by E J Gilmour
‘We are five hours from Bodach Delta,’ said Ivan.
‘How is the Out Drifter performing?’ he asked in a sleepy voice.
‘The ship is fully operational. Ethan has identified a minor leak in one of the oxygen tanks which he will be able to repair after we land. Every other system is functioning normally.’
Michael sat up and stepped out of his sleeping pod.
‘How are you, Ivan?’
‘I’m functioning normally, Captain.’
‘Have you fixed the broken jetpack yet?’
‘I cannot correctly identify the underlying cause of the malfunction. The jetpack should be operational.’
‘But it doesn’t work.’
‘Correct.’
‘Well. You gave it a good try,’ said Michael.
‘It is a puzzle. I believe it is just a matter of identifying the cause.’
Michael nodded in agreement. ‘Keep up the good work, Ivan.’
‘Yes, Captain.’
Michael walked down to the control room.
Sara glanced over her shoulder. ‘How did you sleep?’
‘You know what those sleeping pods are like.’
‘That’s why I try to avoid them as much as possible. You know there are advanced sleeping pods that don’t leave you feeling like a zombie when you wake up.’
‘Oh, you mean the upmarket sleeping pods that millionaires can afford,’ said Michael with a cheeky grin.
‘That’s right. I guess we can only dream of such luxuries,’ she said with a laugh.
‘Ivan said we are nearly at Bodach Delta.’
‘We are still a few hours out.’
‘Have you identified where the Tunnel Makers base is?’ he asked.
‘Ethan will help with our first contact. The Tunnel Makers own a small town, which was once a gold mining colony when the Epherian Empire governed the planet. Their base is situated inside the old mine beneath the mountain which is adjacent to the town. They live underground in tunnels, hence the name, Tunnel Makers. If we didn’t have Ethan on crew I would suggest staying away from Bodach Delta. The place is a criminal hotbed, a cesspool of depravity and violence. Ethan seems to think we will be safe; he believes he carries a certain level of respect among the Tunnel Makers, but I don’t think we should let our guard down. Let me show you a picture of the planet.’
A shimmering image of Bodach Delta appeared above the holographic panel. The planet was entirely covered in ice. It looked like a white globe floating in space.
‘The average temperature is far below freezing and gravity is 1.06. The planet has a dark side which never faces the star. The light side, which should have been called the twilight side, has about ten major towns which are operated by different groups, mostly criminal. The best thing about the planet is its atmosphere, which is prime grade, as it was developed by the Epherian Empire about fifteen hundred years ago. The Epherians left behind giant automated atmospheric generators which are powered by the planet’s molten core; they continue to regulate the atmosphere and are closely guarded by every invested party. Nothing grows on Bodach Delta, apart from some varieties of moss which are adapted to the extreme cold. The people live entirely on synthesized food. The towns and bases are also powered by thermal energy from the planet’s core.’
‘It doesn’t look like a nice place to be stranded.’
‘At least not without a good coat,’ she said with a smile.
‘Let’s just hope these Tunnel Makers have a way of helping us cross the Epherian frontier.’
**
Sara navigated the ship through the upper atmosphere of Bodach Delta. The Out Drifter glided through the thick clouds and into the darker regions below. Michael watched a mountain range appear on the horizon. The mountains were completely covered in ice and snow. Ethan was standing behind them and watching through the viewing panel.
‘See the line of mountains in the distance; those that look like jagged spines. The Tunnel Maker base is at the northern side of that range.’
‘I expect they have some security measures in place,’ said Sara.
‘They do; plasma cannons, lasers, heavy duty missile launchers and nuclear weapons if they need them. The base is also protected by an electronic and electromagnetic shield. Their watchmen will contact us when we pass their outlying sensors. Let me do the talking.’
Sara guided the ship along the edge of the mountain range. The external com lit up.
A heated voice could be heard through the com. ‘…Who are you and what do you want?...’
‘This is Ethan Faraway. I’m a Tunnel Maker requesting a landing dock.’
A few moments passed without anything being said. ‘…Ethan Faraway, you’re the mechanical engineer who went missing years ago…’
‘That’s right; I’m back.’
