Assault on Ambrose Station: A Seth Donovan Novel (27 page)

44.

Triptych reported back, just as Rego, Tac and Gunther returned. The AI Core was unresponsive, probably too degraded to function. I thought about getting Tac to take a look, but realised I was only thinking of reasons to delay going down into the subsurface.

Ormund downloaded a blueprint schematic for my overlay, which I shared with everyone. We quickly located a shaft that led down below the surface, and packed up our gear.

The shaft access hatch was unpowered, but Masters jammed his fingers into the gap between the doors and strained. Slowly, the hatch panels slid apart with a grinding noise we could feel through the soles of our boots. There was no telltale escaping gasses that would indicate this shaft had atmosphere.

“Unpressurised.” I said.

“Access shafts like this usually aren’t,” explained Rego, “There’ll be airlocks further down and off the branches of the shaft. There’s probably an elevator down there, somewhere.”

“Technically, it’s up.” I said.

“Yeah the gravity should switch over when we drop in. This is going to be a mind fuck.”

Station dwellers called a region of a station the
switch
. As most of the habitat’s ‘gravity’ comes from the ring’s rotation, the artificial gravity generated near the outer surface, at some point, will cease to be useful. This band of zero gravity is narrow and surrounded on both sides by diametrically opposed gravitational forces. To many, the switch is disorienting and can cause momentary motion sickness. Elevators were usually spherical on the outside, and would rotate as the shaft approached the switch point, to minimise the effect. We would be climbing through it.

Fun times ahead.

Harris leaned over the ledge and looked down. Geko, unable to contain himself, grabbed Harris by the webbing and startled him. Kekkin thumped him on the top of the helmet, cutting his laughter short. With Geko out of the way, Harris cracked an orange cyalume glow stick and tossed it down the shaft. It dropped for several seconds before reaching the switch, then it slowed and eventually ‘fell’ up towards us. It oscillated around the switch for a few minutes before coming to rest about a hundred metres below us. The glow stick just drifted in mid-air in the centre of the shaft.

“There’s your zero-gee point.” said Harris, smiling.

“Geko!” shouted Kekkin, “
bezak
is on point! Down shaft!”

Geko groaned, but slung his rifle over his shoulder and lowered himself over the lip. He started to climb down a small maintenance ladder that ran the length of the shaft as far as we could see.

Harris followed, and off we went single file.

As we approached the switch, motion started to become disorienting. I was glad to see that I wasn’t the only one affected by the sudden shift of gravity. Even Art paused briefly at the cut-off point. In the zero gravity, we rotated our bodies so that ‘down’ was now up, and continued our climb. In moments, we were through and continued on our way.

The tunnel was a gruelling ten-kilometre climb, and it was several hours before Geko reported that we had reached the first serviceable airlock.

“Is it powered?” I asked.

“Can’t tell, need Rego, Triptych or your robot up here.” he replied.

“I am most certainly not a robot, Private Gerhart.” came Tac’s chuffed voice.

“Sorry, what do we call you, then?”

“My name is Tac. That will suffice.”

I broke in. “I can scan it. I’m closer.”

I pushed my way past Gunther, Masters and Geko, reaching the hatch. It was large enough to admit an elevator carriage, about seven metres wide. I put my hand up to the hatch and focused inwards. In moments, my nanites bled through my glove and into the steel of the airlock. I activated my Scan Paradigm and waited patiently for data to return.

“It’s powered, but the controls are on the other side. Give me a few moments. Everyone grab onto the ladder, there’s atmosphere inside.”

When everyone gave me the nod, I diverted my nanites to manipulating the control module. With a dull thrum, a red light ignited beside me and the airlock began to open. As the first gap appeared, a burst of gas shot forth from the hatch, emptying the contents of the chamber before us. The compartment was spherical, with three other airlock doors feeding the chamber. With the atmosphere depleted, I ordered everyone inside. Around the lower airlock hatch was a lip we could gather around. Once we were all through, Rego connected a tablet to the control panel and closed the hatch.

“Pumping oh-two in.” he said. A misty cloud began to form at our feet, and soon we could hear a hissing sound as the air carried the noise through our suits and helmets. “Integrity is good. Helmets off?”

“What’s the mix?” I asked.

“Standard atmo, a little high on the nitrogen but breathable.”

“Okay, helmets off. Let’s save our life support for now.”

With grunts of appreciation, everyone began to remove their helmets. Everyone was sweating and beginning to smell, although I couldn’t be sure since the atmosphere in here was rancid.

“Ew, smells like Rhondel shat himself again.” joked Geko, earning himself another thump from Kekkin. A few of us removed small vacuum-sealed foil bags from our suits and tossed them aside. The M4 MAEL suits, designed for extended operations, had waste removal systems in place although most marines hated to use them. We had been in these suits for over sixteen hours, though, and nearly everyone had had to make use of the function. The bags were the leftovers.

“What are the chances this shaft goes right through to the habitat?” asked Renthal.

“Slim.” I answered, “It’s not a good idea to build long holes right through your space stations, they tend to open at some point and suck the entire atmosphere out.”

“Right. Never thought of that.”

“We should probably start heading down one of these side shafts, they will lead to habitable areas in the ring. We might get lucky and locate a transport hub. Or at least an AI Core that still has power.”

I brought up our blueprint of the area, looking for any information that may help us. Navigating a path through to the habitat was nearly impossible using this map, I decided. I couldn’t get the perspective right and the scale was hard to fathom. Eric could probably have traced it with a pencil and found the way in minutes. Me, I wasn’t much of an engineer, nor an architect.

“Anyone good with maps?” I asked.

“I see a large cavity section a couple of kilometres that way.” said the Argen, Carro, “I’m nearly certain there is a clear way along that axis.”

