CHAPTER 19
Base Camp
Lyndsey stood in the corridor, her hand on the comms room door, and cocked her ear. A rhythmical buzzing noise came from inside. Was someone snoring in there? She pulled the door open carefully and peeked inside. Sure enough, David was slumped in his seat at the comms console, his head lolling back on the headrest. She watched him for a second, taking in the smooth softness of his features. When awake and alert, David’s forehead was usually furrowed with frown lines, his expression professional but austere. Now, she could see the handsome young man she’d first met just before they’d left Earth all those long years ago. Would he be seeing home again in the coming years? Or would this be it for him—the base, the handful of rooms, the bleak compound with its chain-link fence? It’s not much to look forward to, she thought. I need to find these people something to do. On the face of it, the base was a much more comfortable home than the trucks, but while they’d been traveling, they’d had a task, a purpose, a daily routine. Here, the time would quickly stretch out into an endless succession of empty days and nights; an aimless existence. And that could only mean trouble.
Lyndsey stepped closer to David, calling his name gently. He stirred, his eyelids flickering when she laid her hand on his shoulder. “David, it’s morning already. Time to wake up.”
“What?” David blinked then looked up at her, massaging his temples with his fingertips. “It’s morning? Oh, I must’ve dozed off. Sorry. I don’t know what happened. I was waiting for the relay to confirm, and I shut my eyes for a minute.”
“It’s all right. It’s understandable.” Lyndsey hesitated. “Did you hear anything back yet? Is the link with Connor holding up?”
“Give me a second.” David’s hands fluttered across the comms panel. Frowning, he picked up a cabled headset and slipped it on, his expression tightening as he concentrated. With his right hand, he pressed two fingers against a touchscreen and slid them slowly upward, while with his left, he made precise adjustments to a row of knurled knobs, moving each one minutely before going onto the next. “I’ve had trouble with signal distortion. I tried to compensate, but I kept getting some kind of harmonic…” He let his voice trail away, and when he turned to Lyndsey, a smile hovered at the corners of his lips. “It seems more stable this morning. Derek must’ve figured out the problem.”
“Derek? One of Connor’s people?”
David nodded. “Yeah, the signal was too flaky to shake hands with our transmitter, so he was going to rig up a better antenna. I gave him some advice, and he was going to try and get his hands on some better materials, but I think he was feeling his way along. Anyhow, he must’ve pulled it off because it’s working all right now.”
“Wow! Does that mean they can start transmitting?”
“Yup. We’re ready to go. All we need is Connor’s message, and then we’ll see what happens.”
A thrill of anticipation tingled the back of Lyndsey’s neck. This was happening. It was going to work. “See if you can raise Connor, David. Find out when they’re going live.”
“I’m on it, but it might take a little while to finalize the settings.” David looked up at her, a wistful glint in his eye. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance we could scare up a cup of coffee, is there? I could really use it.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Lyndsey headed for the door, but she hesitated before leaving. “Don’t let them start until I get back. I don’t want to miss this.”
“Sure thing,” David said, but he didn’t look up from the console; his eyes were firmly fixed on the controls.
Lyndsey left him too it, but she hadn’t gone more than a few paces when David’s shout sent her running back to the comms room. “What is it? What’s happened?”
David hunched over the console, his hands a blur, his gaze beetling from side to side. “I don’t understand it. We just lost everything. It’s like…like…”
“What?” Lyndsey demanded. “Talk to me, David. What the hell’s going on?”
“We’ve lost the connection with our own antenna array. It’s as if it’s just not there anymore.” He stared at Lyndsey, his face pale. “We have redundant systems, bulletproof connections. This can’t have happened by accident. It’s just not possible.”
“What are you saying? Somebody did this on purpose?” She saw the look in David’s eyes and knew exactly what he was thinking. “Kyrksen!”
“He’s been against this from the start,” David said. “He came in here last night, trying to browbeat me. I told him where to get off.”
