Lunar Escape

by C P MacDonald

  Avis turned to Silas’s large vid-screen and used a remote to pull up a folder of images. “But what we did find looks like a flight hangar of some sort, but it only had this inside.” With that said, Avis pulled up an image of a strange spacecraft unlike any they had ever seen. It was smooth and oblong with no openings, similar in shape to a teardrop laying on its side. Behind the ship the faint outline of a large hangar door was visible.

  Silas's eyes lit up, and he asked. “Has anyone been inside the ship yet?”

  Avis shook his head negatively, “No Sir. We can’t find a door or hatch anywhere on its hull. But that big hangar door you see behind it? It leads to a tunnel that goes up to the surface. The mouth of the tunnel had partially collapsed, which is why it has stayed hidden all these years. But we should have it clear inside of two days.”

  Silas shifted forward in his chair, his eyes focused on the unusual ship on the screen, “What else have you found?” the greed in his voice unmistakable as he motioned for Avis to continue his report.

  “We’ve gotten in a few rooms by cutting through the doors, the rooms are full of unusual tech and control panels. But we don't know what they do.” He clicked over to a new image that showed strange writing on a control panel, “The writing is as unfamiliar as the technology.”

  Silas had an idea and interrupted, “Get a Dr. Brena Edgworth from Caldera University, she is a visiting linguistic professor in both modern and ancient languages. She is here under a teaching grant from Exoplanet, so threaten to send her back to Earth is she doesn’t agree to help.”

  Avis nodded, “Yes Sir, I’ll get someone right on it. And I’ve saved the best for last, I believe you will love this last one.” he said with a knowing grin.

  Silas raised a questioning eyebrow at him as Avis switched to the next image on the vid-screen. “Radiation readings were almost undetectable until we got to the lowest floor. Sir, this building, this base, or whatever it is, is being powered by the smallest self-contained fusion reactor we've ever seen.”

  Silas’s eyes widened as a grin spread over his face. “A functional fusion reactor? Even the military egg heads down on Earth barely got one to work, and it’s the size of a small building.” He rubbed his hands together greedily. He couldn’t keep the smile from his face. Controlled fusion! That meant unlimited energy! And it was right under his feet! Unable to control his excitement Silas jumped out of his chair and paced the full length of his office.

  Avis took an uncomfortable small step back. It was strange to see his boss this excited, almost giddy.

  “Captain Avis, get extra security in those mines and block off all access to that area except for my scientists. Completely block it off from the mines.” He paused and held up a finger, “Actually, on second thought, transfer all mining activity to the opposite side of the mining complex so no one can stumble across our little discovery. All scientist and personnel will use that surface tunnel you’ve mentioned to access the building, through the hangar. And don't forget Dr. Edgeworth. Bribe her if you have to, threaten her family, do whatever you need to do but get her down there. I need to know who build all of this ASAP!”

  He stopped in his tracks and snapped at Avis, “What about the group of miners that found all this? What have you done about them?”

  Avis gave a slight shrug as he deactivated the vid-screen, “As far as everyone else is concerned, there was a mining accident in a new tunnel. I have their bodies sealed up in a side passage for now. Once things calm down, I’ll have the bodies dumped into a deep shaft on the opposite side of the City. Not to worry Sir, no one will find them.”

  “You better make sure of it, that’s what I pay you for. Confine all scientist and research personnel to that building. No one leaves. We can’t allow any of this to get public." Silas pointed his finger at Avis, "Also, encrypt all the data they discover and store it on security sticks, I don’t want any of this on our servers, keep everything offline.”

  The comm on his desk beeped followed by his secretary’s voice, “Sir, you have an Alpha level comm request.”

  “I told you I was not to be disturbed!” he snapped.

  “Sir, it’s them.”

  His eyes widened in surprise. He turned to Avis and barked, “What are you waiting for? Out! You have your orders!”

  Captain Avis gave a quick salute, turned and hurriedly marched out of the office.

