Despite physical and philosophical differences, it seemed as though there was a common denominator: resources. Apparently, diamonds were a universal resource. If we managed to get off this rock, we wouldn’t be returning home empty-handed, but the payload would be severely smaller than our employers had expected. I wondered how the brain trust at the WSSC would feel about that.
Harper said, “Our tunnels are easier to navigate than the other ones. Not nearly as many choices.”
We slunk along silently.
“No roaches.”
“Maybe it worked.”
“I hope it did,” Gloria said.
“Almost there.”
I heard the drone of machinery and then, soon after, the sound of voices.
“Mining crew,” Harper said.
As the tunnel opened up on a larger room, I said, “Careful. Let’s assess the situation first.”
I spotted a dozen miners in the room, some of them operating the handheld controls that allowed them to operate the machinery remotely, while several of the others worked at chipping away rock with pickaxes.
One of the miners looked in my direction. I held a finger to my lips. He paused for only a moment and then cocked his head to the side. It was as subtle gesture. I glanced in the direction he had cocked his head, and on the far side of the room saw a roach standing guard. I looked back at the man and he took one hand off his pickaxe and held his hand to his side, three fingers extended.
Three roaches.
I whispered into my com. “About a dozen crew with three roaches standing guard.”
I would have felt better about the situation if we’d had the element of surprise. There was no way to get to them without being seen, which meant we’d have to fight them head on. We had them outnumbered, but I still didn’t like the odds.
Over the com, I told the others to stay close. We might stand a better chance if we stuck to a tight formation. I leapt out from the tunnel and the others followed behind me.
The roaches converged on us.
I had stolen from Perkins’s playbook and slid the alien appendage over my arm, my hand clamped around the slick fin of hard material that allowed me to scissor the foreleg open and closed by pulling on it.
The lead roach screeched at me as I lashed out at it. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw the other two roaches prepare to flank me, going in opposite directions so that they were coming at me from the side.
Harper yelled a war cry and lunged at one of them, doing his best to keep it at bay. Gloria did the same with the remaining roach.
The miners in the room had ceased working and were watching the battle unfold. The roach in front of me lashed out, its deadly foreleg springing open and closed as it shot for my throat. I dodged it, grabbed its arm, locking it under my arm pit while I thrust forward with my alien arm, the sharp spikes sinking past the tough chitin on its thorax and sliding deeper into its flesh. Its face hung forward as it slumped against my blade, coughing dark goo onto my faceplate.
I felt the dead weight of the roach falling into me and I quickly shifted my position so it rolled to the side.
Harper still had control of his roach, swinging the appendage at it madly to keep it from getting too close.
Behind me, Gloria screamed. I swiveled quickly and saw her on the ground. The roach had one of her arms pinned down with its leg. Its face was close to hers, gnashing with its mandibles. She squirmed furiously, trying to free herself.
I came at the roach from the side, putting my shoulder into it, and was batted away a moment later. The back of my head collided with the rock wall. I picked myself up, shaking the dizziness from my head. A narrow crack ran down the length of my faceplate. I was still getting air, which meant my helmet’s integrity hadn’t been compromised, but if it took another hit…
I didn’t have time to think. The roach had its forelegs raised, ready to deliver a deathblow. I sprang onto its back. The roach bucked and tried to throw me off. I threw my arms around its neck and clung for dear life.
An armored elbow struck me brutally on the side of the neck and I flew backward. The roach screeched, lashing out violently.
Gloria had managed to pick herself up from the ground and we stood side by side, both of us trying to dodge the roach’s frenzied attacks.
“Stay back!” I shouted, pushing Gloria out of the way. I had unintentionally backed myself into a corner. The roach came toward me. I had nowhere to go.
I hunched down, prepared to dodge the roach’s attack, but as it moved in, it suddenly arched its back, let out a God awful scream and pitched forward face first into the dirt.
The blade of a pickaxe was buried deep into its back, the handle jutting out at an angle. One of the miners was standing behind it.
I nodded my thanks.
I glanced over to where Harper had been keeping the other roach busy. Two of the miners came in from behind it with their pickaxes and hacked it down.
Higgins. That was the name of the miner I had been signaling earlier.
“Thanks for the help,” I said.
“No problem.”
“Get your people rounded up. Follow the tunnel back to the shaft. That’ll take you topside. Then head for one of the carrier ships.”
“What about you guys?”
