‘Eef wi dunt sell eet den, I dunno maybe wi kud use eet as ai weapon?’ Caspian smiled, clearly now being playful with her silence.
‘Maybe,’ she mumbled.
‘Weil,’ Caspian breathed after reaching out his arms like the flanks of some aeroplane in a nose dive. ‘Iye need ai sheet! Wi gowen bek to da Grill en Billyeds ah-wut?’
‘Yes!’ She insisted. ‘Yes. You know what. Yes. I want to get drunk. Screw this bloody…twatting…bloody hell hole. Sod it! C’mon Caspo, let’s get buggered.’
*
‘I’m tellin’ ya Casp the guy was a giant!’ Scuttle raved frenetically. The Grill and Billiards was almost brimming with the shoves of shoulders, in and out they went about their swaying abrasive jostles and shoves, impelling themselves forth against any who dared to congregate against the traffic.
‘Remember that guy we saw in the Royal Twilight place? Well, I think it was him.’
Both Caspian and Kelly were spirited in ruin, and their mood satiated with alcohol, making everything but their new cargo arrangement seem now ancillary. Kelly had eased into the idea of doing business with Jerrus after a few glasses of champagne and forced herself to accept the persistent pocket hopping perpetual debt handling servitude of rental quiddity.
‘Spit eet owt, ownes!’ Caspian laughed, landing a heavy hand onto Scuttle’s shoulder. ‘Wut deed’ee wont?’
‘I dunno’ man, look, he just said something about wanting to go to the lands of Adam or some shit. Spoke real strange, y’know like some freaking arcane dialect. And he said…also, he said that if you refuse access to The Griffin’s Claw then we will all perish – at least, I think that was the gist of it.’
‘Sounds leik ai nut, fukkim, ah. Ees jost pullin ya jowls!’
‘Forget it, Scuttle,’ said Kelly flippantly and half drunk, swaying a little and smiling at world’s end. ‘Forget that drifter bloke. I agree with the Cap, he was most likely jesting, I bet…’
‘Well he seemed pretty damn serious to me Kelly...it’s hot in here, isn’t it?’
‘Ah yew kiddin’? This plais ees pompin’!’
‘It’s too crowded…I’ve got to get some air.’
Scuttle pushed through the clamour, leaving Caspian and Kelly bewildered and mildly amused. Caspian ordered another round and held Scuttle’s seat near the burger press.
Scuttle however, didn’t even make it to the door. The sight of toxic strata thwarting the natural view of Jupiter outside and the partiality of a visible burning hotel was enough to stop him in his tracks.
‘CAPTAIN!’ Scuttle shouted above the yammering. ‘LOOK!’
Caspian would normally be embarrassed by Scuttle’s paroxysms, but the kid seemed genuinely spooked today. Caspian indicated for Kelly to follow. She grabbed the drinks from the dispenser, snatching one away from the robotic arm impatiently, and squeezed through the crowd to join them. Muttering heads cast their gaze star-wards at the devastated Royal Twilight hotel, a once beautiful mushroom-shaped structure of crystal and gold sprouting above the tubular sky dome, now billowing trails of black ash like some volcanic butte donning blades of pressurised fire into space. Emergency robots and crew scurried along the bridges and archways above. Droves of people cluttered through emergency corridor tubes running outside the habitat, and even in space they could see jets of oxygen bleeding out of the building from inside the dome. Caspian gaped upwards. He’d never seen such a magnificent spectacle.
‘It’s no coincidence, Cap,’ said Scuttle.
‘Chroeest!’ Caspian bawled, grabbing his head as though to stop it rolling off his shoulders.
‘I don’t believe it!’ Kelly re-joined, swallowing a cup of the alcoholic beverage, and then chasing it with Caspian’s.
‘Dhid yew leave anythinke in yore room?’ he asked her.
‘No,’ Kelly said neutrally, ‘actually the station botched up my luggage through the passport.’
‘Ah, yeah,’ said Caspian with a click of his finger.
‘Captain,’ Scuttle said sullenly, ‘we have to leave and fast. Something is happening and I promise you this guy threatened me. He threatened the ship.’
