting with the moon’s magnetic field.
The disk slowly became larger as they neared it, their high velocity making short work of the distance. Similarly, every member of her squad moved quickly, finishing their prep and making their way from the hibernation area to the ship’s rear. They formed a single line, standing in their coveralls with their eyes trained forward and awaiting her orders. A mere formality, but one which was hard to shake. Attention stance and pre-mission briefs were something soldiers still relied on before sent off to fight.
Saana reached out to them again. She kept it plain and simple.
[Our landing coordinates place us directly outside the Selket settlement. Stealth conditions will be in effect. We are to secure entrance to the settlement and procure identities on-site. Target package, weapon profiles, iconography, and exfil plans have all been included. Any questions?]
She received a unanimous negative.
[Good. Suit up!]
Four affirmatives, and they moved to the storage lockers to one side of the bay. The doors unsealed and folded back, revealing exosuits which they proceeded to place on. Saana joined them, fetching the exo from its resting place and letting its straps form around her arms, legs, shoulders and midriff. Once her suit power activated, the nanomaterial matrix covered her in an autonomous puddle of mercury, stretching forth and coating every part of her body in a protective second skin.
Once it was in place, and merged with her systems, she turned to face the others. Four metallic, reflective bodies looked back at her. The forms took on solidity, and green status lights formed around their chests and faces. All indicated in the green, and they began running them through basic system checks.
Saana did the same, calling up the weapons profiles included in the mission package. For this run, they had not been issued anything particularly advanced. Simple ballistic carbines, handguns, and stunners – the basic compliment for constableson, a Jovian world. Naturally, they had a few options for exfil or emergency.
DEWs, Agni and Tarakona models. High-yield area stunners. EMP float grenades. As always, Saana was determined to avoid the use of any heavy weaponry. Such means of last resort would mean failure in their mission.
The ship’s nav system reached out to her, indicating that they were now slowing down to achieve orbital insertion.
[Be warned. Breaking thrust in five seconds]
[Acknowledged]
Their feet become more solidly fastened as the reverse-thrust set in, making the ship lurch slightly. When it passed, the floor material returned to its regular level of viscosity and they could walk again. They made their last circuit, moving from storage to the very rear of the craft. There they waited, until the craft began its descent into the moon’s meagre atmosphere.
A general alarm triggered, as the moment came. There was no noise in the cabin, but all four members of the squad were aware of it.
[Get into position] ordered Saana.
Her squad assumed their ready stance, bracing for the coming change in atmospheric pressure. She stood behind them, assuming the same stance. The air whooshed from the cabin and the squads’ boots grafted to the floor anchoring them in place.
Imperceptibly, air rushed round Saana and journeyed through the vents. When the rear hatch opened before them, Saana was sure she heard the last bit of air pressure escaping into Ganymede’s thin exosphere.
The exterior wall of the ship opened and retracted, retreating into the hall. Before them, Ganymede loomed. They were just past the terminator now, looking down on a vast strip of lighted terrain fast retreating behind them. On the other side of it, rolling out beneath them, was a sheet of darkness with a few pinpricks where light shined through.
The next notification from the nav system told them they were over their jump target. Saana responded with the go order.
[Go! Go! Go!] she said mentally. The four of them were running out the rear of the craft, and falling into the darkness below.
For the next few seconds, time ceased. Technically, they were in freefall, their bodies grabbed and pulled by the moon’s 0.146 g to the surface. But, they could fool themselves into thinking they were weightless, an illusion maintained so long as they didn’t open their eyes.
But Saana did. Looking ahead, she kept the horizon in view. To her left, the Sun was now hugging the surface across Perrine and Barnard Regio. To her right, the auroral lights were the only illumination on a horizon. Beyond the horizon, the star field sparkled, indicated the end of the moon and the beginning of deep space.
Lastly, there were the lights of Selket Immediately beneath them. The main settlements and its adjuncts looked like a glowing spider web. It was becoming larger and more intricate with every passing second.
Saana kept it all in view, refusing to shut it out. Far more appealing than a sensation of freefall was the sense of awe in the face of immensity. Despite the sheer number of people travelling between worlds on a regular basis, a reminder of how inconsequential humans were, in the grand scheme of things, was a rare and awesome experience.
If she wanted it, Sanaa could slow the experience down considerably. A simple command to her temporal lobe, and the entire fall would feel like it was taking hours or even days. But there seemed little point in such a pretense. In this moment, she wanted her team to get to where they were needed.
And it wasn’t taking long. In her field of view, indicators went off, telling her they were reaching critical altitude. Saana reached out again, ordering the squad to begin the controlled portion of their descent.
[Deploy aerofoils]
&nbs
p; The squad acknowledged. Altogether, the appendages of their suits morphed into wing-like structures. From the front of their suits, nozzles took shape and began firing bursts of ionized particles. The indicators in Saana’s HUD showed the squad’s rapid loss of vertical speed. As they drew closer to the surface, the foils began changing shape. The nozzles also disappeared and re-emerged in other spots around their body – facing fore and aft.
Their direction shifted, and a new indicator formed in her field of view. In a hexagon, located just outside the growing ember web of Selket, was their landing zone. She and her squad pitched their foils to follow the directional lines now appearing in their HUDs. Beneath them, the settlement began shifted, falling to one side as they weaved through the tenuous oxygen atmosphere.
A few minutes later, and they would touch down in Galileo, descending onto a small patch of darkened ice. Several well-timed bursts from their forward-facing nozzles and their wings formed flaps, and slowed their airspeed. By the time their boots touched the ground, they were like feathers on the wind. Were they flying onto a world with a dense sheet of air around it, their boots would have barely made a sound when they touched down.
[Systems check] she ordered. The others quickly ran diagnostics on their suit’s systems and their uplinks to their suits. They sent her the results, which were all in the green. Turning around one-hundred and eighty degrees, she once again saw the terminator in the distance. It now cut across the surface perpendicular to them, with a glowing mass to the right of it.
The city of Selket. It was time to get moving.
[Proceed to checkpoint Alpha. Double time!]
#
It took mere seconds to hack the airlock’s antiquated security system. It opened to them, admitting them into a pressure chamber which they quickly cycled through. When the light turned green, they opened a second door that led them into one of the settlements outer domes. All four formed up inside the tube, where Saana ordered them to go dark.
The Cronian Incident (The Formist Book 1) Page 34