“Don’t wait for us. Get on the carrier and hail the Astraeus. They’ll bring you up.”
He nodded and did as he was told. We watched them head down the tunnel and out of sight.
“Hayes and the others should be in the next room,” Harper said. I picked up my alien appendage and followed him.
There was a short stretch of tunnel that connected to another low-ceilinged room. We found Hayes, Flynn, and Yuri trapped in a shallow pit that had been dug into the floor. Harper helped me peel back several interlocked pieces of chitin plating that covered the pit. I switched on my suitlight and shone it into the pit. I saw Hayes and the others down there.
“Took your time,” Flynn said.
They looked rough. The roaches hadn’t been gentle. Hayes was seated on the ground, his left leg extended outward.
“Broken?” I asked.
Hayes nodded.
Yuri and Flynn lifted Hayes up to us and we hauled him out of the pit.
“I can manage on my own,” Hayes said through gritted teeth, but when he placed weight on his broken leg he collapsed.
Harper said, “We can see that, Captain, but why don’t you humor us.” He and Yuri each took one of Hayes’s arms and helped him hobble back into the tunnel.
“You guys are a sight for sore eyes, Lansing,” Flynn said. “When we’re back on the ship, I owe ya’ll a beer.”
“I might just take you up on that,” I said.
We made our way through the tunnel, going back the way we had come. It was slow going because of Hayes’s condition, and it took some effort getting him back up the shaft, but we eventually made it. The rain was coming down in torrents. The graphite top layer was being washed away, sludge poured down into the shafts. My feet were ankle deep in mud and water. The tunnels were flooding fast.
“Lucky we made it out when we did,” Gloria said. “The rain is washing all the topsoil down into the mines.”
“They’ll be flooded in no time at this rate,” Harper said.
The ground was slick beneath my feet. I glanced down. At first, I thought I was walking over a sheet of ice, but then I realized what it was.
Diamond.
The entire planet’s surface was being eroded away by the heavy rain, exposing the diamond beneath. The sight of it was mesmerizing. It was like walking on an endless sheet of glass.
“Are we going to stand around all day or are we going to get off this rock?” Hayes asked, the familiar authority back in his voice. “What’s it going to be, Lansing?”
“Sounds like an ord
er to me,” I said. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
CHAPTER 27
One of the remaining carrier ships was already rising into the air. We watched it blast off and disappear into the low-lying clouds.
I opened the ramp of the last ship and loaded everyone in. I paused halfway up the ramp and looked back. Even in the dim light, I could see the brilliant luster of the diamond surface of the planet twinkling back at me.
For all the danger 55 Cancri e had presented, it was still beautiful. Now that the planet’s dull top layer was being washed away, that fact was more apparent than ever. I knew that this would be the last time I set my eyes on it. Even if they sent another expedition to the planet at some future date, this time aware of the enemy we faced, and even if they promised me riches beyond my wildest imagination, I would turn it down. I’d had my fill.
There was plenty to live for on Earth. Maybe my relationship with Earth was complicated, but it was home.
Thick sludge coursed down the shafts and the open pit mine was filling up so that it looked like a giant bowl of muddy soup.
I saw the roaches clamoring out of the shafts and wondered how many of them would make it out and how many would be trapped below as the rooms and tunnels were flooded. I almost felt sorry for them. Almost.
“Lansing?” Hayes called. “You ready?”
I turned, took an empty seat, and strapped myself in.
The control panel lit up and I could hear Sturgeon’s voice over the intercom asking if we were ready for takeoff. A moment later, the ship’s engines roared to life and we were teetering up into the air, the heavy rain pattering down onto the metal hull.
I watched 55 Cancri e recede into the distance. The diamond surface sparkled up at us. I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off of it.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Gloria said.
I nodded.
“Beauty is merciless,” Harper said. “You do not look at it, it looks at you and does not forgive.”
“Who said that?”
Harper said, “I don’t remember, but I thought it was fitting.”
And then we were in the clouds, shooting toward the Astraeus, and the beauty and violence below us was lost forever.
CHAPTER 28
We boarded the Astraeus.
Once we were in the docking bay, I peeled my suit off. I was covered in sweat. My skin was clammy. My throat burned fiercely and my hand ached. But, Jesus, was I glad to be off that rock.
And still alive!
“Yeehaw!” Flynn shouted. “That was one for the books. I do believe it’s time for a drink. Shots are on me.”