“And he’d know how to bring down the system,” Lyndsey said. “So what has he done? And how can we fix it?”
David scowled. “I’ll bet he’s gone outside. He must’ve severed the connection at the array itself.” He pulled off his headset and made to rise from his seat. “I’ll get suited up.”
“No. You need to stay here. I need you guarding the comms room. Get a pistol, just in case. I’ll take a detail outside. If we need technical help, I’ll call you. All right?”
“Sure.” David reached into a cabinet beneath the console and withdrew a plasma pistol, checking its settings before laying it alongside the control panel. “I’ll be standing by.”
***
Moving as fast as she could in her suit, Lyndsey ran across the compound, Alec at her side. Both carried plasma rifles, and she knew that Alec had brought along a pistol for good measure. “See anything?” she asked between breaths.
Alec’s voice over the intercom was quiet but edged with grit. “Not yet, but we’ll find him.”
Lyndsey didn’t reply. The main antenna array loomed ahead, and if Kyrksen was still out there, there were very few places for him to hide.
“Take the left side,” Alec said without slowing. “I’ll head right. We’ll meet at the back.”
“Got it.” Lyndsey ran faster to match Alec’s pace, thrusting her rifle forward. Whatever the hell Kyrksen was up to, he must’ve known they’d come after him, and that meant he’d almost certainly be armed.
“There he is!” Alec yelled.
Lyndsey caught a glimpse of movement from behind the metal tower that supported the largest of their dish antennas. Yes. There it was again; the flash of a dark EVA suit. Alec fired his rifle as he ran, his shot going wide and slamming into the chain-link fence.
“Wait,” Lyndsey commanded. “Don’t shoot. I want to talk to him.”
“Just a warning shot,” Alec said. “Let him know who’s in charge.”
Lyndsey ground to a halt. “Take it easy, Alec.”
But Alec didn’t slow down. “I’m going around to flush him out. Get ready.”
Lyndsey dropped to one knee, shouldering her rifle. “Alec, I want him alive.”
“Understood.” Alec’s urgent breaths hissed on the intercom as he headed behind the nearest dish antenna and out of sight. “Watch out!” he shouted. “He’s running.”
Lyndsey steadied her rifle, aiming carefully at the place where Kyrksen would emerge.
“Gun!” Alec yelled. “He has a pistol.”
A dark figure darted from behind the dish antenna, running hard. “Kyrksen!” she called out. “Stand still!”
But Kyrksen didn’t respond, didn’t slow down. He ran, hell for leather, his boots kicking up dust, his arms pumping. He skidded to a halt, raising his arm, and Lyndsey saw the glint of something metal in his hand. He was panicking, waving a weapon toward her. He was going to shoot.
Lyndsey had no choice. She aimed at his legs and fired, her plasma shell sizzling into Kyrksen’s right leg. He went down hard, his arms flailing, and Lyndsey launched herself forward. She reached him in seconds then stood over him, covering him with her rifle. Kyrksen had landed face down in the dirt, his arms outstretched, his fingers clawing at the ground. And just beyond his reach, a wrench lay on the ground, its polished edges gleaming. Goddammit! He wasn’t even armed! A dizzying tide of guilt seethed in Lyndsey’s stomach and turned quickly to rage. “Kyrksen, y
ou idiot!” she yelled. “What the hell were you thinking? There was no need for this. It didn’t have to end this way.”
But before Kyrksen could reply, Alec’s voice was suddenly loud on her intercom: “It’s all right. I’ve got him.”
The blood drained from Lyndsey’s face. “What?”
“Kyrksen—I’ve got him,” Alec said. “He was hiding back here, but he’s dropped his weapon. I’ll bring him out.”
“Shit!” Lyndsey hissed. Bending down over the man on the ground, she took hold of his shoulder and rolled him over. The man roared in agony, the sound clearly audible despite his lack of intercom. And Lyndsey looked down into the anguished face of Jim Clennan. “Oh my God,” she whispered. “Oh my God!”
