by T. M. Catron
“Are they mad?” Solaris asked.
“The fire won’t get far,” Rance said. “The building’s protective systems will kick in before it does much damage.”
Solaris shook his head. “I’m not talking about the fire.”
Rance and Abel looked to where he nodded. Just outside the crowd, a man, woman, and two children were loading a small transport with bags. The youngest, a boy of about six, was carrying a bag twice his size.
A group of men noticed the family and broke off from the main crowd. The father saw them and threw the remaining bags into the back. The woman and girl climbed in, and he had just put the little boy into the cruiser when one of the men grabbed him by the tunic. He hurled him away from the transport while the other thugs swarmed the vehicle. Inside, the girl cried, and the woman pleaded with them.
Solaris grumbled and shrugged off his satchel, letting it fall to the ground.
“Wait a minute, Solaris,” Rance said. “Where are they going to go in the transport?”
He scowled. “It’s none of my business. Are you suggesting we don’t do anything?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Just then, one of the thugs grabbed the boy and tossed him out of the vehicle too. The father yelled something and caught the boy before he hit the ground. Rance grew hot with anger. As much as she didn’t want to get sidetracked from their goal, she couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
The little drive on the transport spun up. The thugs were going to take off with the woman and daughter inside.
Without a word, Rance, Solaris, and Abel sprang into action, running to reach the transport before it took off. They skidded to a halt at the door. Solaris stuck his staff in, holding it open. Then he reached into the pilot’s side and landed a quick jab to the man’s throat.
The man choked, spitting and going red in the face. In the meantime, Rance grabbed the little girl out of her seat while Abel tackled the second man inside the transport.
Before Rance could pull the little girl out of the cruiser, hands grabbed at her back and then latched onto her helmet. Whoever had a hold of her was trying to pull her out of the transport by her head. With a pop, the latch sealing her helmet to her suit broke apart. Rance yelled and spun around, trying to use her elbow to whack her attacker.
It was the girl’s father. Apparently, he thought Rance was trying to attack the girl too.
By now, Abel and Solaris were in an all-out brawl with the other men, who were proving to be stronger than they had seemed. Solaris’ staff had disappeared, and he was trading blows with a man who was shorter and stockier than himself. Abel had a second man in a headlock while a third threw himself onto his shoulders with gusto. Warming to the fight, Abel flung both men away. When they rose, he turned to face them, a smile on his face.
“Oh, for Triton’s sake,” Rance said, still grappling with the little girl’s father. “Stop being gentlemen and knock them out!”
Solaris must have heard her because he found his staff again and used it. After a few tense seconds, he knocked out two men while Abel ran off the third.
The father still held onto Rance’s helmet, but somehow it had hung up on the broken latch and wouldn’t come off. Being led around by the head was making her angry. She grabbed the man’s hands to steady herself and aimed an awkward kick at his knees. He howled in pain but refused to let go.
Abel returned, saw the father attacking Rance, and ran toward them. The man, seeing a large hulking form running straight at him, let go of Rance. His wife joined him, and they took off down the street with their children.
Rance took a deep, steadying breath. Her neck hurt where he’d jerked her around, but other than that she wasn’t injured any more than she had been before. Solaris and Abel seemed okay as well. The three turned to leave when one of the thugs climbed to his feet and got into the transport.
“He’s leaving his buddies behind,” Solaris said.
“Did you expect any different?” Rance asked. “There’s no honor among people like that.”
They watched the little transport shoot straight up into the air, following the line of the tall buildings. Rance craned her neck to watch it make for the gap between two skyscrapers.
At the same moment, a large cruiser careened out of the gap, a gaping hole in its side. The little transport flew straight into one of the cruiser’s engines and exploded into a fireball. The cruiser’s engine caught fire as well, and the entire ship veered toward the burning building.
When it collided with the tower, the ground shook like an earthquake, the impact rattling Rance’s bones. Instead of bouncing off or smashing through, it slid down with a horrendous screech, raining glass and fire on the crowd below. People ran screaming as the fireball grew toward them.
The tangled ships hit the ground with the force of a bomb exploding. The glass in neighboring buildings shattered, and Rance covered her head as shards fell on her. An explosion followed, and a great wall of fire swept over the buildings. It barreled down the street, devouring everything in its path.
Too fast for Rance and crew to escape.
Her ZOD chose that moment to begin working.
Danger. Danger. Danger.
Rance stared as the deadly flames swept toward them. Too shocked even to feel scared, she waited for her death. She thought about her mother, Davos, even Solaris standing beside her. At the last second, unable to face the fire that would consume her, she ducked.
She waited, cringing. Expecting to feel a shock of pain before it was all over. It would disintegrate her to the bone, but at least it would be quick.
But Rance felt nothing.
She looked up, wondering why she wasn’t dead yet. And saw Solaris, standing over her and Abel with his staff in hand, that transparent bubble returned, shielding them from the blast. He looked for all the world as if he were a statue placed there to protect them from harm.
When the worst passed in a wave of fire and smoke, he released the shield.
