Colony Two Mars: A SciFi Thriller (Colony Mars Book 2)

by Gerald M. Kilby

  “Which would you prefer; explosive, incendiary or smoke?”

  Nills looked at Gizmo. “I suppose all three might come in handy.”

  “Aye, Aye, captain.” And it whizzed off out of the workshop.

  “How does it know all that stuff?” Anika was watching the little robot disappear off into the bowels of Colony One.

  “I really have no idea.”

  “But you created it.”

  “Not me, my Alpha.”

  “But there is a little bit of you in that robot, nonetheless.”

  “Perhaps. All I can say is, it’s a damn handy machine to have around.”

  They continued their search, picking up parts as they went and dropping them into a handcart that Nills was pulling.

  “This looks useful.” Anika picked up a bank of electro-magnetic coils.”

  Nills examined it. “Good, see if you can find some more, and capacitors, lots of great big ones.”

  After a half-hour or so they cleared a space on one of the workshop tables and dumped all the components onto it. They were making rail-guns. Similar to those used by the Hybrids but these would be significantly cruder. Rail-guns are electrically powered from batteries, which charged a bank of capacitors to around 1000v. When the trigger is pulled this activates a row of toroidal electro-magnets, each one accelerating a metal projectile along the rail.

  Nills and Anika toiled away at their task. Fortunately she was also a talented engineer and had no problem crafting sophisticated machines from a bucket of spare parts. This was how most things in Colony Two were made. Nothing was wasted, everything reused and recycled. Even humans.

  After a few hours of intensive fabrication, Jann and Lars finally returned.

  “Rover is fully fuelled and supplied, EVA suits are patched up and ready to use. How are you getting on here?”

  Nills looked up from the bench where he was soldering a component. “Nearly ready for testing.” He waved the smoke away that was corkscrewing up from the joint. He picked up the rail-gun, flicked a switch to charge it, and inserted a sharp metal spike in the breech. He stood up. “Stand back.”

  Every one moved aside as Nills aimed the weapon at a disembowelled refrigeration unit, about fifteen metres away, and pulled the trigger. It fell over with the impact as a shower of fragments exploded from the entry point.

  “I think that should do the trick.” Nills examined the weapon and placed it back down on the bench. “We’ve made two of these, this one and a smaller unit that Anika is finishing.”

  She appeared out from behind a mound of parts. “I also made this.” She held up a small crossbow, fitted a short metal arrow in it and fired it at the remains of the refrigeration unit. It buried itself deep into the machine.

  “Excellent,” said Nills.

  “Where’s Gizmo?” Jann looked around the workshop.

  “He’s off conjuring up a batch of explosives.” Nills picked up a small spherical container from a mound of similar objects. “We can make some grenades out of these.”

  “Looks like we’re nearly ready,” said Lars.

  “In that case I’d better go and get my weapon then.” said Jann.

  “You have one?”

  “Oh yes, and I’m pretty good with it too.” She turned and headed out of the workshop.

  They continued to test the weapons for a while before Gizmo finally showed up with several containers. It placed them carefully on the floor, moved back and then extended a metal hand, pointing at them, one at a time.

  “This will give you an explosion, this flame and this one here, smoke.” It then carefully opened the last box. “I have also utilised these small glass vials from the Medlab.” Gizmo held one up to the light. It was a standard sealed glass capsule. “These you can use as a fuse. There are somewhat crude, but when this breaks open the chemical inside will start the reaction in these others. Just be careful you do not do it by accident. Otherwise… boom.” It made a sweeping move with its arms, to emphasise the point.

  “That’s great work, Gizmo. Thank you.”

  “My pleasure, I am here to assist.”

  As they gathered around the workbench and started to fabricate the grenades, Nills was beginning to feel more confident. Now that they had some weapons, they may be able to hold out long enough for the Betas to get behind them. But even armed to the teeth, if they didn’t, all this would be in vain. No amount of clever engineering would save them then. They were just finishing the last of them when Jann returned carrying a bunch of long metal spikes. Lars looked over at her. “I thought you were getting a weapon?”