  Silas ordered the secretary, “Put them through.” He picked up a rock sample off his desk and fidgeted with it as he turned to the vid-screen. There was only one “them”. The financial investors behind his company. His mind was already spinning wheels within wheels, as he calculated and manipulated Captain Avis’s information into the best scenario that would benefit him. If any of his investors got a hint of this new discovery, he knew they would have him replaced as the CEO of Exoplanet before the Earth set. If he wasn’t dead. He had a well-deserved reputation as a cutthroat businessman, even ruthless at times. But his financial backers made him look like a kitty cat in comparison. It was their money that enabled him to expand his company and power so quickly. They helped to manipulate and sometimes buy the votes that got him elected as Governor of Caldera City. In exchange, they received a percentage of the rare elements mined on the Moon, delivered off the books and at zero cost.

  The vid-screen lit up with a blurred face. He had never met his benefactors in person or seen their faces and the voice that came over the speaker was computer modulated to mask any identity, “We’ve received reports that you have a new tunnel system north of the complex and it is cordoned off. Why?”

  Silas gulped and forced himself to stop fidgeting with the rock sample as he lied, “We’ve discovered a potentially rich vein of Iridium recently. We are simply taking some extra security precautions.”

  The blurred face on the screen grunted, “You will report any new discoveries to us immediately, is that understood? I hate to think you are trying to hide profits or resources from us.”

  Silas stammered, “Of course! I always tell you everything! But this discovery is so new I haven’t had time to file a report yet.”

  “Make sure you do.” And the vid-screen turned off.

  Silas plopped into his desk chair and rubbed his temple. So far his investors, they called themselves The Kyros Cartel, had given him all the money and power he desired, but one day he hoped be to free of them. And this new discovery, and especially the possibility of fusion reactor technology, this could be his ticket to complete freedom. He could be powerful enough to take control of the entire Moon if he wanted, all on his own. He would be free to rule as he wanted.

  But right now he needed to keep this all a secret, for both his position and his life. If he played this right, he would become the most powerful man in the Solar System. Fusion power? New spaceship technology? In the end, he didn’t care where it came from or how it got there but only how it could help him. The Moon would be his. He would make it an independent Moon, free from the SSA and with no stockbrokers or financial backers to answer to, no Planetary Patrol Division rules and regulations to follow. Everything would be his way. Human rights? Union rules? Taxes? Ha! he laughed to himself. Standing with his fist on his hips he starred out of Caldera City. He truly would be a King.

  Chapter 9

  Calin carefully shifted to a more comfortable position, taking care not to tilt the security drone he and Shona were riding precariously on top of. The drone, the size of a small car back on Earth, had just enough surface area on top for two people to sit if they were very careful. Hacking the guidance module of a drone and taking them out for joy rides was a common prank a lot of Moonies had done at least one time in their life. It was a common past time even for the soldiers of the PPD when they were bored. There was an unspoken rule to never permanently damage the drones. The Caldera City government knew it happened and even tried to actively discourage it with penalties if anyone was caught riding a drone. But Moonies always found a way. But this time the ride was not for a simp
le joy ride or prank.

  He and Shona wore their spacesuits and had skyjacked the security drone up to the upper levels of Caldera City, to the very top of the Capitol Building high-rise. Situated near the top edge of the crater wall Caldera City was built in, the tower looked down over the entire city.

  After programming in their destination, all they could do was to sit and enjoy the view of the city receding below. With the city spread out below them, and multiple city towers lit up like beacons, and lanes of traffic flying their organized patterns through the buildings, Caldera City really did look like a high-tech jewel of the Moon. They could almost forget all of the strife and hardship that existed below the city surface.

  Shona’s voice came over his suit comm, “Almost there, get ready.”

  He took his eyes off the view below and looked up. The top of the tower was coming into view, a flat roof area with a collection of communication arrays, beacons, and antennas. The drone reached the top of the tower and Calin set it into hover mode before they slid off the side to drop to the roof below. It was a 2-meter drop but easy enough in the low Moon gravity.