Lyndsey stared at the wound on Jim’s leg. She’d hit him higher than she’d intended, her shot tearing a ragged hole in his thigh; his EVA suit ripped and scorched. Blood pulsed freely from the ruined flesh, and a violent shudder ran through him, his whole body convulsing. “He’s going into shock!” Lyndsey called out. “Alec, help!”
Placing her rifle on the ground, she wrapped her hands around Jim’s thigh just above the wound, squeezing as hard as she could, but the thick EVA suit made her efforts futile, and Jim let out a guttural moan.
“I’m here!” Alec kneeled at her side, pulling her hands away. “Let me see.”
Lyndsey sensed movement and looked up. Behind Alec, Kyrksen shambled to a graceless halt, shifting his weight from side to side, and through his visor, she could see the man’s mouth hanging open. “God damn you!” she snapped. “Why the hell did you have to drag Jim into this?”
“I had to stop you,” Kyrksen moaned. “I didn’t…I never intended…”
Lyndsey cut him short. “Don’t give me that! For God’s sake, go and get some help! Get Thaddeus. Get anyone. Bring a kit.”
“There’s no time for that,” Alec said. “They’d have to suit up before they came out. Let’s just get him inside. Kyrksen, take his legs. Help me carry him. Keep him level. Lyndsey, you go ahead. Open the doors. See what you can do about the decontamination—cut it short.”
Lyndsey pushed herself up, her legs unsteady beneath her. “Yes,” she muttered, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot, and she watched in horror as Alec and Kyrksen hoisted Jim from the ground.
Alec glared at her “Go!”
Lyndsey turned and ran for the base, her stomach churning, bitter bile rising to the back of her throat. Jim had one hell of a lot to answer for, but not like this; this was too brutal a punishment. The man was foolish, easily led, but he didn’t deserve to die. We have to save him, she told herself. We have to!
At the entrance, she punched in the passcode, and when she yanked the door open, David’s voice came through on her intercom: “What the hell just happened?”
“David, Jim’s been shot. We have to get him inside fast. I need someone to override the decontamination cycle. Speed it up. Can you do that?”
There was a pause before he replied. “I think so. But only if the outer door is shut. Hold tight, I’m on my way.”
“Good. But, David, find Thaddeus and have him meet us in the hub. Tell him Jim’s bleeding badly, going into shock. He’ll know what to do.”
“Understood. On my way.”
Lyndsey pressed her hands against the wall, breathing hard, her mouth dry, the air inside her helmet stale and rancid. But she couldn’t crack the seal on her suit, not yet. From outside, she heard shuffling footsteps as Alec and Kyrksen approached. But there was no sound from Jim. No sound at all.
CHAPTER 20
The Hill
Connor clambered up toward the lookout, his eyes glittering with nervous energy. Derek had sworn to stay at his post until the comms link was operational, so if everything had gone according to plan, they would be ready for transmission. Don’t get your hopes too high, he told himself, but even so, a rush of anticipation made him forget about his tired muscles, and the last few yards were easy as he strode up the slope.
But before he reached the very top, Jordan Beech appeared at the top of the track and peered down at him. And the man’s expression was grim.
Connor halted. “Jordan. I wasn’t expecting you.”
“I came here to oversee the transmission. Evelyn asked me to come up, but as it is…”
“What’s wrong?” Connor asked. “Is there a problem?”
Jordan nodded. “You’d better come up. Derek’s here. He needs to talk with you.”
“Goddammit!” Connor scrambled quickly to the lookout, muttering under his breath, then he marched straight across to where Derek sat over the comms set. “What’s the problem, Derek?”
Derek heaved a sigh and looked up, the strain of his long night showing in the dark smudges beneath his eyes. “It was all fixed up, and then this morning…I don’t know what to tell you, Connor. It’s gone. We lost it.”
“What do you mean? Did the comms set break down?”
Derek shook his head sadly. “No. The set is fine, but the link just went dead. It’s like they cut us off.”
