‘About that,’ said Kevin.
‘Shut your mouth Maddock. You’ll have plenty of time to talk in the interrogation room.’
Reims shifted her attention to the passenger. ‘Lula Ivankov, you are—’
‘That’s not Lula,’ said Kevin.
‘What?’
‘My name is Connie,’ said the passenger.
Reims couldn’t place the accent. It wasn’t martian. ‘And are you in maintenance Connie? Or are you an imposter like Maddock here.’
‘I’m not. I am an AWDF ranger from Akpoort.’
‘AWDF? Akpoort?’ Reims struggled with the unfamiliar terms.
‘It’s in South Africa.’
‘Okay. Now I know you’re full of shit. There’s been no new immigrants for over a decade.’
Connie shrugged. ‘Believe whatever you want.’
‘Turn to face me,’ ordered Reims.
Connie obediently turned her head.
‘Damn.’ It was the mystery woman from the mine. ‘You again.’
Connie nodded. ‘Me again.’
Kevin twisted around in his seat, hands still in the air. ‘Reims. You know these charges against us are ridiculous, right?’
He was right. Reims did know it. ‘Maybe. Doesn’t mean you’re not under arrest.’
‘We have some evidence which we gave to Bannon to pass on to ColPol.’
‘Evidence of what?’ asked Reims.
‘My mother’s accident wasn’t an accident. The report was changed.’
‘Tell me something I don’t know,’ said Reims.
‘Wait. You know?’ Kevin started to drop his hands.
Reims pointedly looked at her taser and then Kevin. His hands went back up.
‘That the report was changed? Yes.’
‘You don’t know who?’ asked Kevin.
‘Do you?’ asked Reims.
‘Yes,’ said Kevin.
‘And you have proof?’
‘Bannon is passing it to someone called Conway,’ said Kevin.
Reims couldn’t decide if this was good or bad news.
‘Keep your hands where I can see them.’
Reims raised her cuff. ‘Place a call to officer Conway.’
Instead of Conway’s voice, a pol-AI answered. ‘Officer Conway is not available at this time. Is there anything this pol-AI can help you with?’
Reims would be damned if she’d leave a message with an AI assistant about this particular cluster-fuck. ‘No.’
Reims considered her options. She knew that bringing the fugitives in would play well with the chief and Webb. However, if she did that she had a feeling that whatever evidence these two had would be buried. Better to wait to hear from Conway. If they’re lying, she can bring them in then.
‘You two are coming with me for now.’
‘To a cell?’ asked Kevin.
‘If I find out you’re lying to me? Yes.’ Reims waved the taser at them. ‘Now drive.’
‘Where to?’
‘Aston communal hab.’ She would take them home. Her cohabitees would be all working apart from Josie. She would still be asleep and her room’s soundproofing should mean that she stayed that way. By the time she woke, Conway should have got in touch and they would be long gone.
Kevin just continued looking at her, his hands still in the air.
‘You can put your hands down now,’ said Reims.
‘Sorry, I just didn’t want to get tased.’ Kevin dropped both hands onto the steering wheel and started to drive.
Back at the hab, Reims breathed a sigh of relief; no-one had decided to take a day off work. After sitting her prisoners at the kitchen table, she quickly took a peek into her room. Josie was still gently snoring, her long dark hair pooled around her head and the covers adorably tangled around her legs.
Reims gently closed the door and returned to the communal kitchen.
‘Big place,’ said Connie. ‘The police must pay well.’
‘What?’ Reims was confused. This was a run of the mill singles communal hab, not some fancy private residence like police chiefs and council members got.
Kevin smirked. ‘She’s not from around here, remember?’
She remembered. If the woman’s claim about coming from Earth was true. ‘It’s a communal hab. Eight of us live here.’
‘Oh,’ said Connie.
‘What now?’ asked Kevin.
Reims started to pour herself some coffee. ‘Now we’re going to wait for Conway to call.’
‘And we all get coffee?’ asked Kevin.
