Noble searched the group for Sophie. “Doctor Winston, Lieutenant Diego will escort your team. Everyone else, you’re with me.”
“You heard the man,” Diego shouted. “Let’s move out!”
The soldiers made final preparations: checking helmets, loading magazines, and stretching.
Noble followed the soldiers out onto the tarmac, the excitement building inside him with every step. They fanned out and set up a perimeter around the Sea Serpent. Their movements were precise. Calculated. They’d done this a hundred times before.
Above them, the sky had turned an off gray, taking on the color of the landscape below. A single crimson smear streaked across the horizon like a bloodstain. Noble couldn’t help but wonder if it foreshadowed what was to come.
He paused outside the lift gate and said, “Hold position.” He winced as he flung the strap of his rifle over his injured shoulder. The pain was still present, but it reminded him he was alive. And if he was alive, he could still fight.
Sophie and her team stood at the edge of the ramp.
“Captain,” Sophie said from the ramp. She ran a sleeve across her forehead. “I wanted to thank you. You risked everything to evacuate us.”
“Any soldier would have done the same.”
Sophie shook her head. “Not any soldier, Captain.”
“It was the least we could do after all the intel you’ve given us,” Noble replied.
She raised a hand to shield her eyes and looked over his shoulder. Then, gesturing with her chin, she said, “You know, it’s not too late to change your mind. You could all come with us to Mars.”
The comment took the captain by surprise. He hadn’t considered leaving the planet. This was his home. And if he defeated the Organics, he would return to the GOA and help humanity start over.
“Can’t do that,” he said. “My duty is here. I have to do what I can to take back the planet.”
She nodded. “I know.”
“We need to move,” Diego said, his voice low and anxious.
Noble nodded. “Good luck, Doctor,” he said, reaching out to shake her hand and then turning to the rest of her team. “Good luck to all of you. When you find Doctor Hoffman, tell him . . .” Noble hesitated. The words clung to the tip of his tongue. “Tell him he was wrong about defeating the Organics.”
“What do you mean?” Sophie asked.
Noble didn’t answer. He was already moving with his men. Hoffman would understand the cryptic comment when she found him. If she ever found the doctor, he reminded himself.
“Let’s move!” Noble shouted. He flashed a series of hand signals in the direction of the buildings in the distance. As he moved toward the domed structures, he recalled Kiel’s words.
What’s left to save? the man had asked. The question echoed in Noble’s mind, and the closer he got to the hangar the more he wondered the same thing. Were there still humans hidden in bunkers and strongholds that he didn’t know about? There have to be, he thought. There are always survivors.
CHAPTER 23
SOPHIE felt one of the children tug on her sleeve.
“It’s soooo hot out here,” Owen said, looking up at her. Damp hair stuck to his forehead. She offered him a reassuring smile and wiped a strand from his eyes.
“Don’t worry, we’re almost there,” she said.
Ahead of them Lieutenant Diego guided the group across the sea of sand. Wind peppered the unprotected team with rocks that stung Sophie’s bare skin. For her, the pain was nothing more than an annoyance, a reminder of the changed world—a world she was ready to leave.
Out of the corner of her eye she could see the faint outlines of Noble’s men. They were just specks on the horizon now, blurred by the swirling clouds of dust and dirt. She hadn’t thought much more about the strike on the poles. And while she wished Noble the best, she wasn’t concerned much with the outcome. The Earth was already dead to her. The future was, and always had been, on Mars.
“Almost there. Stay close,” Diego shouted over the growing wind. Another gust hammered Sophie. She winced, but steadied herself with Emanuel’s help. He’d shadowed her every step since they left the Sea Serpent.
“Thanks,” she said, “but really, I’m fine.”
Emanuel shot her a pained look. “Really? Because I’m dying over here.”
Sophie chuckled for the first time in days. Being so close to the Sunspot had brightened her mood. “Don’t worry. We’re almost there.”
Owen tugged on her sleeve again. “Sorry,” she said, taking his hand and leading him into the wind.
The entire team pushed forward. A few feet ahead, Jeff pulled David along with his good arm. To the boy’s right, Bouma carried Jamie on his back. And out in front Holly helped Kiel.
For a moment Sophie felt as though they were missing someone. They had lost Overton, Timothy, and Saafi. They were all still painful memories, but there was someone else.
Alexia, she thought.
Sophie suddenly felt vulnerable, more so than ever before. Without the AI, she had only humans to rely on. It was an odd revelation, but there was no turning back now. Alexia was gone. She’d made her decision, one that Sophie respected.
“Careful,” Diego shouted. “Watch your step.”
They’d come up on a section of the landing strip that looked like a junkyard. Partially buried under the dirt were the blackened hulls of X-90s, wings angled toward the sky like fins. She sidestepped one of them, pulling Owen with her.
When they finally reached the hangar, the storm was already near. Diego waited for them at the cracked door.
“Get inside,” he said, gesturing with an armored hand into the darkness.
Sophie held her breath and slipped into the safety of the building. As her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting she gasped. Towering above them was the Sunspot—the ship that would take them to Mars.