“Nearly certain?” I echoed.

“It looks like it’s clear.”

“Good enough for me. Let’s head out.”

Gravity this far out on the ring was heavy, about an extra 40% of the standard one gee. I had to keep correcting myself, it wasn’t really gravity, just the effect of the station’s rotation. As we approached the habitable section the force should relent, somewhat, but for now it was like walking up a hill.

The shaft was much like the previous one, except it was faintly lit by overhead glow strips spaced every thirty metres apart. As it ran horizontal we were able to walk along the surface, although due to the curve of the tunnel we could only run two abreast. Once more, Geko took point. One day, he’ll learn that pissing off the sarge was a good way to get yourself volunteered for every dangerous or dirty job he can find for you.

Eventually, after nearly thirty minutes of shaft, we came across our first passage. Another airlock announced that we’d reached a habitable section of the station, a mounted tally plate declaring Maintenance Bay 413 was beyond it. Seemed a good a place as any to make our ingress into the station proper.

Masters stepped up to the hatch and found the manual override. Geko and Harris covered him with their rifles, with the rest of us spaced apart behind them and down the shaft. When we were in position, Masters started to turn a winch and the hatch opened.

Without hesitating, Geko and Harris stepped into the chamber beyond, sweeping their guns about as they did. They split and went separate directions, and the next pair of troopers followed them in. I came up next, with Art by my side. I went straight ahead and kneeled by a workbench to use as cover.

“Clear.” started a chorus of reports, and I took the time to examine the room more fully. We were in a workshop of some sort, with tools scattered about as if someone had been rummaging through the compartment.

“Aw…Christ.” swore Gunther.

“What is it?” asked Renthal.

“What the fuck is that?” Gunther was pointing his rifle’s light at something on the ground near him.

I came over to see what they were looking at, and cringed in disgust. I knew what it was though, and what it meant.

“Jaani waste.”

“You’re kidding me?” asked Renthal, pulling his boot back from it as he was about to prod it.

“They’ll probably be nesting around here somewhere. Or at least they did.”

“I thought they were smart? Not like animals.”

“They’re alien, never forget that.”

The term alien, although archaic, is still used rarely in modern society. It’s ancient meaning for the word was usurped long ago, when humanity began encountering the multitudes of other species that populated the galaxy. Since technically, we were all alien somewhere, the use of the word began to mean a species that did not fit into what galactic society considers
normal
. Many races exhibit different biological functions and are driven by different biological imperatives, but most species find a way to coexist with other races. The truly weird, though, earn the derogatory title of alien. It simply meant that there were things about the species habits and thought processes that were unfathomable to other races. The betrayal of the Protectorate by the Ghantri, when they would have given them all they sought to steal earned them that title years ago. The Jaani were no different.

“Stay sharp, guys. We’re in Ghantri territory now.”

Rifles were placed on cheeks and we gathered around the compartments only other exit. Geko opened the door and we filed out, covering each other as we went. Outside was a corridor, going in both directions either side of the door. I pointed in the direction we’d been heading and we moved down the passage. After a few minutes, Geko and Harris stopped and Harris held up a fist. We all immediately dropped to a knee and scanned the way ahead.

A soft light flooded into the passage ahead from the left wall. As I examined it I realised it was actually a transparent section, probably lit from the compartment on the other side.

This close to enemy territory we didn’t want to risk using our laser mics to talk, so I snuck through the passage to reach them. When I got to Harris, he pointed to his eyes and then made a square shaped gesture, finishing by holding up a hand showing three fingers, his thumb and ring finger touching.
Seven contacts through the window.

I glanced back to the rest of the squad and repeated the gesture. Using more hand signals I ordered the others to move up into position. I made a crawling gesture to Renthal, Carro and Gunther, pointing to the far side of the window.

When were in position, I activated my nanite implant and pictured how the passageway would look from the other side of the window. When I had the image in my mind, I projected a softlight hologram in front of the window, then stood up for a peek. Anyone on the other side would only see the hologram, showing them an empty passageway.

Inside were seven short, rodent-like creatures with overly long arms and small beady eyes. They resembled terrestrial sea otters with long arms, although hairless with rubbery skin. Their faces were round and child-like.

Jaani
, I thought. My blood suddenly ran cold and a pounding pressure started hammering in my head.
Not now,
I fumed at myself. I breathed deeply, trying to steel myself.

The compartment they were in was rectangular and had a high ceiling. The Jaani were milling about at a broken table, devouring scraps of an unidentifiable meat. These small, disgusting aliens were the technicians and engineers of the Ghantri war machines. Murderous little bastards every one of them. They looked harmless, but if you turned your back on them, or they found you wounded and unable to defend yourself, they were like carrion birds. They shared their larger cousin’s love of raw flesh.

If we could get through this compartment, there was bound to be a way closer to the habitat ring on the other side. My only concern was where there were Jaani there was usually Ghantri.

I slung my rifle and drew my
lurzak
. A glance at the rest of the squad showed me they understood and they began to draw combat knives as well. Kekkin’s own
lurzak
thrummed to life.

I placed my fingers on the glass and focused, sending my nanites into the material. I activated a seldom-used Paradigm – Disassemble. The tiny robots began to eat the seals around the edge of the glass, and in less than a minute I could feel the window become loose. I shifted the hologram forward a few inches, enough to pass through the window, then I lowered it carefully to the deck.

Although Naga Team had learnt about my nano proliferation powers, they had seen very few of them in action. A couple were open mouthed as I quietly climbed over the window frame and lightly dropped into the room,
lurzak
in hand. I’d widened the hologram to cover the entire window and the wall below it, but I couldn’t expand it much more without it becoming pixelated.