‘…Tyr will want to have a word with you…’
‘Why would Tyr want to talk with me?’ asked Ethan cautiously.
‘…He’s the new boss of the Tunnel Makers…’
‘What about Vlad?’
‘…Vlad died last year and Tyr won the vote to replace him…’
A shadow passed over Ethan’s face. ‘Do we have permission to land?’
‘…Dock thirteen. Follow the navigation signal…’
‘You got it.’
The external com light flickered off. Ethan lowered his eyes and appeared to be in a state of shock.
‘What’s the problem?’ asked Michael.
‘Tyr is not an easy man to deal with. I thought we would be dealing with Vlad. This could complicate things.’
‘Why?’ asked Sara.
‘I once worked on Tyr’s cargo ship. We never liked each other.’
‘Don’t worry. The worst thing that can happen is they will refuse to help us,’ said Michael.
‘Tyr is a madman. There are much worse things he can do than not helping us. He’s unpredictable. I’m not sure if it is safe to deal with him. Maybe we should change the plan.’
‘They won’t hurt us because we belong to the Outer World Salvage Guild,’ said Sara. ‘They won’t want our guild offside.’
‘I hope you are right,’ said Ethan.
**
The Out Drifter entered the deep valley where the old mining town was situated. The town consisted of a flattened area of concrete landing docks to the north and a group of old hardy residential buildings on the south side of the valley. There was a large armour plated door at the base of the mountain, and there were various plasma turrets and defence mechanisms surrounding the entrance to the base and many larger turret guns at various locations around the valley.
Sara guided the ship down to the dock thirteen, which was covered by a thin layer of ice. The Out Drifter gently landed on the concrete platform.
‘You will have to put on our weather coats. It’s freezing outside,’ said Sara.
‘Be ready to leave in a hurry,’ said Michael.
‘I’m always ready,’ she said confidently.
Michael stood up and walked to the cargo bay, where Ajax was gathering his weapons. Acacius was waiting beside the exit door and wearing a thermal regulator coat. Cynthia, Ethan and Ivan were standing with him.
‘We don’t want to scare them into a fight, Ajax. I think you should leave your rifle and grenades behind.’
‘No, Cap, I think I should take all my weapons, just in case,’ said Ajax.
‘The last thing we need is a gunfight with smugglers. Just take a pistol.’
‘If you insist,’ grumbled Ajax.
‘You should put a coat on, Cynthia,’ said Michael. ‘It’s cold outside and there is an icy wind blowing over the mountains. You won’t make it to their front door without a thermal coat.’
‘Yes, Emperor,’ she replied with a coy smile.
Michael returned the smile, but he didn’t say a word. They put on thermal weather coats, and Ethan opened the exit door. A blast of frozen air hit them. Ethan led the way out and across the docks. They followe
d him through the piercing cold and across the rocky ground to the base front door.
The double reinforced security door opened as they approached and revealed a large tunnel which cut directly into the mountainside. About twenty yards further was a second security door. Four smugglers with plasma rifles were standing ready and two heavily armed battle droids were positioned a little further back. The droids stood about ten feet in height and were armed with rocket launchers and plasma machineguns attached to their shoulders.
One of the guards was a large and muscular man with short jet black hair and fierce dark eyes. He grinned as they stepped in out of the cold. ‘Ethan! I can’t believe what I’m seeing. I was sure you were dead. Good to see you again!’ he said, holding out his huge hand for Ethan to shake.
‘Good to see you too, Carlson.’
Carlson scanned the rest of the crew. His eyes lingered on Ajax, who was taller and musclier. A hint of jealously flashed across his face.
‘Who are your friends, Ethan?’
‘This is Captain Michael Cornelius of the Out Drifter and his crew. They’re a salvage crew and belong to the Outer World Salvage Guild.’
‘Salvors, why did you bring them here?’
‘Business of course,’ said Ethan. ‘They want to be smuggled across the Epherian frontier. Do the Tunnel Makers still smuggle people into the empire?’
‘We do, but the price is very high. I hope you can afford the trip.’
‘How much does it cost?’ asked Michael.
