by Jack Halls
“Pauline, show Takomi the map.” The map spread out in front of them in the augmented reality of their visors. He pointed to a blinking marker on the map directly north of their position. “This has to be my dad. It doesn’t fall into the same pattern as the SFs. I sent the drones out looking for him and apparently one already found him.”
“Gid, that would be wonderful,” said Takomi, “but how do you know it’s not some other signal?”
“I programmed the drones to look for a beacon from Sentinel Armor. All the other suits are here in the camp or were destroyed with the Leviathan.”
“Then it has to be him,” she said. “We need to go tell Padre and the others.”
“You’re right,” he said. “Let’s go.”
They ran back through the trees at top speed, passing the guards that had been reassigned to brush clearing. Apparently Vincent had found more loafers, because a dozen others now joined them. The pair flew by them before they even had time to look up.
Gideon and Takomi reached the center of the camp and looked around for Padre and the others. Gideon asked Pauline to show him where Vincent, Connor, and Padre were, and she lit up three beacons for him. It looked like they were all together inside the command tent in the middle of camp.
Gideon raced toward it with Takomi right behind him. A guard stood next to the tent, and when he saw the two teenagers darting toward him, he stepped in front of the entrance, holding out his palm.
“Hold on, you two,” said the guard. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Gideon glared at the man and pointed to the tent. “Is Padre in there? I need to talk to him. It’s urgent.”
The guard was taken aback by Gideon’s forceful tone. “He’s talking to the commander. Official business. They wouldn’t want to...”
He didn’t have time to finish his sentence before Gideon reached out and threw the man out of the way a bit harder than he’d intended. He’d meant to shove him aside and pass by, but forgot he was still wearing Sentinel Armor. The guard rose to his feet, wide eyes staring at Gideon. “Sorry,” muttered Gideon, and he entered the tent.
It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dim light. Padre, Vincent, Connor and Devereux sat around a makeshift table, staring at them.
Devereux was the first to speak. “What the hell are you doing barging into my HQ?” he demanded.
Gideon ignored him, walking straight up to Padre. “They found him. The drones found my dad!”
The four men at the table were taken aback. “Are you sure?” asked Padre.
“They picked up a signal from Sentinel Armor. The only suit unaccounted for is his.”
Devereux raised an eyebrow at Gideon. “Considering the circumstances, I’ll forgive the fact that you barged into my tent uninvited, not to mention the fact that you hijacked a shuttle and the drone network without permission.” He stood and clasped his hands behind his back. “Where did you pick up this signal?”
The table about fell over as Vincent stood and glared down at Devereux. “Gideon just found out his father may still be alive and you’re worried about protocol? What’s wrong with you, Morgan?”
This time it was Padre that stood, though he did it without disturbing the table. He held up his hands as he looked at both his colleagues. “Why don’t we take things back down a notch, huh? There’s no reason to get all worked up. Where is he, Gideon?”
“About one hundred kilometers north of here. The drone picked up the signal, but went offline soon after that. I can log the coordinates into a shuttle, and we can be there in an hour.”
“Hold on,” said Devereux, holding up a hand. “The shuttles are about out of fuel. We might have enough to take off and fly a hundred klicks and back if we consolidate the fuel into one bird, but that could take half a day. I’ll want to be sure we’re not chasing ghosts before we go to all the trouble.”
Vincent threw his hands up in the air. “The only way we could know is if we go up there and check. Are you proposing we do nothing?”
“Of course not,” said Devereux. “This is the admiral we’re talking about. I’m just saying we have limited resources and we can’t burn the last of our fuel without making damn sure we know what we’re doing. We’ll send a drone in to investigate further.”
“The drone network is down,” said Gideon. “My AI can’t figure out what happened to it.”
The elders in the room all looked at each other. “What could that mean?” asked Padre.
“Could mean a lot of things,” said Vincent. “Worst-case scenario is someone took it out. Either the aliens that attacked the Leviathan picked up the signal and jammed it, or the saboteur is still in the camp.”
Padre raised his eyebrows at Vincent and smiled. “You always have the most comforting things to say, my friend.”
Devereux held his chin in his hand. “I’ll have to look into it. If it’s sabotaged or jammed, I should be able to find what’s causing it.”
It took everything Gideon had to keep from screaming. All this talk was getting them nowhere. “In the meantime, my dad’s still out there. We can’t sit around running diagnostics while he’s alone and in danger.”
Connor, who had been sitting silently at the back of the tent until now, leaned forward in his chair. “What if some of us go on foot? With Sentinel Armor, we can probably get there within a day, if the terrain isn’t too rough.”
Devereux glanced back over his shoulder at Connor. “I think that’s the best course of action. We’ve still got a couple of satellites in the sky. Some of us can go and check it out, then with the proper equipment, they can send a message back, providing the signal isn’t jammed. That way, we’ll know if it’s worth sending a shuttle or not, and we only lose half a day.”
Gideon leaned forward against the table. “He could be hurt, or dying. We may not have half a day to lose.”