* * *
Noble ran as fast as his legs would allow. While the armored suit was nimble, the months spent cramped inside the GOA had left him out of shape and frankly, not physically prepared for the mission.
Ahead he could see their salvation. The two-story hangar housing his arsenal of X-90s and drones jutted out of the swirling dust. A set of large access doors marked the main entrance. He remembered the maintenance access from the rover mission and flashed a hand signal to two dust-covered soldiers with their backs to the building. They nodded and disappeared around the right corner.
Chinning his com, Noble said, “Form a perimeter around these doors.”
Battling another wind gust, the team fanned out around the building, their weapons aimed at the failing structure. Above them a loose power line whipped against the metal side of the building, whining in the storm. The hangar was just as he remembered it from the images. The green paint was cracked and sandblasted off the metal siding. Shards of glass lined the windows. It was remarkable what the storms had done to civilization in such a short time.
Hugging the side of the building Noble rounded the corner and caught a glimpse of the two soldiers waiting at the maintenance door. Like a pair of gargoyles they stood guard next to the fallen door. Its metal was covered with a thick layer of dust.
“Any contacts?” Noble asked.
Both men shook their heads. “No, sir.”
The smaller man wiped his visor free of grime. The machine gunner, Ramirez, stared back at him.
“Good, let’s move,” Noble replied. Without hesitating he stepped onto the door. The metal moaned under the weight of his boot. He shouldered his rifle and paused in the side entrance. The beam from his helmet lamp cut the darkness in two. Moving his rifle barrel in conjunction with the light he scanned the room quickly, stopping on the sleek black outlines of three X-90s.
“Jackpot,” he said.
He continued through the room with the men on his heels. They quickly
cleared the space and then stopped to admire the jets. Ramirez reached out and ran his hand over the wing.
“Beautiful piece of machinery,” Noble said. “I just hope they work.” He pointed to the hangar doors at the other end of the room. “Let the others in.”
Ramirez flung his rifle strap over his shoulder and jogged over to the set of double doors. Seconds later the screech of metal grinding against metal filled the hangar. A powerful gust of wind exploded through the opening, showering the men with shrapnel.
“Get inside. Move, move!” Noble yelled.
One by one the filthy NTC soldiers emerged. Brushing off their armor, they formed a circle around him. He considered saying something heroic, something that would inspire them, but behind every visor he saw men who were ready. Prepared to fight to the end.
Noble focused on the tallest of the group. “Ort.”
The man stepped forward with a duffel bag in each hand. “Yes, sir.”
A sudden vibration rocked the building, sending a tremor through the metal siding. The roof groaned in response. Flakes of dust rained down as another quake shook the ceiling.
“Not sure how much life this girl has left in her,” Ort said.
Noble snorted. “I was thinkin’ the same thing. All the more reason to hurry up.” Gesturing to the X-90s he said, “Someone help Ort get set up.”
Ramirez followed the engineer to the first jet, where he dropped one of the duffel bags and then hurried to the second and third.
“All right, Andy, Howard, and Riordan,” Noble said. “Check your flight systems. Get those beauties up and running.”
“Yes, sir,” they replied simultaneously.
Kirt stepped up. “Where are my drones?”
Noble pointed to another set of wide doors at the end of the warehouse. “Through those doors.”
Noble faced the other soldiers. “The rest of you take up locations at every access point in this building. Got it?”
The five remaining men nodded and spread out in different directions.
Sucking in a deep breath, Noble moved to the next phase of his plan. “Follow me, Kirt,” he said. They hurried across the room. The large double doors were already open when they got there. Noble raised his pulse rifle. Blinking on his HUD, he scanned the dark room for any sign of contacts.
The scan picked up zero traces of heat signatures. Another blink and the display faded. He reached for his helmet lamp and activated it with a click.
The building shook again.
“Stay behind me,” he whispered.
Kirt’s anxious breathing followed him into the darkness. Their thin beams danced in front of them. The room served as more of a maintenance facility than a warehouse. In the right corner sat the idle rover he’d deployed five days earlier, its cameras still angled at a row of black drones all draped with dusty sheets. He counted nine total.
Satisfied, he swept his light across the room and found a cluster of monitors. The command center, he thought. He rubbed his hands together. “We’re in business,” Noble said. “See if you can get this thing up and running.”
“On it,” Kirt replied.
Footsteps drew Noble’s attention back to the doorway. In the shadows stood Ramirez. Clearing his throat, he said, “Sir, we have a problem.”
Noble cringed. “What is it?”
“One of the X-90s is dead.”
“What do you mean, dead?” Kirt asked.
Noble cursed under his breath. He knew exactly what the soldier meant. The jets were built to withstand the blasts from modern EMPs, and he’d gambled that the magnetic disturbance hadn’t penetrated their hardened casing.
Apparently he’d lost that bet.
“The other two are online?” Noble asked.
“Yes, sir,” Ramirez said.
In a voice that conveyed confidence Noble said, “We’re still in the game. I can work with two.” He turned to Kirt. “Who are my best two pilots?”
The man paused to think. “I’d say Riordan and Howard.”