  Jann looked around the workshop wall. It was a large space, maybe fifty metres across. “See that chart pined to the wall down there?”

  They all looked up from their work and across to where Jann was pointing. It was a small paper chart of some kind. Something a former colonist stuck there for some long forgotten reason.

  “Yeah,” said Lars.

  Jann placed the spears on the ground, sorted through them and selected one. She hefted it above her head and launched it at the target. It split the air at an impressive speed and buried itself, dead centre in the chart. It was a good thirty metre throw.

  “Wow,” said Nills.

  “That’s amazing,” said Anika. “Were did you learn to do that?”

  Jann was walking back down the workshop to retrieve the projectile. “Oh, I had a lot on time on my hands here.”

  She returned with the spear. “Want to see something else?”

  “Sure,” said Lars.

  “Gizmo, would you be so kind?”

  “You are not going to do this. I thought we were friends again?”

  “We are, Gizmo. I just want them to see.”

  “Oh, all right then.” Gizmo whizzed away from Jann a few metres.

  “Ready?” said Jann.”

  “Gizmo is always ready.”

  She launched the spear directly at the little robot’s head. Before any of them had time to think Gizmo simply grabbed it out of the air before it hit.

  “Wow, how can it do that?” said Anika.

  “Ultra-fast reflexes,” said Jann. “Pretty impressive, don’t you think.”

  “Incredible,” said Nills.

  “I have a request,” said Gizmo.

  “Sure, what is it?”

  “I would like to join you on your adventure.”

  Nills and Jann exchanged glances. “It will be dangerous, Gizmo.”

  “You are forgetting I am a robot, this is meaningless to me. I have simply extrapolated that being alone is less simulating than being in the company of friends.” It moved its head and looked from Nills to Jann. “And you are my friends.”

  Nills walked over to the robot and placed his hand on its metal shoulder. “I for one would be glad to have you along.”

  “I would consider it an honour,” said Jann.

  Gizmo looked up at its friends and if it could smile it would have had the broadest grin ever seen on a robot.

  When the moment had passed Nills turned back to them all, “Okay, I think we’re ready.”

  “So what’s the plan?” Jann was taking the spear back from Gizmo’s metal hand. The others all looked at Nills.

  “Eh… let’s get some food and we can discuss it.”

  The plan, such as it was, revolved around the assumption that Jann’s return to Colony Two would rouse the Betas. Since they outnumbered the Hybrids and the few remaining Alphas, they could, in theory, take control. But it was evident to Jann that there were a number of gaps in this plan. First and foremost, would the Betas be inspired into action, as Nills had asserted? He was convinced, but Jann was not so sure. Second, did they have the strength of arms, the weapons? And third, it assumed that the situation hadn’t changed since their escape. In truth, they didn’t really know what was going on, mostly it was speculation. What was the end-game? Was it being instigated solely by the Hybrids, and if so, what was their motivation? Or was there more to it? Was Vanji i
nvolved, was he behind it? All these questions, they could not answer.

  Into this mix were the three Alphas in Colony One, who were now diligently working away in Dome Five, preparing the fuel and oxygen tanks for the ISA MAV. Getting ready to leave the planet for good. This struck Jann as somewhat of a coincidence. Was there some relationship between these two events? Was there something else going on that none of them could yet see?

  Then, there were the very practical issues of simply, how do they get in? And once inside, then what?

  They had gathered themselves around the table, back in the common room, and were all eating. It might be a while before they ate again so they may as well do it now while they still had the opportunity.

  “So Nills, like I said, what’s the plan?” Jann looked over at him. He sat in the same battered arm chair that the old Nills did. He had the same mannerisms and, if she didn’t know better, it was if he were the same person.

  “How about we drive up to the main entrance, blow it open with some explosives, charge in and start shooting any Hybrids we see. Then, we just wing it from there?”