Devereux leaned forward as well, but his demeanor remained calm and in control. “Gideon, I understand your concern. We all want to find the admiral and bring him back if we can. Meanwhile, I’ve got several hundred people right here I need to keep alive. We may need the fuel in those shuttles later on, and I think your father would agree that we have to worry about the welfare of the crew first.”
Padre placed a hand on Gideon’s arm. “I don’t like it any more than you do, but the best thing to do is search for him on foot.”
The fact that Devereux was probably right didn’t make Gideon feel better. His nostrils flared as he took several deep breaths. “Fine. On foot it is. I’m ready to go now.”
Devereux held up a hand. “It’ll be dark soon, and we still don’t know what we’re up against on this planet. Armor or not, this place is dangerous. I’ll allow a team to go at first light.”
“You’ll allow it?” said Gideon, stepping toward Devereux. Padre stood and grabbed Gideon before he could get close enough to strike.
“Gideon, that’s enough,” said Padre in his soft yet commanding tone. “The commander’s right. We can’t help your father if we get lost or fall in a pit wandering around in the dark. And I don’t think anyone wants to come across another one of those pesadillas in the dark.”
Gideon stopped struggling against Padre’s grip but continued to glare at Devereux. “Fine,” he said. Before he could turn and storm out of the tent, Devereux called to him.
“Wait, Gideon. One more thing. Have you told anyone else about this?” Gideon shook his head. “Good. Let’s keep this to ourselves for the time being, at least until we know more.”
Gideon looked at Padre, and the priest nodded. Without responding, he turned and continued out of the tent. The guard he had shoved out of the way stood outside massaging his bruised shoulder, and at the sight of Gideon, he leapt out of the way. Gideon muttered another apology as he walked past but didn’t slow down.
He hadn’t gone far when someone grasped his hand. His expression softened as he turned to see Takomi walking by his side. Her smile caused his shoulders and back to relax
, and he let out a sigh. “Sorry about that, Takomi. I kind of acted like a jerk back there.”
She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Don’t be sorry. I would have acted the same way. They all get that, too. I really don’t think they’ll hold it against you.”
He nodded. “I’ve lost one parent already. It’s just hard knowing he might be out there but not being able to go get him.”
Takomi bit her bottom lip, then smiled again. “Don’t worry, Gid. In a day or two, we’ll find your dad sitting in front of a log cabin, barbecuing a gruffle.”
Gideon smiled and nodded. They walked together around the camp as the sun set. Without knowing it, they came across the rock bearing the names of the lost and killed crew members. Gideon realized he’d left his gear there for the last few hours.
“I suppose this is as good a place as any to sleep tonight,” said Gideon.
“I’d like that,” said Takomi. “I guess it’s the closest thing I’ll ever get to a gravesite for my parents.”
Gideon squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you,” he said. “I should have been more....” He paused, searching for something that fit.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I needed to be alone for a while.”
He gave her a half smile and pulled her close to him. As he hugged her, he noticed for the first time that people were watching the two of them. Despite everything, people were still desperate for gossip.
They got to work setting up their little camp within a camp. Gideon removed his gloves and sniffed his forearm, grimacing at the smell. “Oh man, that’s bad.”
Takomi laughed, sniffing her own skin. “At least everybody stinks together. I don’t exactly see any showers around here.” She looked around. “Do you think it’d be okay to at least change out of our Sentinel Armor?”
Gideon thought about it for a moment. It would be really nice to get out of the armor for once, and he had to admit he would rather cuddle up next to Takomi without it. But Vincent’s words echoed in the logical half of his brain. “There’s still a chance the saboteur that killed my mom is in the camp,” he said in a low whisper. “We probably should leave it on.”
Takomi frowned, but nodded her head. “I guess you’re right, but I’m still going to change out my clothes underneath. That’ll help a little.”
Gideon found he couldn’t argue with that. Takomi pulled some fresh clothes out of her backpack and went behind one of the rocks to change. Gideon didn’t bother to search for privacy as he stripped down and changed out in the open.
Feeling slightly cleaner, they laid down surrounded by the stone memorials that bore the names of their dead and missing parents.
Takomi put her head on his chest while they talked for a while, but as the sky darkened and the stars shone ever brighter, their conversation died down. Soon Takomi was breathing heavily. With her close to him, he was able to relax in spite of everything.
He gazed up at the stars and found the constellation of the ship he had discovered the other night. He followed its path and identified the North Star. That’s where his father was, somewhere underneath that star. He tried not to think about the million things that could have gone wrong during his father’s halo jump, or on the ground in the days since the battle. Instead, he tried to identify more constellations. He found it difficult to focus as the stars seemed to melt together. His thoughts became foggier and foggier, until finally he drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
The Northern Mountains
THE DAY AFTER crashing on the planet, Tloltan stood at the foot of the northern mountains. Dozens of streams sprang from the glaciers to cut through canyons, spilling down into the gray tundra below.
Her path took her up and into one of the wider canyons, flanked on both sides by sheer granite cliffs and dotted with patches of tenacious plants. The sun was low in the sky, and so the deep canyon was blanketed in shadow. Ice clung to the rocks in the stream as it tumbled down the mountain.