‘That’s up to Tyr,’ answered Carlson. ‘He makes all the big financial decisions these days. Ethan, you can take two of your friends into the base; the others can wait on board their ship, and no one is permitted to take weapons inside. Leave your guns here and collect them as you leave.’
‘I guess it’s me and you, Captain. Who else should we take?’ asked Ethan.
‘Ivan, you’re coming with us,’ said Michael. ‘Everyone else can go back to the ship. It shouldn’t take long to complete the negotiations.’
Carlson collected their pistols and the others returned to the Out Drifter. The second door slid open and revealed a dimly lit tunnel which cut deeper into the mountainside. Carlson and another smuggler led them onward.
They arrived at the far side where a third reinforced security door blocked their way. The door opened and a large domed area was revealed. At the far side of the area was an elevated podium with what looked like a throne made entirely of gold. Seated on the throne was a man clothed in black silk with a very lined face and a shiny bald head. He had a somewhat mischievous grin affixed to his lips. There were dozens of smugglers in the domed area, which seemed to be the central hub of the base. They all looked up as the newcomers entered the room.
Carlson led them over to the podium, and some of the men acknowledged Ethan as they walked by.
‘Ethan, the ugly duckling has returned,’ said the man on the throne with a half-smile and half sneer.
‘Hello again, Tyr,’ said Ethan coolly.
‘Take off your glasses so I can see your eyes.’
‘I can’t see anything without my glasses.’
‘Oh, you lost your sight, what a pity,’ said Tyr coldly. ‘You know I’m the leader now, Ethan, and if you still think of yourself as a Tunnel Maker you should address me as the boss. As far as I know you haven’t resigned yet.’
‘Let me say now: I resign from the Tunnel Makers,’ said Ethan loudly so everyone in the dome could hear.
‘I always thought you were too weak to be a Tunnel Maker!’ growled Tyr. ‘I’m sure this isn’t a courtesy visit. What do you want?’
‘We are here to do business.’
The corners of Tyr’s lips turned upward. ‘Tell me; what business?’ he asked, leaning forward in anticipation.
‘We want our ship smuggled into the Epherian Empire.’
Tyr threw himself back and laughed menacingly. His laughing continued for at least half a minute.
‘We can smuggle you across the frontier, but it will cost you eight million credits.’
‘What? That’s ridiculous!’ said Ethan, raising his voice.
‘That’s the discounted price because you were a Tunnel Maker. Either you pay or you leave, and if you choose to go don’t ever come back.’
‘We can’t afford your price,’ said Michael.
‘Then we can’t do business. You can go now; get out of my sight,’ said Tyr, waving dismissively.
‘Is there another way?’ asked Michael.
‘I hate salvors; your kind never gives up,’ scoffed Tyr, snarling down at Michael with piercing eyes.
‘Not giving up is a good quality,’ said Michael.
Tyr sneered and gritted his teeth. ‘Yes, it can be a good quality, but not when you are committing your energy to foolish endeavours.’ He scrutinized Michael for a long moment, and his eyes suddenly lit up as if he was struck by a bright idea. ‘There is only one other way you can pay for the service.’
‘Tell us.’
‘We have had a request to smuggle some EPHX lenses to Moros Gamma.’
‘Moros Gamma,’ repeated Ethan. ‘But Moros Gamma is deep inside alien controlled space.’
‘Exactly. The Morosians have requested the delivery of fourteen EPHX cannon lenses. They’ve held back an alien siege for years because they have mounted EPHX cannons on satellites protecting their planet. The cannon lenses have a limited lifespan, and they need to be replaced very soon. Moros Gamma is cut off; no trade gets in or out. All the other systems in that region have fallen to the aliens. Moros Gamma will also fall if the lenses don’t arrive in time. They have agreed to pay us one billion credits if we can deliver the lenses, but unfortunately the Tunnel Maker pilots don’t want to take the job. Naturally, no one wants to fly so deep into alien controlled space. All you have to do is make the delivery and bring a GCTD with the one billion credits back to us. Then we will repay you by smuggling you into the Epherian Empire. It’s really simple.’