  “You’re kidding me?” said Anika.

  Nills looked up from his food. “Of course I am, that’s a really stupid idea.”

  Anika gave a laugh, “For a minute there I thought you were serious.”

  Nills placed his bowl down on the table and sat back in his chair, like he always did. “For this to work, the Betas need to know Jann Malbec has returned to free them, and call on all of them to raise up arms against the Hybrids. So we need to get the word to them as soon as possible. Now, assuming life goes on in Colony Two, then the vast bulk of them will be working in the garden. So we need to get in there and hold it long enough for them to rally around.”

  “Okay, so how do we get in there?” Jann leaned in across the table.

  “Yeah, that’s not so easy, Nills. They’re going to see us coming,” said Lars.

  “We need to give them the slip somehow, trick them into thinking we are entering by some other route.”

  “Would I be correct in assuming that their perimeter scanner is the same as the one in Colony One?” said Gizmo.

  “I think so, I could check, as I’m very familiar with it. I used to fix it all the time,” said Anika.

  “Well if it is, then I may be of service.”

  “How so?” said Jann

  “My systems are integrated with Colony One, so if they are the same, I may be able to access it and manipulate it.”

  “You mean like, hack into their systems.”

  “Partly. The downside, of course, is once I’m out of range of Colony One I will not be able to access any of the systems here, so my data and processing capabilities will be dramatically reduced. I estimate, by a factor of ten point seven two.”

  “Is that a lot?” said Lars.

  “For me yes, but not so much that you would notice unless I had to do a complex extrapolation. In which case it would be glacially slow.”

  “But you could access the Colony Two systems?”

  “Only some, the perimeter scanner would be one. If it is the same as here.”

  “Okay, then. Sounds like we have a way in. We take the rover up close to the main entrance, park it there, and head on foot to the higher level escape airlock. Gizmo, can block their scanner until were in.”

  “Is that the same airlock I used to get in?” said Jann.

  “No, higher up. It’s a bit of a climb, but it’s never guarded and little known. We could get quite a way inside before encountering any Hybrids.”

  “Sounds like we have a plan then,” said Jann

  They all nodded in agreement.

  CHAPTER 20: Return

  By early the next morning, they had assembled in the workshop and organised themselves into teams, Jann and Gizmo, Nills and Lars. Anika was still injured so she kept the weight off her leg, while she had the chance. It didn’t take them long to get everything ready. Finally they assembled at the entrance to the airlock and got into their EVA suits.

  “Should we say good bye to the others?” said Jann

  “Who?” said Lars.

  “Kayden, Noome and Samir. After all they were your colleagues.”

  “Fuck them,” said Anika. “If they want to run away, then let them.”

  “Well, they got me out of there, out of the tank. I can’t go without thanking them, it’s the least I can do.”

  “Hey, you’ve just given them the launch codes to the only ship off this planet, so I’m sure they’re pretty happy with you about that.” Said Lars.

  “Go, be quick.” Nills waved a hand. “Hurry.”

  Jann raced off.

  “Gizmo, go with her, make sure she’s okay.”

  Dome Five was crammed with a myriad of flotsam and jetsam from the inventory of Colony One. At the far end Jann could see the crew busying themselves preparing to bring the last fuel tank out on to the surface. Samir and Noome were in EVA suits, with their helmets off, while Kayden sat examining the data on the holo-tab that Jann had given him. She could see a 3D schematic of the landing site balloon out across the table from its surface.

  “Change your mind?” Noome spotted her first.

  “No, I just came to say good bye. I’m going back with Nills and the others, back to Colony Two, we’re ready to leave.”

  “Colony Two? Are you mad?” Noome looked at her, wide-eyed.

  “Maybe.” Jann shrugged. “I came to say thanks… for getting me out of that tank.”

  Kayden switched off the holo-tab, picked it up and waved it at Jann. “Thank you for this, it’s our ticket off this god forsaken rock.”