She continued to climb even as the sun sank below the horizon, and the stars came out to illuminate the walls of the canyon with their pale light. One of the moons was coming out as she reached the top of a high ridge.
Far below her, a sparkling lake reflected the starlight, surrounded on all sides by towering cliffs. Small waterfalls cascaded down the ring of cliffs into the lake. The pool drained through the valley’s only exit, a narrow channel carved into the rocks through the eons by the constant flow of water.
On one side of the valley, a few meters above the surface of the lake, a narrow fissure marked the entrance to a cave. That cave was Tloltan’s destination, and just outside its entrance hovered the hideous form of a Maodoni troop transport.
“I was afraid of this,” muttered Tloltan as she observed the ship below.
It’s a good thing we didn’t come up the main path.
Tloltan sighed. “Not that it matters now. If we can’t get inside that supply cache, then we’re finished. I’d like to know how they found it.”
There’s so much energy leaking out of that cache that even I can sense it through the rock. Their ships’ sensors would have picked up its reading hundreds of kilometers away. It wouldn’t have been hard to figure out we were heading there.
“Hopefully they won’t be able to get past the cache’s defense systems. I doubt these transport ships have the firepower.” Tloltan backed away from the edge of the cliff. “We need a safe place to rest while we figure out what to do.”
It shouldn’t be hard to find a cave amongst these cliffs. These mountains see a lot of erosion.
Thanks to her Koramoa Armor, Tloltan was able to weave her way through the cliffs above the shoulders of the mountains, and therefore out of sight from any Maodoni ships passing overhead. Indeed, she came across several caves, but she wished to put more distance between her and the troop transport.
Another moon peeked over the horizon as the first climbed higher into the sky, bathing the mountainside in its light. She had just crested a ridge and was about to descend when something caught her eye, and she sank back into cover.
Several hundred meters away on the opposite ridge, something caught the light. The object shimmered and danced like a pool of water, but was not lying flat like water should. With the aid of her armor’s enhanced vision, Tloltan took a closer look.
The object was metallic and supple, fluttering in the wind, and obviously not a natural phenomenon. It was impossible to gauge its size due to its fluid motion and Tloltan’s relative angle, but she guessed it was at least twenty meters wide, possibly much more. “What do you think?”
If it belongs to the Maodoni, it’s something I have no record of. More likely a human contraption. It resembles a device they’ve used in recent history to create atmospheric drag. Something they call a parachute.
Tloltan remained hidden in the shadows for some time as she contemplated her options. “I’m going to get a closer look.”
I don’t advise it. I could be wrong and it’s simply a Maodoni trap, though I’m not sure why they would employ such a tactic in this particular place.
Tloltan was already creeping out of the shadows and making her way through the cover of the rocks. “It’s more likely it came from the human vessel. If so, we can learn a little more about them, and whether or not they can help us.”
It’s a risk.
“It’s a calculated risk.”
The strange object continued to flutter in the wind as Tloltan approached, but otherwise didn’t move. As she got closer, she could see that it was much bigger than she’d first thought, and it was held in place by many cords leading back down into the rocks.
It appears my original assessment was correct. The object is almost certainly a human parachute.
Tloltan moved forward a little more confidently now, yet continued to exercise caution. Decades of experience had taught her to never take something like this at face value.
She came around the rim of the bowl above the pa
rachute so that she continued to control the higher ground. Now she could hear the sound it made as it flapped in the wind. The cords that held it were pulled tight, leading down to something amongst the granite boulders.
Tloltan paused to observe her surroundings. If this was some kind of trap, then whoever had laid it probably counted on her attention being focused on the parachute. Once she had scanned the area as much as she could, she continued forward.
Whatever held the parachute in place was between the rocks, and Tloltan crawled up to the top of one of them to look down. Something was there, a black mass wedged between two boulders. She scanned her surroundings one more time, then lowered herself into the gap between the rocks.
It turned out that the black mass was a twisted body, with two arms and legs, and a head.
It’s the right proportions for a human, wrapped up in some kind of protective suit.
Tloltan crouched down and placed a hand on the entity’s chest.
There’s a heartbeat. It’s alive, barely, and certainly human.
Tloltan cut the cords attaching the human to its parachute, then gripped the human by its arms and lifted it up. “Looks like you’re coming with us.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Betrayal
GIDEON AWOKE WITH a start, cringing away from an imaginary peril that melted from his mind and disappeared before he could identify it. Two of Valkyrie’s moons shone bright enough for him to make out his surroundings clearly. The camp was still and silent, save for the crackling of embers left over from various fires around the clearing. Despite the biting cold, it was peaceful.
Even though Gideon couldn’t remember a thing from the nightmare that woke him, he was still left with an uneasiness that made it clear he wasn’t going to fall back to sleep anytime soon. Takomi snored softly with her back to him, and he wished she would wake up so that he could talk to her. For twenty minutes, he watched her, hoping the rhythmic rise and fall of her shoulders would lull him back to sleep. Instead, his troubled mind turned back to his father, and the little blip from the drone that seemed to taunt him. Quietly, he rose to his feet and crept toward the center of the camp.