‘Don’t push your luck, Maddock.’
‘It’s quite crowded then.’ Connie was looking around the kitchen area.
‘I suppose so. Compared to Earth. We don’t have all that usable outdoor space,’ said Reims.
‘Or Kev’s world,’ said Connie.
Reims saw Kevin kick Connie under the table.
‘What’s that?’ asked Reims.
‘Nothing. She’s just making a joke,’ said Kevin.
Reims leant against the worktop and sipped her coffee and looked at Kevin Maddock appraisingly. She knew him from his file. The underachieving younger son of councillor Doris Maddock. Doris had been behind the Program and since her death it had slowly been starved of personnel and resources. She was worried about who benefited from her death and what that meant for any potential investigation.
She shifted her attention to Connie. ‘Our working theory with you is that you somehow deleted all your colony records. Erased yourself from digital existence.’
It was the only thing that had made any sense of the way she had appeared from nowhere with the Maddock siblings.
‘Is it?’ asked Connie.
‘We may have to reassess that,’ said Reims. ‘If what you claim is true, how did you get here? A secret unscheduled transport?’
‘Sort of,’ said Connie.
‘The Box,’ said Kevin.
This did not make anything clearer to Reims, so she raised an eyebrow and took another sip of coffee.
‘The artefact. It can move a long way very quickly,’ said Kevin.
‘Come again?’ said Reims.
‘I don’t know how the damn thing works but it does.’
‘So you did steal it,’ said Reims.
Kevin smiled. ‘Perhaps. But not from who you think.’
It was at this point that Reims’ cuff pinged a notification of an incoming call. She answered.
It was Conway. ‘Reims. Something has come up.’
‘Let me guess. Bannon just gave you a flash drive allegedly full of evidence?’
‘How the hell did you know that?’ asked Conway.
‘What can I say? I’m a shit hot detective,’ said Reims.
‘Do you know what it’s about?’
‘Yes, and I hope you haven’t told anyone about it.’
Silence.
‘Conway?’
‘Chief Smith.’
‘You told the chief?’
Reims could hear muffled talking, then Conway again. ‘Wait a minute. I’ve got to go, the chief wants to see me.’
‘Conway, be careful.’
‘Thanks, Reims. Talk to you later.’
Conway ended the call.
‘Shit,’ said Reims.
‘Trouble?’ asked Kevin.
‘Perhaps.’ Reims had a slightly sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.
‘Your friend, Conway. Will he be okay?’ asked Connie.
‘Colleague, not friend,’ Reims corrected automatically.
‘Whatever,’ said Connie. ‘Is the evidence going to be acted on?’
‘If I’m being honest, probably not. Do you have another copy?’
‘Not on us,’ said Kevin. ‘But we can get one.’
‘Who do we need to see?’ asked Reims.
‘That would be Sim,’ said Connie.
Reims was momentarily puzzled. ‘Sim? Oh, Simone Aarons. Where do we find her?’
‘Ah,’ said Kevin.
> Connie reached across the table and took the man’s hand. ‘Kevin, I think we should trust this woman.’
‘We should?’ asked Kevin.
Yes, you bloody should, thought Reims.
Kevin frowned. ‘Because last time I checked, she’d arrested us and was going to throw us in the can.’
Reims couldn’t help smiling a little at that. ‘That was then. This is now.’
Kevin’s frown deepened. ‘What’s so different about now?’
‘Then, you were just wanted criminals. Yes, you’re wanted criminals now, but Webb needs to be stopped. You seem to be loose ends he’s trying to tie up. That doesn’t sit well with me.’
‘You really think we’re a danger to the colony?’ asked Kevin.
‘My opinion? No. But that call is above my pay grade,’ said Reims.
‘I’d like to bet that taking Webb down is as well,’ said Kevin.
Maddock was getting on her nerves. ‘Arresting you and “taking Webb down”, as you put it, are both enforcing the law. It’s what I do.’
Kevin gave a derisory snort. ‘The “obeying orders” defence?’