Rance and Abel stood, slowly removing their arms from over their heads and gaping at Solaris.
He smiled and winked at Rance. “I didn’t think you needed saving, Captain, but you know, Abel looked like he could use some help.”
Rance stared at him open-mouthed. If she’d thought he was talented before, she was in awe of him now. His power, with the ship, with the fire, was unbelievable. Solaris gazed at her intently.
Never one to be overwhelmed by feelings, Abel clapped Solaris on the back in thanks as he moved past him. The force, amplified by Abel’s powered armor, sent Solaris reeling forward. He regained his balance and looked at the fire consuming the other buildings.
“They’re going to go, too,” he said. “We better get moving.”
The trio turned down a side street and jogged all the way to the end. Smoke blew toward them, bringing the acrid smell of burning fuel and metal along with it.
When they entered the next street, Rance knew exactly where they were. To see better, she turned off her malfunctioning ZOD and led them by memory, watching for any more riots or crazed thugs. A turn, then down another street framed by twisty trees. Rance had forgotten what they were called, but then she’d never been very good with plants. Xanthes didn’t have many.
Putting aside the tragedy several streets over, Rance was proud they had gotten this far. At this rate, they’d find Moira and get back to the Star Streaker before nightfall. When they came out the end of the street, though, Rance realized she’d forgotten one very important thing.
In front of them, a wide, fast-flowing river obstructed their way forward. To their right, a gigantic bridge spanned across the water.
Or it would have if the middle hadn’t been blown out. A large Unity police ship had crashed into the river, taking out the bridge with it. With the river in front, and the growing fire behind, they were trapped.
“Somehow, I don’t think the river is going to be our worst problem,” Solaris said.
“There’s got to be
another bridge,” Abel said.
“Far, far down at the other end of the city,” Rance said.
Most of the citizens used air transport, so the bridge was mainly for foot traffic. It was used for parades and official transportation only. Rance sighed. What were they going to do now?
“Any bright ideas, Captain?” Solaris said. He leaned out over the edge of the water, looking down into the churning current. The water had a metallic smell Rance remembered. Tally had once told her it was because of the water treatments it underwent as it was recycled back into the river from the underground drains.
He’d also told her about the vast underground tunnels beneath the city. Rance cringed as she remembered.
Not underground.
She looked around, desperately wishing for another idea to present itself. But the smoke behind obscured the view of the sky. Fewer ships were flying about now. Either they’d all been shot down or had met with accidents like the one they’d just witnessed.
Abel coughed. With the smoke growing thicker by the minute, they couldn’t stay where they were. And they couldn’t cross the river.
They didn’t have a choice.
With a deep sigh, Rance turned to Solaris and Abel. “We can’t go over the river, but we can go under.”
Surprisingly, they didn’t have any trouble finding an entrance down. In fact, doors were available at regular intervals throughout the city.
“Why do they make them so easy to find?” Abel asked as they went down a well-lit, wide staircase beyond a door in the nearest building.
“Nobles use them to travel unseen within the city. Politicians like ways to move around without being seen.” Rance shuddered as they descended the stairs. The first corridor wasn’t bad—well-lit, airy, and clean. They met a few people running past them who must have had the same idea.
They followed the corridor, sometimes stepping into a side hallway to avoid running into more people. As they went, the tunnels turned darker. And they weren’t well-maintained. Dirt and grime covered the floor and splashed up onto the walls. What lights were available, instead of warm yellow, became white and uninviting.
Doors were everywhere. Occasionally they passed one that had the hum of a machine behind it. The smell of warm grease pervaded everything, mixing with the damp air until it stung their eyes and throats. Although dry air was being pumped through, it couldn’t eliminate the sticky, cool air of neglect.
The worst part by far was the feeling of being slowly, excruciatingly crushed by the ground above. Rance was okay on a cramped spaceship, but underground was a whole other complication. Her stomach rolled into a knot that wouldn’t untie, and she had difficulty breathing. When she did, the smell of grease and foul air almost drove her to turn around and run out. She put her visor down.
Abel led the way. “We have similar tunnels on Triton,” he said. “But there, only maintenance and security workers use them.”
Abel followed dark, exposed piping above their heads. The ceilings became so low Rance and Solaris had to duck. Despite the cool air, Rance broke out in a sweat. Her clothes became uncomfortable, sticking to her body and making her feel generally gross.
Once, Rance had gone into the mines on Xanthes with her father and Tally. She’d lasted ten minutes before her heart raced and her head began spinning. She almost passed out. Tally had had to escort her out of the mine, to the great displeasure of Davos.
As the tunnel sloped downward, Rance breathed carefully through her nose to keep from panicking. But she didn’t say anything. No point in worrying Abel or Solaris.
But when the floor leveled out again and water beaded on the walls, the knot in her stomach turned into a rock.
They were under the river.
“You okay?” Solaris asked.
“Yes,” she replied tersely. “Just hurry, okay?”
They picked up the pace, weaving through tunnels that became increasingly darker. Rance worried she would lose her mind, imagined sitting down on the concrete floor, putting her head between her knees, and crying like a baby. But just as she was about to act out her fantasy, the floor began to slope upward.
