“The escort is here,” Lee said, looking back from the cockpit. “They’re just outside the gate, waiting. You bring the chow?”
“I did,” Keira said and secured the pot to the seat using the safety harness straps. They were meant for passengers, but they’d hold the pot in place.
“Awesome,” Lee said, “it’s been a while since I’ve had spaghetti.”
“Have you both reviewed the security brief yet?” Chris asked plaintively.
“I have,” Lee said. “Fairly standard stuff. Some trouble around the city, civil disturbance, a protest, and a riot or two. There’s a strong chance they will bring us in the back way to Hakagi.”
“I’ve not read it yet,” Keira admitted when Chris looked to her.
“Make sure you do on the way out,” Chris said.
Keira gave a nod. It was something he always insisted they do, learn about the security state where they would be working.
“Are we good to go then?” Lee asked, looking between them. “The militia captain wants to get a move on. Seems Command is on his ass, and with the coming storm he wants to get to Hakagi as quickly as possible.”
“Let me just seal us in, close a few bins, and then we can roll,” Chris said.
He walked back to the rear of the vehicle and hit a big red button. Screeching, the ramp began to retract back almost painfully into place. Asherho’s climate was so dry it sucked the moisture out of everything. The damn thing needed an oiling again, only there wasn’t a ready supply available. They’d have to scrounge for some.
There was a solid-sounding thunk followed by a hiss as the ramp closed, sealing them in. Chris began working his way forward, closing the overhead bins that were open. Keira stepped over to the hatch on the right side of the APC. She checked to make sure it was properly dogged.
“Side hatch is secure,” she told Lee, then glanced around. A thin layer of dust had coated everything inside the crew compartment of the APC. When they returned to the FOB, they would have to clean it out. That always proved to be a tedious but necessary project, for the dust was toxic and potentially hazardous, not only to their health, but to the safe operation of the vehicle.
“The storm coming in is bringing higher levels of radiation and particulate matter than normal,” Lee said. “Command advised in the strongest terms that we stay buttoned up in our suits for the duration of our trip to Hakagi and only take them off for the briefest of periods required. Now take your seats—gate’s opening.”
“Figures,” Keira said as she sat down. Normally, the APC was a safe zone for them. She would have liked to remove her helmet, at least until they got to the housing complex. Chris took a seat opposite her.
A moment later, with a grinding of the gears, the APC began rumbling forward, shaking them bodily as it moved on its tracks like the great lumbering beast it was. For a time, they were silent. Chris watched her, and it became a game of who could outstare the other.
He always won.
“You hear about the ship?” Chris asked in an offhand manner.
Keira blinked.
“I win,” he grinned. “You blinked.”
“That was cheating,” Keira said.
“Only if you get caught.”
“Sandy told me,” Keira said. “It’s from the Protectorate. They apparently want help with a repair.”
“Yeah,” Chris drawled, as if bored, “that’s what they claim.”
“At least,” Keira said, “it’s not our problem.”
“Was it one of Crecee’s boys?” Chris gestured at the blood stain with an armored hand.
“Yes,” Keira admitted. “It was.”
“I might have to speak to the good captain again,” Chris said. “I had thought our last talk had been sufficient for him to get the message.”
“I believe I recommunicated the message plain enough through one of his boys,” Keira said, not wanting to get Chris involved. She could handle herself. It was a point of pride. She did not want others fighting her battles, especially Chris.
“Some people have thicker skulls than others,” Chris said. “You need to beat them harder until they get it.”
“I’ll let you know if it becomes a problem.”
Chris gestured again toward the blood on her thigh. “It seems it’s already become a problem.”
“It’s not.”
Chris did not seem convinced. He glanced forward toward the cockpit. “Your aunt and uncle are going to drop in on us after we get onsite.”
“Really?” Keira sat up straight. “Wash and Vex are coming?”
The two had served with Chris in the Corps. She and her father, along with their marine detachment, had been on the same ship. There had originally been six marines who had survived the crash. Three had since died. Keira keenly felt their loss, almost as much as she did her father’s.
“I haven’t seen Wash and Vex in what seems like years,” Keira said.
“Six months actually,” Chris said. “They’re working security on a job nearby, so they’re going to stop by. They’ve arranged for a stand-in crew to relieve them so they can come over for a visit.”
“That’ll be great,” Keira said. “When the job’s done, do you think they’ll come back to the base with us?”
“I might be able to arrange that,” Chris said in a noncommittal sort of way.
That told her it was already a done deal. She felt a serious improvement of her mood.
“What kind of rations are we getting?” Keira asked, thinking back to the deal he had made for the R-36 generator.
“Some more protein, real chicken, eggs, and fresh vegetables,” Chris said. “They should be waiting for us when we get back.”
“Chicken, now, that,” Keira said, “is a treat, eggs too.”
The APC rocked violently as it drove over a bump.
“Sorry about that,” Lee said from the cockpit. “The last storm left a mess on the road. The work crews have yet to clear it. I expect things to get a little rough ahead. You might want to buckle in. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
Keira did as she was told and secured herself. Across the way, Chris did the same.
