DusktoDust_Final3 (13 page)

The gate was locked with an advanced keypad lock. Normally with a cipher cable it could take over ten minutes to get through the lock, but Letsego knew a trick. He reached into his pack and pulled out a stun claw. He took the riot control device and placed the electrodes on two specific parts of the lock. With a squeeze of the trigger the lock sizzled with sparks and then all the lights on it went out. With a subtle thud the gate swung open.

Letsego hurried across the platform. He had no idea when Carpenter
’
s train departed, but he knew he had to be on it. He jumped down off of the platform and hurdle the two huge grav rails. Then he scrambled up onto the next platform. Ninety. Only seven more to go.

This platform was busier than ninety-one had been, but since he was no longer restricted by the turbolift gate it was relatively easy to cross undetected by the terminal workers. He skirted behind the turbolift, staying in the shadows. Then he jumped down and crossed to the next platform.

The trouble started on platform eighty-five. Up until then Letsego had kept moving, staying in the shadows of the turbolifts. The workers were either too busy or too underpaid to take notice of him. Platform eighty-five was different.

Platform eighty-five was a military platform. Letsego leaped up onto the platform and was welcomed by a sea of tan uniforms. He froze. There were hundreds of Windcorp troopers loading onto an armored train. They must have been headed for security garrisons at various mining facilities. They were likely to be more observant than the civilian workers.

Letsego moved more carefully, staying deep in the shadows of the turbolift. He watched the faces of the closest troopers, looking for any reaction. That was his mistake. Half way across the platform, one of the troopers felt Letsego
’
s eyes on him.

“
Hey! You! Stop!
”

Letsego didn
’
t stop. He took off at a sprint. Half of the Windcorp Security Corps followed him.

He crossed platform eighty-four, no longer trying to be subtle. As he did, the security alarm began to blare throughout the terminal.

“
ATTENTION TERMINAL PERSONNEL AND GUESTS. THE TERMINAL IS IN SECURITY LOCKDOWN. PLEASE REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE. THE SITUATION WILL BE RESOLVED SHORTLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.
”

Letsego barely heard the words over his heavy breathing and the beating of his heart. He couldn
’
t get caught. If the troopers stopped him it would mean far more than extreme discomfort on his part, though he had heard some terrible stories about Windcorp confinement. It would destroy UNEC
’
s authority over Prospect. He was operating in violation of the PDP, and now was no longer covered by the order Captain Burleigh had issued. Windcorp would revoke all Peacekeeper access to their territory, which would probably be followed by every other multinational on the planet. Letsego couldn
’
t let that happen.

He moved as fast as his body would allow, widening the gap between him and the troopers. He jumped down and crossed the last set of repulsor rails. Then he found himself on platform eighty-three.

There was a problem. There were two trains waiting on the platform. Letsego did a quick inspection. It looked like the mechs on the left side of the platform were loading containers onto the train, while the right side mechs looked to be unloading. It had to be the left side train. At least he hoped. There was no more time to weigh his decision.

He ran behind the turbolift and then sprinted down the left side of the platform. The hoard of troopers followed him. He was surprised they hadn
’
t started shooting, but even they must have some type of rules of engagement. He needed to end this now. It had only been a minute. There would definitely be more troopers, well organized troopers, on their way.

Letsego looked for a distraction. All around him were mechs with heavy shipping containers moving about in their carefully choreographed dance. There had to be something he could do to disrupt them.

At the next mech he leaped up and grabbed one of its loading claws. Then he swung forward, putting all his weight into it. At the apex of the swing he released and flew forward, hit the ground, rolled, regained his balance and continued running.

The swing didn
’
t do much. It threw off the mech
’
s balance by only a few centimeters. The machine
’
s gyroscope quickly made up for it. But it was enough. The container the mech was carrying clipped the one next to it. With that a domino effect started. At least ten containers, and the mechs that were carrying them, tumbled to the platform. Letsego wasn
’
t sure the exact number. He was busy sprinting the other way.

In the midst of the chaos he cut left, jumping between two cargo containers which were sitting on the train. He hoped none of the troopers had seen him. He had to get out of sight. The cargo containers he was standing between were not ore containers. They were rectangular with swing doors on their ends, built for more traditional cargo.