“You know, boss,” Abel said. “I always thought Prometheus was a rich planet. But after seeing these maintenance tunnels, they must have fallen on hard times. No wonder Unity isn’t here to defend them.”
“Most cities are like this beneath,” Solaris said. “The empire isn’t as grand as it would seem on the surface.”
Rance didn’t have any opinions to offer on the matter. Well, she did, but she was too busy trying not to panic or lose her sanity to discuss the state of the empire. Although she was on the run from a barbaric marriage decree, Rance still considered herself a citizen. She cared about the empire, and the cities’ dilapidation concerned her.
Beneath her helmet, Rance’s hair was soaked with sweat. She forced the broken latch apart to take it off. The smell of grease and dirt was preferable to suffocating inside her own personal sauna.
Finally, the way widened, and they began climbing a hill. They passed intersecting tunnels. Each one became more elaborate, more comfortable than the one before it. They were almost there.
“Where do you think this comes out?” Abel asked.
“Most of these tunnels come up in the residential district,” Rance said. “Like I said, the nobles use them quite frequently, although I don’t think they travel the one that we just used—it was too dirty.”
She breathed more easily now, and her heart rate had slowed to the point where she could deal with it. Maybe she would get out of this alive—and without hyperventilating.
They walked another hour. Gradually, fresh, circulating air dried Rance’s hair. The water on the walls dried. And then the corridor ended in a wide staircase leading upwards to the street.
Chapter Seven
When they exited through a door leading out of the basement of a low, flat building, the first things they noticed were the sirens blaring and the darkness falling. Rance put on her helmet again—gently—and closed the visor. The wind picked up, blowing the smoke away. Just like from the other side of the river, the residential section stretched out as far as the eye could see. Tall, shining buildings, wide parks, and fountains stretched in every direction. The buildings here were farther apart, allowing the green-tinged sunset to light the deserted streets.
Now that the sun had faded, the day was turning cold. Rance shivered. She was weary, hungry, and the weight of her responsibility slowed her down like she was carrying the Star Streaker on her back. What if they couldn’t get out? What if she couldn’t find Moira?
Behind them, on the other side of the river, the fire had spread to other buildings. That way was completely closed off. If they ever found Moira, they’d have to find an alternate route.
Rance had no intention of going back underground. She tried to contact James, who was planning to pick them up. But all she got was static.
For the first time, she doubted whether she could keep her friends safe. She wanted to keep her word even though she hadn’t actually spoken with Moira. But she also wanted to keep Solaris and Abel in one piece. It was up to her to protect the crew. She was the captain. And they were her family.
She trudged along, leading them into the darkened section of the city. Rance knew exactly where she was now and headed for Moira’s neighborhood. Davos had his own residence in this area, but she was certain her father was nowhere near the planet. At least, she hoped he hadn’t been near it, or on one of those ships that had exploded in the barricade.
Rance may have still felt the sting of her father’s betrayal, but she didn’t wish him dead.
The tall buildings lining the street exuded wealth and power. Once upon a time, Rance would have enjoyed strolling through the streets dressed in fine clothes, her face studded with jewels. But she had not been able to do so for some time, and now that she knew how other people lived, she preferred the life of a free commoner to the life of a pampered noblewoman.
Rance hadn’t wanted to admit all this to Solaris when he’d questioned her. But she was embarrassed by who she used to be. She knew she couldn’t help where she’d come from, but when she thought of all the silly parties and ridiculous expectations she’d had, she grew angry with herself.
Her anger made her even more determined to get Moira off the planet. It seemed like all the pirates in the galaxy had gathered in this one spot. What were they doing?
Of course, Prometheus was an important planet. It controlled vast swaths of the sector as well as held an important governmental seat on Triton. But without the citizens, the planet wasn’t as useful. So, what did the pirates have in mind? Were they simply here to pillage and plunder?
If they were, Rance wouldn’t be surprised. She’d grown up hearing terrible stories about the pirates who flew across the galaxy with abandon, perpetrating horrific crimes upon the innocent they encountered.
With a shudder, Rance decided she didn’t want to be anywhere near the city when they landed. Which meant they had very little time to get out.
“Where will she be?” Solaris asked.
Rance sent a quick message over her comm, broadcasting again in case Moira was listening. But all she heard was static. “Communications are still down.”
“And they’ll continue to be until the pirates land,” Solaris said. His face turned red, and Rance was about to ask him why when they encountered a group of men walking up the street. Wishing to avoid another confrontation, Rance, Solaris, and Abel moved into the long shadows cast by the buildings.
The men walked on. Rance had the feeling that it was only a matter of time before they would have to fight their way through a crowd. Right now, people were just trying to stay indoors and away from the sirens.
Rance turned to look at Solaris. He was glaring at the men as they walked away. She’d never really seen him angry. “Everything all right?”
“I just wish we had some direction, that’s all. For some indication that your friend is even here on this planet where we are wandering around exposed for all to see.”