“What’s the ETA?” Keira asked.
“A little over three hours,” Lee said, “maybe four, if the entire road is this bad. We will be pulling in just after dark.”
“Well then.” Chris leaned his head back. His faceplate went opaque. “I’m going to get me some shut-eye. Wake me if you need me.”
The APC rocked again, shaking them both. The man was able to sleep anywhere, at any time. With a sigh, Keira pulled out her reader and tabbed it on, opening the security brief on Hakagi.
Chapter Six
Keira slid into the passenger seat next to Lee. Wearing the bulky gumby suit made the cockpit feel cramped. She pulled the safety harness down over her head and buckled herself in, just as the APC moved roughly over a series of bumps in the roadway. Keira hastily grabbed the handholds along the front dash to steady herself while the armored vehicle rocked from side to side.
They were on the road to Hakagi and not moving at anywhere near top speed. In fact, they were crawling along at a snail’s pace. The road was in poor shape and thick with sand. Colored poles stuck up to either side to mark the way for the road-cleaning crews. Ahead of them, a six-wheeled transport truck with a covered bed moved forward, bouncing even more violently than they were.
Though she couldn’t see them, sitting in the bed of the truck was a platoon of local militia. She felt a stab of pity for the poor souls in the back of that truck. The ride must have been incredibly rough for them. Another such truck would be following after the Beast with a second platoon.
The wind gusted violently, picking up loose sand and carrying it through the air. Within heartbeats, it became difficult to see as it buffeted the hull of the APC. The sand sounded like the hiss of high-pressured gas escaping a canister. As the gust intensified, the militia truck, ten meters ahead, almost completely disappeared. Visibility be
yond fifty meters became practically nonexistent.
“The storm is getting closer,” Lee said. “We’re starting to see the outer bands. With luck, the worst of it will hold off until after we reach the job.”
“I hope we beat it,” Keira said. “I’d prefer not to have to stop and ride it out again.”
Lee spared her an unhappy look at that cheery thought. If the storm became strong enough, they would be forced to do just that, then dig out in the morning. For three people, the APC had room enough to ride the bad weather out in relative comfort, but some of the more intense storms could last days on end. Though they had likely brought temporary shelters with them, the militia would still be exposed to the worst of it.
“Chris asleep again?” Lee, his hands on the control levers, looked over. He loved driving the APC. It was one of his true joys in life. Whenever they went out into the field, she was content to let him drive and have all the fun. “Why am I even bothering to ask? Of course he’s asleep. I swear that man sleeps all the time.”
“He does,” Keira agreed. For as long as she could remember, Chris napped whenever the opportunity safely presented itself. “He is the king of napping.”
“Perhaps that’s just what happens when you get older,” Lee said, “you sleep more, kind of like being a baby, but in reverse.”
The wind took that moment to gust strongly. It whistled around the Beast, screeching like an enraged banshee. The APC, being heavy and tracked, wasn’t in the least bit affected. However, ahead, the truck, which was much lighter and had a larger profile, was pushed to the left by the gust, toward the cement guardrail that bordered the road.
“Oh god,” Lee said in horror.
Through sheer effort alone, the driver was able to recover and steer away from disaster. The truck came to a stop. Lee brought the APC to a halt as well. Once the wind died down after a few minutes, the driver started the truck forward again, this time at a slower pace. Lee increased power and continued to follow after them.
“It’s beginning to get dangerous out,” Lee said.
“How come you’re not using the scan suite?” Keira asked.
“I enjoy seeing the world now and then, the real world, not a partial digital representation.”
“Not much of a world,” Keira said as she gazed out the dirty window at the depressing view before them. The windscreen was small and reinforced. Thousands of tiny, almost microscopic cracks and pockmarks had formed in it.
“It’s our world,” Lee said. “Yeah, it’s been broken, but if you know where to look for it, there is beauty out there. Really, I mean it.”
“Beauty?” Keira asked, incredulous. “Seriously? You see beauty?”
“Of course.” Lee waved a hand ahead of them as the APC traversed over a large mound of sand. The engine revved loudly as he increased power, his lips drawing up in a smile as he did it. From the readout on the dash, the engine load showed at ninety-eight percent. “The dunes, for instance. There is beauty there.”
“The sand dunes?” Keira scowled as she studied the gray dunes to either side of the road. She had always thought the dunes quite ugly. “What about them?”
“Look at the way they slope, almost undulating. See the little waves that run along the surface? They are perfectly formed. It’s all caused by the wind. That’s beauty. At least, I like to think it is.”
The implication was that she should think so too. From old images and maps she had seen, Keira knew the area around them used to be a mix of rich farmland and suburbs. Now, it was nothing but a vast expanse of sand, mixed with dirty ash. The surface water having moved underground or been vaporized during the cracking, the planet was becoming a true desert.
All that had once been was being steadily buried under a bone-dry sea of sand. It was as if the planet had decided it was done with humanity and was doing her best to wipe away any trace of people. And as if that were not bad enough, when the prevailing winds shifted, they brought heavy, choking ashfalls from the tectonically active regions.