‘O’roite,’ said Caspian, gripping Scuttle tightly by the shoulders. ‘I believe ye broer. Let’s cut to da Greeffin, ah? Wi ken peck our crap ind chuck.’
-49-
‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ said Nitro Harbeck ‘is this related to our current mission?’
‘No,’ a woman’s voice returned from the view screen. Nitro had his feet up on the cabinet in his room as he listened. His boots were by the room’s side wall light panel, casting a large bloated shadow that blocked the light from his eyes. The screen displayed a symbol that was the same as an apparent tattoo on Nitro’s neck, expressing a private line with audio channels only. ‘We think most likely the phenomenon is alien.’
‘Alien?’ Nitro chuckled. ‘For real, Chief?’
‘This technology is extremely powerful,’ she stated casually. ‘It’s presently not been identified. They’ve already destroyed a shipment heading to the Cygnus colony and one of our remote C.A.L.C stations.’
‘Alright. So what’s the next step?’
‘We need to intercept,’ she explained. ‘Try and stop these things. Drop this Jerrus Armelius act and keep an eye on The Griffin’s Claw, but you’re going to have to put your present mission on hold. I need you.’
‘Right,’ said Harbeck sombrely. ‘I don’t want The Griffin’s Claw crew members getting suspicious. We’ve yet to find out who exactly is financing a dig with Obsiduranium edge drills.’
‘Tell them what you need to,’ she said. ‘We’ve more pressing matters. If we can intercept these alien targets before they reach the planet then the Shield of Spheres will receive massive donations from Atominii archologies. Right now the money’s on the targets and we need that.’
‘One more thing,’ said Nitro. ‘Omicron just sealed off a quarter of the habitat because of an explosion. Apparently, there’s an Olympian terrorist here. Is that of interest to us?’
‘We’ve already been informed and told to stay away from that situation,’ said the Chief. ‘Somebody is handling it.’
‘Oh, yeah? Looks like they’re doing a shitty job. Is it Global Defence or the Orbital Guard or what?’
‘I don’t know,’ she revealed.
‘Well, in any case, there’s a lock down on the station’s harbour. I’m going to have to get hold of Anton Regallio, get them to lift quarantine for The Griffin’s Claw. They’re sitting around with Black Alloy drills in their cargo hold, I don’t want an investigation team jeopardising our mission. I need to get them out of here at least.’
There was a long silence and he thought he heard her sighing. ‘Alright,’ she said. ‘You deal with The Griffin’s Claw. I want the others on an intercept run, commanded by Ace Ripley.’
‘Roger.’
‘No fuck-up’s Nitro. There’s a lot riding on this one.’
When the signal finished, Nitro Harbeck ran his hand over the white strike in his hair and sighed. He marched out of his room and opened the double doors to the recreation suite. Estelle was playing neuro augmented cognition games, John Ripley, however, was playing a good old fashioned game of cards with Mortel and smoking a diffusion pipe.
‘We’re gearing up,’ he told them. ‘Chief Noble wants you on a new mission. I’ll finish up with the Griffin.’
‘What’s going on?’ asked Estelle.
‘Invasion. UFO’s inbound, highly volatile, and highly dangerous.’
‘Wait...say what now?’ Mortel asked.
‘Get ready for a briefing on an unknown enemy. Man your ships. We’re leaving Omicron as soon as possible for an intercept mission. Hustle!’
And Mortel patted Ripley on the back and threw his cards down and Ripley stared in disbelief.
‘Almost had me, Ace,’ Mortel conceded, as the Commander set his diffusion pipe onto the table top surface and jumped down with a determined huff.
‘Fuck-it all over,’ he groaned restively, flattening out a straight flush.
-50-
At the civilian level, emergency alarms were sonorously beating through the grid walkways and roads, and Kelly could take the noise in her ears no longer. Caspian was leading them down to one of the sub level elevators. It was a squeeze just to get there, but once they were inside, they made their way down to the lower level. Muttering voices perturbed the space as they crushed inside. Caspian groaned uncomfortably and a voice was asking some anonymous inhabitant if they had heard about the explosion? It can’t be terrorists, said another, not on Omicron, it’s the hub of special communication.