“That can’t be right,” Connor said. “Did you talk to Lyndsey?”
“I can’t do that, Connor. I’ve been trying, but I can’t raise them. Not a whisper.”
Connor scraped his hand down his face. “Oh, man! Something must’ve happened. This can’t be a coincidence.”
“It’s certainly suspicious,” Jordan put in. “Maybe we placed too much faith in them. Perhaps the offer of help was never genuine.”
Connor glared at Jordan. “Lyndsey wouldn’t treat us that way.”
“Plus, it doesn’t make any sense,” Derek insisted. “I was up most of the night talking with their guy, David. He gave me a ton of help. He’s legit, I’m telling you. He went out of his way to help.”
Jordan raised an eyebrow. “Maybe, but then, how do you explain the situation?”
“I can’t,” Derek admitted. “But I know what I know, and they didn’t leave us hanging. Not on purpose. They must be having troubles of their own.”
Connor held up his hands for silence. “Okay, let’s back up a little. Derek, see what you can do. Keep trying to get through, and we’ll monitor the comms at all times. I’m ready to take a shift if you tell me what to do. In the meantime, I brought some food and drink.” He shrugged his backpack from his shoulders and laid it on the ground. “Let’s get ourselves organized. It’s going to be a long day.”
***
Connor adjusted the headset and ran his fingertips through his hair, scratching at his scalp. His shift at the comms set seemed to have lasted forever, but in reality, it had been just over two hours since he’d taken over from Derek, who was now laid out on the ground, fast asleep with his jacket rolled up beneath his head. In all that time, there’d been nothing on the comms to give him hope—nothing but an endless, wavering hiss—and Connor found himself grinding his teeth together. But he couldn’t just tune the noise out. He had to listen; a call could come in at any moment. Until then, he had to pay attention to the hum-drum drone of white noise.
Connor closed his eyes and tried a couple of neck rolls to relieve the tension in his bruised muscles. As he moved, something crackled in the headset, and he sat up straight. The noise was almost certainly nothing. He’d probably snagged the headset’s cable as he’d stretched. But there it was again: a warbling buzz. It could be a burst of atmospheric interference or a loose wire on the jury-rigged antenna. It might even be his imagination: his tired mind playing tricks on him. But the crackling grew louder, jarring his over-wrought nerves. “Dammit! What is this?” He grabbed hold of the headset’s connector and pressed it firmly home, jiggling it from side to side. And he heard something: a single word breaking through the background noise. No, not just a word. A name: “Derek.”
“What the hell?” Connor pressed the earpieces against his head, and the hiss faded away, the voice coming through again, but this time with crystal clarity:
“Derek, this is David Brandt. Are you
receiving me?”
Connor jumped to his feet. “Yes! David, it’s Connor. I’m here. I can hear you.”
Jordan grabbed hold of Derek’s arm. “Derek! Wake up. Connor must’ve got through.”
Derek sat up, pulling the jacket from his face, his eyes wild. “It’s working?”
“Yes!” Connor cried out. “Sorry, David, but we’ve been kind of worried over here. Man, it’s good to hear your voice.”
“Same here,” David said. “Same here.”
“What happened?” Connor asked.
“We’ll talk later,” David said. “The thing is, everything is up and running again, so we should go right ahead and send your signal. We’re all ready for you. Just say the word.”
Connor swallowed. “Right. Okay, well, in that case, let’s get to it.”
***
Connor nodded to Derek then removed the headset, laying it down alongside the comms set. For a second, he stared at the headset in silence, his mind awash with possibilities, his hopes jarring against unanswered questions.
“That was fine,” Jordan said, a hint of grudging respect in his voice.
Connor looked up with a start. “Good. I hope so, anyway.”
“What did David say?” Derek asked.
“Oh, he confirmed our message went through to the relay. He said something about signal integrity—it would’ve meant more to you than to me, but he sounded happy anyhow.”
Colony B Box Set Page 49