“Each day, I try to find something beautiful,” Lee said as they entered a portion of the road where large barriers had been erected on either side to hold the sand dunes back. The barriers did little good. Regularly, plows came through, along with earthmovers and work crews, to keep the road open and passable.
“Beauty,” Keira said. “I suspect the day is fast approaching when no matter how much effort is made, your beauty will make it impossible to keep the road open. There is a sea of sand out there and it’s growing by the day.”
Lee leaned forward in his seat, peering intently ahead as the wind picked up again. Their escort had reached an unusually large mound of sand and had slowed. On the right side of the road, the sand had piled up against the outside edge of the barrier and then spilled over, forming the mound that stretched clear across the roadway.
All six wheels turning, the militia truck climbed the mini dune in the road and then disappeared almost completely over the other side. The top of the truck’s covered bed could still be seen as it bounced forward and down the road.
Glancing over at her, Lee shot her a grin as he drove the APC up the berm. Keira reached forward for the handholds lining the cockpit. One-handedly she tapped a sequence into the control panel on the dash. Instantly, the windscreen in front of them changed, and the view became clearer, crisp even, as she engaged the scan suite and the digital scanner enhanced the view.
The road was lost from sight, as the nose of the APC pointed straight at the sky for a long moment. Then, the Beast came down, hard, with a bang, as they crested the top of the mound. Everything inside the APC that was not tied down shook, creaked, and rattled loudly in the storage compartments. Keira held on, while the APC rocked. Lee gave a laugh of pleasure and then increased power as they moved down the other side.
“I love that,” Lee said. “I really do. One day, I want to take this baby out in the dunes and have some fun.”
“The Beast is so heavy, it’s likely to sink right down,” Keira said. “We’d never get it out.”
“You’re probably right,” Lee said.
With the scan suite engaged, they could see for quite some distance now, several kilometers ahead. Poking out of the dunes, the tops of ruined buildings spread out around them to either side of the road. In the far distance, skyscrapers, like broken teeth, reached up into the dusty and dirty sky. Even with the scan suite engaged, the tops of some of the buildings disappeared into the murk.
“That’s a view I will never tire of,” Lee said and gestured toward the city.
Most of the skyscrapers were abandoned and had been for more than a decade. They had become either unsafe or were without power and the means to sustain life. Mixed in amongst them were the apartment blocks and arcologies that still had power and functioning life-support systems. It was in these precious few structures that the mass of the people had taken refuge and called home.
“What I see, whenever I look out the window,” Keira said heavily as Lee drove down the other side of the berm, “is ruin, death, destruction, and a hostile environment that’s doing its best to kill us. Asherho died when the world was cracked. Only, the people just don’t know it yet.”
He shot her an unhappy scowl.
“Don’t get me wrong, I want to be optimistic, I really do,” Keira said. “I want to help make things better. But no matter what the UPG says, this city before us will not rise from the ashes, like some mythical phoenix. Most of the people of this world are sick. They are dying a slow death from either radiation poisoning, the toxins in the atmosphere, or a mix of both. The government can only manufacture enough medicine for a handful of people.”
Keira paused, feeling the frustration of it all.
“You and I are among the lucky ones,” she continued after a heartbeat. “We’re relatively healthy and well-fed. They care for us, because they need us to help them keep things functioning, which, in the end, maintains a semblance of order to what little stability is left to the planet.
The rest”—Keira waved a hand at the skyscrapers in the distance—“are just eking out a terrible existence they do not deserve.”
“An existence we make possible,” Lee pointed out. “Don’t forget that. We’re doing important work.”
Keira glanced over at him.
“Without us and others like us, those people out there will die,” Lee continued. “You well know that. The government has people working on new shelters, structures that can withstand the storms and filter out the toxins, the heavy metals, and the radiation. They just need time, time to do more. We’re giving them that, with each repair we make.”
“Do you really believe that?” Keira asked. “You’ve seen some of those shelters. They’re small, with each meant for only a few hundred. How long until they’re packed tight and overcrowded?” She pointed at the city. “In Akanna alone, there are hundreds of thousands of people, millions when you include the other cities. The government’s been lying to everyone, misleading at best.”
“You have to be careful with that kind of talk,” Lee cautioned.
Keira ignored him. “They say things are improving. Do you think things are getting better? Each year, there’s more sand. The radiation and toxicity levels are increasing too. At the rate conditions are deteriorating, with life-sustaining equipment failing, do you really believe there will be room, a place for everyone in the new shelters?”
“No,” Lee said, his voice grave. “I don’t. The construction program is moving too slowly. There are just not enough skilled laborers to do the work. That’s why I am working this job, doing what I can, doing my part to help. Each repair, every fix we make, extends the time the government has to do more, to build additional shelters. In the long run, that means life, even for just a few. Not everyone will be saved, but enough will be, to eventually rebuild. I know you understand. I know that is why you do this job. Like me, you can’t stand by and watch everything fall apart.”
“Oh, I understand only too well,” Keira said more harshly than she intended. “Most of the produce factories, and the ag-farms, that feed the people stationside are still located down here on the planet. They need those to supplement their easy lifestyle in the orbital habitats.”
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