‘Maybe that’s the point.’ Someone else continued.
‘I heard it was an accident…’
‘It’s possible there was a hull breach or a crash outside.’
‘What if they made an illicit test run on the particle colliders? What if they’re colliding Obsiduranium pellets, did you ever think of that? We could have micro-black holes out there tearing up the damn place. I don’t trust these Earther scientists, you know.’
They went on with their theories and conspiracy conjectures. Caspian saw the fear all twisted up in Scuttle’ face. He asked him if he was alright, but Scuttle nodded and cast his attention through the glass elevator and down on the gardens and criss-crossed grid walkways, lit by the dull kindle of bio-luminous plants. The tattoo down Caspian’s left arm began to move and glow as an incoming call beckoned his response. Scuttle saw the skin animation shift, glowing with numbers and letters. Caspian lightly touched the patterns and spoke.
‘What’s up, Adamski?’ he asked.
Pawel’s troubled face was projected through Caspian’s left ocular contact lens. Pawel could see Caspian reciprocally from the micro-lens designed into his skin animation.
‘Bad news Captain Mowser,’ he said gravely. ‘We’re not clear for departure. All flights are grounded.’
‘Grawndeed?’ Caspian drawled in disbelief. ‘What d’ heil d’ya mein, grawndeed? Whai?’
‘Flights grounded because of terrorist attack.’
‘Weir pullin’ moves ere’ Adam, we ghot ah chuck!’ Caspian said viciously. ‘Look! Weir almost et the Greeffin, just heing on ah-lil’ longah n’ si eef y’ ken sort this awt, ah?’
‘I will do my best,’ said Pawel. ‘Maybe, I think our new friends can help get us clearance?’
‘Who, y’ mean Jerrus?’ said Caspian.
‘What’s happening?’ asked Kelly. ‘What’s he saying?’
‘I’ll patch y’ in.’
Caspian expanded the frequency and included Kelly’s signal into the conversation. The image appeared into her ocular and her skincom began to glow.
‘Pawel!’ Kelly said. ‘Have Ethan meet us in the port-hangars with those oxygen masks. Air pressure’s usually low down there and the station’s tangential velocity is quicker in the towers, I’m not used to it and neither is Scuttle.’
‘Okay,’ said Pawel. ‘I’ve raised the oxygen levels on the starnavis to compensate for the centripetal acceleration down here. Everything should be warming on-board. Ethan will meet you in hangar. See you soon.’
*
Pawel watched Ethan leaving the umbilical bridge through the surveillance systems. He suddenly felt his ears pop slightly as the pressure changed and yawned to get the air out.
‘Ethan, was that you?’ he asked, trying to locate a pressure door. ‘Did you open a door?’
But the communication hadn’t gotten out. He presumed the lock-down had also quarantined their communications at first, but then he realised he’d only just minutes ago spoken with the Captain. Pawel saw new readings on the shuttle now. The inner airlock had opened; a key code had been entered.
‘Ethan?’ he said nervously, watching the two readings ascending toward the bridge command. Pawel quickly locked the doors and sealed the ladder conduits. He accessed the neurosphere interface and began to neuromit Ethan.
‘Ethan, are you getting this? Open your neuromissions feed Ethan! Get back to the Starnavis. There’s trouble! We have people aboard!’
*
The centrifugal forces had a more potent influence at Junction E, almost doubling their weight. They moved in the oxygen rich environment, quickly but not fast enough to run. Caspian strode ahead gasping for air and led them into the large cylindrical hangar. The green metallic coloured polymer floor pulsed with illuminative arrows as the digital breadcrumb hologram guided them to their airlock and umbilical passenger bridge. There were four large circular doors in the hangar, three leading to different ships, only one to The Griffin’s Claw. The ceiling here was convex, supported by thick resin parabola shaped purlins and textured with a metallic charcoal matting. Ethan stood waiting outside the airlock door, ovular chrome oxygen tanks in each hand. But Ethan looked stoned and distant.
He waited for Casper and his team to arrive.
‘Hey, what’s up?’ Kelly asked as he handed her an oxygen mask.