“I’d settle for a glass of water,” I said.
The medical staff had been waiting for us. A female medic asked me if I was all right and began examining my hand. I waved her off, motioning toward Hayes. “He’s in worse shape than I am.”
Despite the ordeal, we were all giddy with excitement. I figured it was a chemical reaction of some sort. It probably had something to do with being so certain of death and then coming out of it alive.
Hayes protested as two medics forced him into a wheelchair and wheeled him toward the door.
“Hey, Captain,” Harper said. “What are our orders?”
Hayes gripped the wheels of the wheelchair and swiveled around. He smiled weakly and said, “You can all get shitfaced for all I care. I’m going spend some time getting poked and prodded, and then I’m going to pass out.”
Sturgeon’s voice came over the intercom: “Okay people, we’re preparing for immediate departure. Let’s make this place a memory.”
Gloria came over to me and gave me a peck on the cheek. “I guess everyone’s headed to Finnigan’s to celebrate. You coming?”
I started to reply, when the door to the docking bay slid open and Lisa was standing there.
To Gloria, I said, “You guys go ahead. I’ll catch up.”
Gloria smiled and said, “Good luck.”
Lisa approached me. My hand throbbed, my neck hurt, and I was fairly certain I could drink an ocean if someone would just give me a straw. But there was Lisa, standing there, looking bruised up and exhausted and beautiful.
Lisa said, “Well, your helmet is off.”
I grabbed the front of her flightsuit and drew her to me.
Then I kissed her, long and hard.
Maybe it lasted ten seconds, maybe it lasted a lifetime. Time didn’t exist at that moment, and I didn’t bother keeping track.
When I finally finished, she said, “I see you are the kind of man that keeps his promises.”
“You don’t sound entirely convinced,” I said, “so let’s try that again.”
I kissed her again.
On his way out, Harper patted me on the shoulder and said, “Now how’s that for a B story?”
After the others had left, Lisa and I were alone in the docking bay together.
Through the docking bay window, I could see 55 Cancri e shining brightly. It grew smaller and smaller as we left it behind, a hostile jewel of a place.
“How’s Thomas?” I asked.
“He’s still excessively whiny, but it looks like he’ll live.”
“That’s good. So, that was…intense.”
“Are you talking about the kiss?”
“I’m talking about everything. This space shit is for the birds.”
“You can say that again.”
“This space shit is for the birds.”
“It is nice to see that your sense of humor is intact.”
“I guess everybody’s going to Finnigan’s for a drink. Think we should tag along?”
“Maybe. But I would like to waste some more time kissing you first.”
“Well, you’re in luck. All we’ve got is time.”
“How do you think it’s going to be?”
“What?”
“Earth. Do you think it’ll be different now?”
I paused to consider it.
Finally, I said, “I think it’ll be about the same as we left it. Which reminds me, I gave up my apartment when I left, so I’m officially homeless.”
“Maybe you would be willing to consider having a roommate?”
“It’s a distinct possibility. Rent is expensive after all.”
“Where would we go?”
I looked at her and smiled.
I said, “Somewhere without any damn bugs.”
EPILOGUE
They followed us back. Don’t ask me how. My guess is that they stowed a locater beacon on board one of the carrier ships before we made it back to the Astraeus.
The roaches didn’t come right away. It took some time. Probably rode the same interstellar subway system we had used to make the trip back and forth.
They gave us time to enjoy ourselves, to settle in and start to feel like everything was going to be okay.
That’s when they attacked. When we were complacent again. It was war on Earth, and the bugs were formidable opponents. We put up a good fight, but they overpowered us in the end. The body count was massive.
Earth is a different place now. A planet held prisoner.
But some of us are still here. Fighting.
And we won’t stop until we get our home back…
TO BE CONTINUED…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
J.W. Bouchard is a horror, crime, science fiction, and children’s fantasy author best known for his novels Last Summer, The Z Club, and Sam Finch and the Zombie Hybrid. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys surveying unexplored parts of Wind Cave in South Dakota, traveling to exotic locales, and teaching his kids bad habits. He lives in Iowa.
You can sign up for the newsletter he rarely ever sends:
http://eepurl.com/z7gGb
Or visit his author page on Amazon.
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J.W. Bouchard, Project Diamond (Jacob Lansing Series Book 1)
Project Diamond (Jacob Lansing Series Book 1) Page 20