‘Maddock, do me a favour and keep your opinions to yourself.’ Reims was finding it hard to suppress her natural desire to punch him on the nose. Maybe if he shut up for a minute, she would manage it.
Kevin opened his mouth to speak, but Connie moved her hand on to his arm. She looked up at Reims. ‘Can we all just agree that Webb is the bigger villain here?’
Reims nodded. ‘Which is why you are here and not in a ColPol cell.’
‘I suppose so,’ said Kevin.
Her cuff chimed a message notification. It was from Conway. He wanted to meet her at the scene of the homicide at the agri-dome. Typically, Conway had neglected to tell her why. She would have to talk to him about information sharing and teamwork.
Reims kicked the leg of the chair Maddock was sitting on. ‘Time to go.’
When they arrived at the maintenance airlock at agri-dome six, there was another ColPol rover already parked up. Conway must have arrived.
The hiss of air pressure equalisation and the accompanying slight popping of their ears welcomed them to the agri-dome interior. The maintenance passages were as grotty and run-down as Reims remembered, and she wondered what had made Conway pick this as a meeting place. Had he found out something new about the homicide, or was it the lack of AI oversight in the maintenance areas that had informed the choice of rendezvous?
‘Mars is a bit grubbier than I imagined,’ said Connie.
‘Welcome to the frontier,’ said Reims. ‘Maddock, lead the way. Don’t forget I’ve got a taser at your back.’
‘How could I forget?’
Reims found her sense of unease growing steadily as they made their way towards the crime scene. Conway had sent a text message instead of making a voice call. This, coupled with the run-down and isolated nature of where Conway had asked to meet was enough to set off her paranoia.
‘Stop,’ said Reims. She was going to listen to her paranoia and get the hell out of here.
‘What now?’ asked Kevin.
‘Turn around, we’re leaving.’
‘Why?’ asked Connie. ‘I mean apart from this place being a bit of a dump.’
‘Just move.’
As they retraced their steps, Reims decided to try calling Conway. The distinctive emotionless voice of an AI answered, ‘Officer Conway is not available at this time. Is there anything this pol-AI can help you with?’
Reims terminated the call. Conway not available? This reinforced her sense of urgency; she had to get the prisoners out of here. Now.
Reims tapped Connie on the shoulder. ‘Pick up the pace.’
When they got to the maintenance airlock and Kevin tried to activate it, there was a loud buzz and he was bathed in red light as the door refused to open.
‘What the hell?’ Kevin tried again with the same result.
Reims pushed past him, presented her cuff to the access panel and activated her priority ColPol override. A pleasant female voice informed her that ‘Your ColPol override has been rescinded pending a misconduct investigation.’
‘That’s not good,’ said Kevin.
‘Maddock, shut up. I need to think.’
Her override attempt would be reported. Whoever was behind this would be waiting at the crime scene. She closed her eyes and pictured the schematic of the agri-dome they had used when searching for the murderer of the escaped inmate. They were closer to the loading bay than the crime scene was.
‘This way,’ said Reims.
She led the way down another access corridor which ended in an internal door. She opened the door onto a green vista of growing plants. The moisture laden air was heavy with the smell of tomato vines.
‘Oh, wow,’ said Kevin.
Kevin took a deep breath through his nose, then let it back out again with a sigh.
‘Never visited before?’ asked Reims.
‘No. Maybe I should have joined Dimitri working in the domes.’
‘It would have saved you a whole lot of trouble with the artefact,’ said Reims.
‘Shouldn’t we be moving?’ asked Connie.
‘You’re right.’ Reims pointed to an arrow straight path running between the rows of plants. ‘This way.’
They were halfway through the forest of tomato vines when two men dressed in the blue coveralls of ColPol stepped out in front of them. Reims recognised them both. Davis and Geller. They were both brandishing tasers.
Geller’s smile was unnerving. ‘Reims. I see you’re bringing the suspects in.’
‘Yes, that’s what I’m doing,’ said Reims.