“Ramirez, tell Andy to get his ass back here. He can help with the drones,” he said. Turning to Kirt he added, “I don’t want you flying all of them on your own anyway.”
The pilot exhaled as if a huge burden had been lifted off him.
The two men moved to the command center. A pile of papers remained on the main desk, left untouched where their previous owner had abandoned them nearly three months ago. Moving to the other side of the station, Noble looked for the power source. A cable snaked beneath the desk, covered by a thin layer of dust.
Dropping to one knee, he grabbed the cord, hoping desperately that it still worked, then pulled the end toward him and plugged it in.
“Got it,” Kirt said.
Noble glanced up at the pilot. He sat comfortably in one of the chairs. Through his visor, Noble could see the younger man grinning.
Reaching out slowly with his right index finger, Kirt swiped the screen. It flickered to life, spreading a cool green glow over the room.
“I can’t believe it still works,” Kirt laughed.
Wincing, Noble stood and walked over behind him. “All systems go?”
“We’re about to find out,” Kirt said. He punched a series of commands into the system. Leaning closer he squinted. “Looks like—” the man suddenly clapped.
A lump formed in Noble’s throat. He wasn’t sure if the man’s reaction was one of joy or frustration. Another line of data rolled across the screen and Kirt stiffened. He typed another few keystrokes.
“Well?” Noble finally asked.
Kirt tapped his armored index finger on the desk nervously. “Waiting—”
Noble focused on the display.
“Yes! I’m in,” Kirt blurted.
This time the captain clapped. After months of hiding, he was finally in a position to stop the Organics.
* * *
Sophie pulled her flashlight from her belt and pointed it at the Sunspot. As the beam moved down the length of the ship it grew smaller and smaller until it was only a white dot.
My god, she thought. It had to be the size of a football field, with the wings stretching half that distance. Moving the light back to the nose she stopped on the only visible marking: SUNSPOT.
She stared at the spaceship with fascination. There was a part of her that hadn’t believed it was real, hadn’t believed it was possible. But here it was, looming above them. Waiting to travel to the stars and beyond.
She shot an excited glance behind her. Standing quietly at the door were the others. They stared above her, at the ship that dwarfed them.
Owen pulled on Holly’s and Bouma’s hands and jumped into the air. Letting out a loud screech he said, “We get to ride on that!”
Bouma chuckled. “Sure do, buddy.”
The boy’s lips formed a flabbergasted O, and then he said, “Wow!”
Jamie, however, cowered behind Holly. “That thing looks scary,” she whispered.
Sophie did a half turn, scanning the smooth surface of the spaceship. The girl was right. It was frightening. NTC engineers were never concerned with aesthetics. They only cared about what worked.
She hoped that that the engineers had finished the ship. Like the Secundo Casu, the Sunspot was a prototype, never tested outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
“How do we get in this thing?” Emanuel asked
“I was hoping you knew,” she replied.
Diego unfolded his arms and pulled a tablet from a pouch on his side. Crouching, he activated the small device and studied the surface. The blue glow illuminated his helmet and Sophie saw his eyes for the first time. They were focused, determined.
“Before you can board the ship you must tap into the NTC system. Intel shows there’s a command center underground,” the man said, glancing up. He pointed toward a pair o
f maintenance doors halfway down the side of the building. “Those will lead you there.”
“And how do we get inside?” Kiel interjected.
“Don’t worry,” Diego said. “I have the codes.”
“Thank you,” Sophie said, placing her hand on his shoulder.
“Just doing my job, Doctor,” he replied. Standing, he gestured toward the maintenance entry. “Better get moving. Once you guys are on board and prepped for flight I’ll be rejoining Captain Noble.”
Sophie acknowledged his statement with a nod. “Absolutely.” She scanned the team, trying to decide how best to move forward. Even with the base seemingly clear, she didn’t want to leave anyone behind without security.
“Kiel, you and Bouma stay here with the kids and Holly. Emanuel, you’re with us.”
They crossed the room, shadowing the side of the ship. Sophie kept her light pointed into the darkness, half expecting a Spider to jump out at her. For some reason she simply couldn’t grasp the idea that the base was devoid of Organics. It just didn’t feel right.
Still, she pushed on, scanning the shadows with a nervous eye. A full minute passed before they reached the double doors that led below. Sophie halted there, looking behind her. The rest of the team were camped out in a circle, their bags scattered loosely around them. Bouma stood guard at the hangar door and flashed her a thumbs-up.
The twist and click of an unlocked door handle echoed through the room. “We’re in,” Diego said, his voice just shy of a whisper.
Taking one last look at her team, she followed Diego and Emanuel into the dark stairwell. She hesitated for a moment as a strange sensation washed over her. She’d felt it before, two days into the Biosphere mission when Alexia had said they’d lost contact with the outside world. That feeling was distinct, almost tangible. She could remember it vividly. And now she was having it again, like déjà vu. Diego stopped and shone his helmet light in her face.
“You okay, Doctor?”
Shielding her eyes from the brightness, she nodded.
“You sure?” Emanuel asked. “Are the headaches back? Do you need to stop?”
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