‘You know there is no way we would be able to make it as far as the Moros Gamma,’ said Ethan. ‘It’s utter madness.’
‘I disagree,’ said Michael. ‘We will take the job.’
Ethan winced and shook his head. ‘Captain, taking this job is crazy.’
‘There is no other way,’ said Michael. ‘We need to cross the Epherian frontier.’
‘But we won’t be crossing the Epherian frontier if we take this job, never! The aliens will kill us.’
‘The statistical probability of succeeding is exceptionally low,’ said Ivan.
‘I think we can make it,’ said Michael. ‘We need to know that the Tunnel Makers will keep their side of the deal.’
Tyr clapped and laughed. ‘You are working for a bold captain, Ethan. I like him.’ His mouth twisted into a grin. ‘If you can bring me a GCTD with a billion credits I will smuggle the whole salvage guild into the Epherian Empire for you.’
‘You have a deal.’
‘Good. I will have my men load the cargo onto your ship.’
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
‘What!’ yelled Sara. ‘Have you lost your mind?’ she screamed as she stormed into the cargo bay.
Men from the Tunnel Makers were loading large steel boxes containing the lenses into the cargo bay.
‘What’s going on?’ asked Ajax, looking from Michael to Sara.
‘Don’t worry, Sara; we will be fine. Trust me.’
‘Trust! Captain, this job, if you can call it a job, is like trying to walk through a den full of starving lions; we will be eaten alive. I don’t think we can even make it to Moros Gamma. Alien controlled space is self-explanatory: it means the space is controlled by aliens!’
‘Don’t be so pessimistic,’ said Michael with a confident smile. ‘We have a good ship, plenty of fuel, and Ivan thinks it’s statistically possible.’
‘It’s not pessimism, Captain, and it may be statistically possible, but the chances of success are slim…very slim.’
‘I actua
lly said the statistical probability of succeeding is exceptionally low,’ said Ivan in dry monotone.
‘Which means it’s actually statistically possible,’ argued Michael. ‘What do you think, Acacius?’
‘The path we walk is a result of cause and effect on a cosmic scale,’ answered Acacius. ‘If this is our only option then we must go to Moros Gamma. You were right to do what you did. We must find a way to Epheria Prime and we must save the Magnifier. The path has been presented to us. We will walk the path.’
‘But you’re not the one who has to fly the ship,’ said Sara.
‘As I have previously said; no one has to come on this mission,’ said Michael. ‘Anyone who wants to leave is welcome to leave. I’ll fly the ship myself if I have to. Everyone is here by choice.’
Sara averted her eyes and shook her head. ‘I’m not leaving, Captain, but I will definitely say when I think you are making a mistake.’
**
The Out Drifter lifted off and rapidly ascended toward the sky. They passed through the thick dark clouds in the upper atmosphere and within minutes they were back in space. Michael was sitting in the co-pilot seat beside Sara. He watched the bright stars in the distance.
‘No matter what I do I can never escape the aliens,’ she said. ‘You know there are no aliens inside the Epherian Empire. I was hoping we would cross the border and leave the war behind, and now we are about to set a course for the most dangerous alien infested place in the galaxy.’
Michael nodded. ‘You should know, Sara, the End Machine rules the Epherian Empire, and the End Machine synthesized the alien race. The machine controls the aliens and the minds of the government ministers on Epheria Prime. The real enemy is the End Machine. When we destroy the machine we will destroy the aliens.’
‘What about the Epherian Emperor?’ asked Sara. ‘Nearly everyone in the Outer Worlds blames the Emperor. He sold us out to the aliens when he agreed to the Epherian Pact. Does the End Machine control the mind of the Epherian Emperor?’
‘No,’ said Michael. A few silent moments passed. ‘Have you ever seen an image of the Epherian Emperor?’ he asked.
‘Never.’
Michael looked over his shoulder and saw Cynthia standing at the door.
‘I know what the Epherian Emperor looks like,’ she said boldly.
‘That’s impossible,’ said Sara. ‘He never shows his face.’ She continued to adjust the reactor power levels on the console. ‘There hasn’t been a circulated image of him since he was little more than a boy.’