Davis and Geller exchanged a look. Reims didn’t like the look of it.
‘Drop the taser, Reims,’ said Geller.
Reims deliberately placed her taser on the floor then stepped over the weapon and towards the two men.
‘Woah, stop right there,’ said Davis.
She obligingly stopped and raised her hands. ‘What’s this all about?’
Reims was gratified to see the focus of both men’s attention was on her.
‘That’s better.’ Geller holstered his taser and took out a set of restraints.
Reims sighed dramatically. ‘Really?’
‘Really,’ said Geller. ‘Hands.’
Reims extended her arms. They were still out of Geller’s reach. The man stepped forward at the precise moment there was a pop and crackle of a discharging taser and Davis toppled backward, limbs locked in place by the electric charge.
‘Shit.’ Geller went for his weapon.
Reims dropped to a crouch as the pop of a second taser shot sounded from behind her. Geller was hit and joined Davis on the floor.
She turned around and saw Connie pointing the taser at her.
‘Ah.’ Reims slowly raised her hands. ‘What now?’
The two women locked eyes for a few moments. Then, Connie flipped the taser and held it out to Reims handle first.
‘Connie!’ exclaimed Kevin.
‘Like I said, I think we should trust this woman,’ said Connie.
Reims took the proffered weapon. ‘Thanks.’
She turned back to Geller. The man had his eyes shut and was groaning in pain.
Reims tased him again. She had never liked Geller. His body spasmed and went still as he lost consciousness. Reims checked on Davis. There was a smear of blood on his scalp from where he had hit his head as he fell.
‘Shit.’ Reims sent a priority medical notice to the hospital, without mentioning exactly who was involved in the medical emergency. It should take them a little while to put two and two together and hopefully they would be long gone before there was any ‘officer down’ response.
CHAPTER 34
The knock on the door startled Daniel.
There was a muffled voice from outside. ‘You awake, Danny?’ It was Dimitri.
‘Yes, come in.’
The door opened and Dimitri ducked insi
de. Daniel was still getting used to not having an airlock. He was also getting used to no home comforts. The fabricator in the Box had been fully occupied making materials to help build their new settlement. Some of the building materials had been scavenged from Earth by Simone and Connie but inevitably the construction team needed something they had forgotten or that was made of plastic.
‘How’re you doing Dimitri?’ asked Daniel.
‘Oh, you know. Some days are better than others.’
Daniel nodded. He remembered the days immediately following Doris’s death. He hadn’t been of much use to anyone. ‘I understand.’
‘Did Kev tell you anything about another scavenging trip?’ asked Dimitri.
‘No. Why?’
‘The Box is gone. Along with Kev, Simone and Connie.’ Dimitri scratched at his beard. He hadn’t shaved for weeks. ‘I wouldn’t mind, but we need some parts for the water pump.’
‘Not having to go down to the lake with a bucket would be nice,’ said Daniel.
‘Want to get some food? One of the new guys has a barbecue set up.’
‘A what?’
‘It’s cooking outside. It’s a thing on Earth,’ said Dimitri.
‘Right, I knew that.’
Outside, Daniel took in the sights and sounds of the new settlement. Someone was hammering something metal somewhere, and he could hear the excited screams of playing children. Children playing outside seemed like some sort of mad dream after living on Mars.
They followed the smell of cooking down to the lakeside. There, they could see the barbecue being manned by one of Connie’s friends they had brought from Earth. There were half a dozen other new arrivals standing around talking, eating barbecued sausages brought back from Earth and drinking the martian chardonnay produced by the Box.
‘Once we have our first crops here, we can make our own booze,’ said Dimitri.
‘Do we need to go and pick up your still?’ asked Daniel.
Dimitri laughed. ‘It would be nice, but probably too risky. We’re all wanted on Mars remember?’
‘Thanks to Webb.’
‘Webb?’ asked Dimitri.
‘According to Lula, he was behind Doris’s faked accident report too.’
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