  After a quick turn to scan the skies around them for patrol ships or security drones, Calin gestured for her to go ahead, “You’re the Master Thief, after you.”

  Shona rolled her eyes at his attempt at chivalry and pulled out what looked like a short handle umbrella out of the pack slung over her shoulder. She stood close to Calin to lift it above their heads and popped the umbrella opened. The top spread out above them in a circle a meter and a half wide, then curved down until they were both enclosed inside a dome 2 meters wide. Tiny puffs of smoke rose from the bottom edge of the umbrella as it heat-bonded to the roof, creating an airtight seal around the base.

  Pressurized air released from the handle of the umbrella and a little light turned green to indicate breathable atmosphere.

  Shona tapped the light and announced, “Pressurized,”. They both reached up to release the locks on their helmets to slide them up and over their heads to store inside their suit collars.

  Shona continued to pull items out of her pack; a rope, a set of carabiners, and a small handheld laser cutter. She used the miniature laser to cut a circle in the roof just large enough for them to slip down through. They tied ropes around the hook of the umbrella handle before they snapped the carabiners to their suit’s safety harness. Then they lowered themselves through the hole in the roof, easy enough to do in the low Moon gravity.

  Through the hole, they found themselves inside the main elevator shaft of the building. Calin wasn’t afraid of heights, but looking down 100 floors while he dangled from a rope did itch his nerves a little. He double-checked that his gun was still locked in its holster on his thigh. It would not be good for him to drop it now.

  The security level they headed for was four floors down. There was not one window on the entire floor, so the only way in was through the elevator shaft. Below, Shona swung on the rope side to side until she could grab the side of the elevator shaft, next to the doors for the security level. Calin joined her on the opposite side of the doors and together they each pulled to force the doors open. As they clambered through the open elevator doors into the dark hallway, they were careful of the transition to full gravity over the gravity plates in the floor. Ironically, the one thing they didn’t have to worry about on the Security Level was cameras. Even the government didn’t want visual records of some of the stuff they did there.

  They followed a map holo-projected above Shona’s gauntlet, hunched over to hide in the maze of cubicles until they reached the Security Chief’s office door, the name Captain Avis emblazoned across it.

  The was no keypad for the door, the door handle was a biometric sensor keyed to the palm print of the Chief. Shona traced her fingers around the door frame until she found what she was looking for, a hidden access port for the door security system. She connected a thin cable from the watch on her wrist to the port. The watch activated the encrypted up-link from Sam and connected to The Nightshade’s server where the server’s AI immediately started to work.

  Within moments there was a slight click when the door unlocked. Shona unplugged the cable from the door with a grin and turned the handle to peek through the door, then motioned for Calin to follow. They silently slipped into the office. Calin started to close the door behind them but Shona grabbed his arm to stop him.

  “Don’t shut it!” she snapped quietly. “It locks automatically and there is no access port for me to hack from on this side.”

  Shona motioned for Calin to stay by the door as she went to the computer terminal on the desk. Calin leaned against the door to listen for any company, a deep frown on his face. Taking orders was never his strong suit, he was the Captain of the Sea Rover, he gave orders. He wiped the frown from his face and forced himself to relax. He had to admit he was out of his element right now, he may be a smuggler but she was the professional thief.

  From across the room he watched her pull the cable from her watch again and plug it into the back of the computer terminal. She turned the watch face three times to the left and once to the right to activate a worm computer program. He could see her watch lit up and swirled a flurry of activity as it worked to bypass the terminal’s security. Within 30 seconds the computer booted up straight to its main menu, no password or biometric scanning required.

  At the sound of a soft beep, Shona began to furiously type on the keyboard and searched frantically through the filing system. “MG7, MG8, MG9, here we go, Mining Gang 10 report.” Shona’s eyes narrowed, and she exhaled sharply.