  “I hope is works out for you.” Jann replied.

  “Tell me,” Kayden put the holo-tab down and scratched his chin. “Are you really going back there?”

  “Yeah, we’re all tooled up, ready to go.”

  “It’s probably a suicide mission, you know that.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “They’ll see you coming. How do you propose getting in? ”

  Jann thought about this question. Why was Kayden so interested, he was leaving, so what did it matter to him?

  “We’re not sure. I think we’re going to drive up to the main entrance, blow a hole in it, charge in and start shooting… as far as I know.”

  “Sounds totally crazy to me.” Samir started fiddling with a fuel valve.

  “Yeah, does to me too. But anyway, thanks for getting me out… and, good luck.” She turned.

  “Good luck to you too. I think you’re the one who’s really going to need it,” said Kayden as Jann walked out of the dome.

  Nills and the other Betas craned their necks to look out of the rover’s window at the brooding Martian landscape. Jann realised, that since they had lived their entire lives inside a cave, the outside world must be a wondrous spectacle to them. She looked out across the plateau towards the western rim of the crater. A thin haze of Martian dust clung to the atmosphere and coloured the entire sky with a dark crimson wash. “Storm coming.”

  “How do you know?” said Nills.

  She pointed out to the far horizon. Dust darkens the sky when there’s a sandstorm approaching.” She looked back at him. “But don’t worry, it won’t hit here for a while yet.”

  She glanced at her navigation screen. “Coming up on six klicks. What’s their scanner range?”

  “Five, at most,” said Anika.

  “Okay, once we cross that boundary they can spot us. I sure hope you can hack that system, Gizmo.”

  “Hope does not enter into any of my calculations.”

  “Five point five klicks, we’ll be in range in a minute or two, are you ready, Gizmo.”

  “I am always ready, Jann.”

  She eased back on the throttle and the rover slowed to a crawl. They continued like this for a few more minutes. “Four point nine… eight… seven. How are we doing Gizmo?”

  “Working on it.”

  “Four point five… should I st
op?”

  “Got it. Interesting… it appears to be an exact replica of Colony One systems. Okay, there you go, disabled.”

  They all looked at each other. “Are you sure? That seemed very easy.”

  “I am always sure, and yes, it was easy — when you know how,” said Gizmo.

  Jann pushed the throttle forward and the rover picked up speed. In the distance they could see the crater wall rise up from the horizon. Dust and sand billowed around them as they pushed on. She was driving the rover to the very edge of control, they were all bumped and jostled as the machine rumbled over the rugged terrain. Finally, they came to a skidding halt, behind the same rocky outcrop that Jann had parked up at the first time she came here. It seemed like such a long time ago now, so much had happened to her since then. It was a very different Jann that entered Colony Two the first time. And here she was, doing it again.

  She powered down the machine and turned around to look back at the others. They were getting their equipment ready. Nills prepared his rail-gun and checked the satchel he carried, containing the grenades Gizmo had fashioned. He had a grizzly determined look, and Jann realised, this was a very different Nills. Not the care-free bohemian that tended plants and slept in a hammock. This Nills had had a different life, and it was beginning to show.

  “Okay, listen up.” Nills stood and held the rail-gun across his chest. “Show these bastards no mercy. They’ve killed the Council, probably most of the Beta leaders and they are hell bent on the subjugation of our kin. They will not hesitate to kill us on sight. So don’t fuck around, you see one you kill them. Got it?”

  Lars and Anika stood wide eyed and looked a little sheepish. Even Jann had to admit, this was a whole new side to Nills she had never imagined. But, in a way, he was being the person he needed to be, at this point in time.

  “Got it.” Jann replied.

  “Pardon me, Nills. But who exactly are we killing? I am loath to admit it, but I am a bit confused.” said Gizmo.

  “You don’t kill anyone, okay Gizmo. You’re a robot, leave any killing to us.”

  “Okay. No killing.”

  “Right, everyone ready?”