‘Nothing…thought I heard something,’ said Ethan distantly. ‘I think my neurophase is acting up.’
‘Have you tried your neurosphere?’ she asked, handing a mask to Caspian and Scuttle.
The ringing whittle of feedback sung through the harbours as The Griffin’s Claw command suite made an audio announcement.
‘Captain,’ Pawel spoke. ‘We have company.’
‘Pawel?’ Kelly said looking around for a camera feed.
‘The next voice you hear will be somebody who said he very much wants to see you.’
‘Whot de heil?’ Caspian gasped through his mask. ‘Ethan, who de fuk ees on mi sheip?’
‘What? Nobody, just Pawel-’
‘Hello Captain Mowser,’ said a voice that put chills through Scuttle’s spine. ‘Thou dost not know me; however I can say there is much I know of thy destiny.’
‘Who ah yew?’ Caspian demanded. ‘Whot aiv yew dun tu mai sheip?’
‘Thy ship is secure,’ Raven promised. ‘As too is your cargo. I do, however, require the presence of the owner before I can part from this place. It seems I cannot reconfigure the ship’s safety settings since I frankly do not have the time.’
‘He means me,’ said Kelly, ‘the starnavis won’t fly without me on it.’
‘Tick-tick, Captain Mowser.’ He said. ‘I’m waiting. Unless we leave this place soon, destruction and death will obtain us all. You have a limited time to respond.’
‘What the hell does he mean?’ Ethan growled. ‘Is he insane?’
‘How did he get on-board?’ Kelly asked, grabbing Ethan accusingly. ‘Didn’t you lock the damn ship?’
‘Of course I did!’ Ethan fired defensively. ‘I always lock it, what d’ya think I’m fucking stupid? I didn’t see anyone in there I don’t know how he -’
‘It’s not his fault!’ A new voice issued.
They turned now to see Nitro Harbeck strolling quickly towards them with a data board. He was suited in dark padded armour, military pads that plated his muscles and arms. He strolled with a phlegmatic calm.
‘Jerrus?’ Caspian stated.
‘Not anymore, son,’ he said. ‘Afraid the game’s over. You got a real dangerous thing on that starnavis, and I’m not talking about the drills now.’
‘Who’s in there?’ Kelly said. ‘And what do you mean the game’s over?’
Nitro stood beside them and removed a small circular plate from his utility belt. He placed it behind his head and the plate began to grow, segments sliding out to encase Nitro’s head safely in its shielding, leaving only his eyes and features exposed.
‘Olympian genetic,’ he said, nodding toward the airlock leading to The Griffin’s Claw. ‘Terrorist. Let me speak with him.’
Nitro Harbeck moved into the surveillance zone and looked up at the announcement screen displaying only the ship’s name in bold. Nitro held up his hands, ready to talk.
‘Thou art not a member of this crew.’
‘Not a listed one, that’s cor
rect,’ said Nitro. ‘However what I have is a vested interest in that starnavis you so happen to be hijacking. So, listen up son. Here’s the scoop…’
‘I am not thy son!’ Raven bit fiercely. ‘I am nothing less than carnage and blood spill. If thou should presume I am serious then negotiating with me is hopeless. Perhaps I should purge a life in order to demonstrate my dedication to this cause.’
‘That’s not necessary,’ Nitro said. ‘Now look here Raven. There’re people after you. I was asked to keep out of the way but inevitably you’ve dragged me into this and I can’t look away now. Do you know who I am?’
‘I could care less, Titan!’ Raven truculently derided. ‘I know only that time is deficient and destruction comes our way.’
‘My name is Nitro Harbeck,’ he introduced. ‘Shield of Spheres private defence agency. This team are my new recruits.’
Caspian couldn’t believe what he was hearing, he wasn’t sure if this was a double bluff or some sort of trick or what.
‘We’re very professional and good at what we do,’ said Nitro. ‘What I’m suggesting is that you let me aboard that ship, along with Caspian and Kelly and Ethan and…’ Nitro turned and looked at Scuttle, then rolled his eyes. ‘-the other guy. You can’t leave this place without me anyway.’
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