  "Uh oh, what's wrong? Isn’t it there?"

  A quiet “Shit!” escaped her lips as she abruptly stopped her searching. “Everything on MG10 has been taken offline.”

  “Offline? To where?” Was all of this effort for nothing he wondered?

  “It’s been security coded and encrypted on a security stick, taken offline and locked away in a safe.”

  "You’re a thief, isn’t cracking safes kind of your thing?"

  Without giving an answer she disconnected her watch from the computer and backed out of the filing system before she shut the computer down. She turned to review the office they were in and began to smoothly circle the room. She trailed her palm across the walls and paused at an open space next to the mini-bar in the back of the room. She crouched down and traced her fingers softly around the wall. With a small “ah ha!” she pressed a slightly worn spot on the wall to cause a section to sink into the wall and slide sideways, revealing a small wall safe.

  She turned to give him a knowing smile and a gestured with her hand at the hidden safe.

  “Smart man,” she continued, “a mechanical safe would never show up on any tech scan or sensor. And very few people know how to pick the old fashion lock.” She turned to Calin again and wiggled her eyebrows, “Luckily, I do.” She plopped on the floor in front of the safe, folded her legs into a comfortable position and proceeded to crack the old fashion lock.

  And within a minute, the safe door clicked and swung open.

  Inside where the usual folders, stacks of credit disks, and several memory sticks hung in the back. Shona reached in and grabbed a stick labeled MG10 and a couple of sticks on each side and slid them into her pocket. She reached back in and grabbed a handful of credit disks, she turned and tossed two to Calin across the room. In a flash, his cybernetic arm snatched them out of the air. He looked at them in his hand and asked “Stealing creds?”

  She explained as she shut the safe door, “To throw them off your trail always take more than what you came for, now it looks more like a regular break and entering.”

  Pleased with herself, she slid the wall panel back into place. Immediately sirens blared and the lights flashed red.

  “Shit!” exclaimed Shona, “a reverse alarm! I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “A reverse alarm?” he asked and peered through the crack of the door into the hallway outside.

  “An alarm that on
ly goes off when you shut the safe door, there must have been a safety switch I missed inside.”

  Calin glared at Shona and muttered, “Master thief my ass.”

  Unfazed she grinned at him, “Oops! I guess I’m not perfect. But luckily I have you, time for you to earn your pay. I got us in here, now you get us out.”

  He had turned his head to look at Shona as she spoke and almost missed when the office door he was guarding started to shut by itself. He realized it was part of the security protocol and before it could force itself shut he jammed his metal arm horizontally into the doorway, elbow against the door frame and his palm against the door edge.

  “Quick! I can’t hold it for long!” he said through clenched teeth. His arm felt like it was in a vice, being squeezed by the powerful hydraulics in the door. Shona ran across the office and slid under his arm through the small opening. He leveraged himself under his own arm and yanked it free once his body was in the hallway.

  He paused to reference the map of the floor in his head then led them to race down the hallways. He could hear the buildings security guards yell somewhere behind them. They had to get off this floor! He darted down the hall to an airlock at the end. All surface buildings included an emergency stairwell, but over time they were blocked or locked off in high-security buildings as a security risk. Here on the Moon, the easiest way to prevent anyone from using something was to expose it to vacuum.

  “Seal your suit,” he ordered. With both of their helmets up, they cycled through the airlock. Calin led the way down the stairs. The stairwell was lit by the emergency light strips on the floor, so as they descended the stairs it seemed like they were going deeper and deeper into a pit of darkness. Their footsteps on the stairs were silent in the vacuum. Floor after floor the airlocks were blocked or welded shut. A few more floors down they could see a light through the window of an unblocked airlock. Calin did a quick peek through the glass. He groaned, they were right next to a security station. Most of the security guards had left the station to investigate the alarm upstairs, but by protocol a guard stayed behind to man the security desk. He held up a hand to Shona and motioned for her to wait.