Looking at the chopper, George saw Vincent’s helmet peeking at the edge of the platform. “What the hell happened?” Damn, we’re gonna have to think of a whole new plan.
Vincent’s head disappeared from view.
“Vincent, Anna’s dead. I can’t believe it.” Oleg’s gonna have a fit. How are we supposed to cover this up? Since all traces of Vincent Lambert had to be erased, how were they going to show Anna’s fall without explaining his presence here?
“Vincent, are you there?”
“I’m here.” The voice was calm. Too calm? Just don’t have another seizure.
“Are you okay? Did you see how she fell?”
“She didn’t fall. I pushed her.”
Sweat instantly erupted on George’s forehead and the adrenalin already racing through his body cranked up a notch. Could a seizure make him insane? “What? What did you say?”
“You heard me. I took her out.”
“W-Why?”
“You know why, you son of a bitch.”
George felt weak and had to lean on a boulder. This isn’t happening. “Vincent, stay calm. You have to bring the cable back down.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? Did you bring the cable down for Bill when he was coughing his lungs out?”
George closed his eyes. He knows. “You killed Anna. You’ll never get away with it.”
“Where did you get the notion that I wanted to get away with anything?”
What?
“You’re all going to die, George. All of you. It’s the only way I can be safe, the only guarantee I’ll ever see Earth again. You people would go to any length to get rid of me to cover up your dirty deeds.”
“You can’t do that.”
“It’s done. You’re the last one.”
“What do you mean? The others won’t stand for it. Peter, Fanny—”
“They’re already dead. Courtesy of the bomb I left under your little conference table. If you read my file, as I’m sure you did, you’ll know that I’m an explosives specialist. If you read all the way down, you’ll also know that I learned my trade in the army before I ever got into the excavation industry.”
Dead? All of them? Vincent’s voice sounded different and George knew what it meant. He was back inside the chopper with his visor open. That cable wasn’t coming back down. “When the relief team finds out what you did, they’ll make sure you face justice. They’re already on their way, and will be here in six months.
“I have nothing to hide. I’ll realign your dish and they’ll know everything soon enough. In the meantime, I’m sure that your employer won’t be too thrilled about, you know, what you did. That kind of bad publicity can play tricks on stock markets.”
“You’ll fry for this.”
“Nobody fries for killing in self-defense, which is exactly what I’m doing.”
“The company—”
“Will probably offer me a work contract since I’ll be alone on its expensive, Martian base. That is, until the next shuttle gets here and then returns to Earth in eight months. I’m sure that EUI will also wish to compensate me for the aggravated trauma caused by my horrendous experience on Mars, and the death of my partner. I’ll make sure to suggest it.”
George’s breath caught in his throat and what he was about to say came out as an unintelligible croak.
“We’re the last human beings on the planet, you and I. At least for a couple of hours. But you know what? I not sure I’m gonna stick around to hear your last words.”
The chopper moved off, as George knew it would. This is it. “How did you find out?”
“That you people left us to die? Easy. Bill suspected it all the way, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt. That is, until I got to the shelter. Then I knew for sure. Afterwards, the video proved it.”
George sat on the boulder and closed his eyes. “What about the video?”
“It showed Peter and I getting into the chopper without the bag. The ripped bag. There were also footprints. He’d been out there recently. But most of all, I remembered cursing you guys for moving the shelter. The shelter that should have been there.”
George sighed and looked at the empty sky. “I don’t suppose there’s anything I could say that would change your mind?”
“Not really, but I can offer you some comforting words.”
“I doubt it.”
“Don’t be so sure. You’ll be happy to know that you’ll be dying within easy walking distance to a fortune in diamonds. They’re there, not far away. So I guess your dream came true in the end. Enjoy. Over and out.”
###
About the author
Steve Grant lives near Montreal, Canada, where he raises a family and reads a bit of everything. His hobbies include daydreaming about space exploration, video games, hockey, camping (staring at a fire), playing with the kids.
Website: https://www.stevegrant.ca/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SteveGrant_
Short stories
ORIGINAL STRAND : FREE (9 700 words)
The human race did its best to annihilate itself and certainly went out with a bang. Hundreds of nuclear devices and biological viruses have transformed the earth into a no man’s land. For the isolated moon survivors, biodiversity takes on a whole new meaning.
MINING GAMES: FREE (17 000 words)
Space mining is big business and corporations compete fiercely to exploit our solar system’s rich minerals. Spacial Alloy, a dominant firm on world markets, ruthlessly leads the pack on all fronts: exploration, exploitation, and production. Unfortunately, in space, incriminating evidence can drift around for a long, long time.
Novels
THE DREAMER GENOME (89 000 words)
A secret lab conducts illegal experiments and takes genetic manipulations to a frightening level. Five viable test subjects grow up in drastically different environments, unaware of the secret locked in their DNA. Corporate greed dictates a high return on its investment. Will the freezable astronauts of the 21st century explore space willingly?
ORBITING SINS (75 000 words)
Sequel to The Dreamer Genome
The race to Pluto is on, and two competing teams of sleeping astronauts are hurtling to the end of the solar system. The first mission, lead by a self made billionaire, uses refurbished space shuttles and outdated technology. The second spacecraft, funded by a corporate giant, shelters embarrassing secrets. Just how much are each team willing to sacrifice to get there first? Will there be a return trip?
Spinning Diamonds Page 6