Letsego turned to face the rear container and started going to work on the access panel. On the ninth override code the magnetic seal on the container opened. He didn
’
t waste any time Pulling the door open he stepped inside the darkness and closed the heavy door behind him.

The container seemed to be filled with plastic boxes; at least those were the only things he could find as he felt his way around. It was pitch black. The container was air tight for its trip into the light side. Letsego carefully maneuvered himself to the back of it and then sat down on the floor and waited. Even through the thick ceramic walls he could hear the sound of the alarm continue to whine.

It took five minutes. The troopers appeared to be going through each container and now they had reached his. Letsego listened as the footsteps moved along the train car catwalks, towards the far door. He made himself as small as possible, flattening himself against whatever piece of cargo he was hiding behind.

The door creaked open. Letsego watched beams of light move across the back wall. There was complete silence. Then there were footsteps. In his mind, he pictured an armor clad trooper maneuvering his way through the maze of cargo, his weapon raised. Letsego
’
s heartbeat slowed to nearly nothing. Sweat trickled down his spine. In the back of his mind he cursed himself for not pulling the pistol out of his pack earlier. Right now he had no qualms about shooting a Windcorp trooper.

The footsteps came closer. He guessed the man was two thirds of the way through the container by now. It was almost over.

“
Corporal!
”
The silence was shattered.
“
Come on. This one
’
s empty.
”

The footsteps hesitated, and then began again. But they got quieter, more distant. Letsego held his breath until he heard the door creak shut. And then all of the light was once again sucked out of the container. He let out a sigh of relief and collapsed against the container wall.

A few minutes later he could hear the announcement through the container walls.
“
ATTENTION TERMINAL PERSONNEL AND GUESTS. THE SERCURITY LOCKDOWN HAS CONCLUDED. PLEASE GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS.
”
The troopers had given up. It wasn
’
t a surprise. They hadn
’
t known who they were chasing anyway.

Letsego stood up. Pulling a light out of his pack, he walked to the front of the container. He needed to get out and get onto one of the passenger cars on the train. He had to get eyes on Carpenter and his accomplice. Letsego didn
’
t even know if he was on the correct train

He searched the door for an emergency release. It was normally located at the foot of the door. After not finding one there he checked the top.
Not one there either
. He checked the other edges of the door, but to no avail.

Letsego
’
s brain slowly registered the gravity of the situation.
Okay, I
’m trapped inside a shipping container, waiting to head into the heat of the light side of Prospect, and I don’t even know if this is the right train!
He pounded his fist against the door, but the ceramic material made hardly any noise. After a minute of that he pulled out his mobile.
Damn
. The container was blocking the signal.

At that moment he heard the hum of the grav repulsors powering on. It was too late. They were underway. He was completely trapped in this coffin, at least until the train reached its destination. And Letsego had no idea where and how long from now that would be.

The hours passed and the landscape turned from windswept plains to a waterless wasteland of winding canyons and jagged peaks. It was full daylight now, the terrain outside not having experienced mercy from the sun in millennia. The train cruised along the twisting grav rail, negotiating its way through lifeless mountains. David watched through the heavily tinted glass as the baking rock features passed before his eyes. He could only imagine how hot it was outside of the train car. And this wasn
’
t even the bright pole of the planet, the point on Prospect that was closest to the sun.

Alana was next to him watching a vid on the tablet. David had caught a glimpse of it. It was an action flick from twenty years ago. He couldn
’
t remember the name of it but it was a classic. Blood, guts and explosions; right down Alana
’
s alley.

Mr. Black had disappeared just after departure, presumably going to some Windcorp executive-only lounge, fully equipped with sim chairs and slave girls to entertain the higher ups for this little jaunt into hell. Good riddance. David felt far more comfortable when the man was not around.

As for himself, David was content sitting doing nothing in particular. Multiple hundred hours in hyperspace forced a person to embrace boredom. He stared out the window and let his mind wander.

The mountains were pockmarked with signs of human disturbance. There were laser cut cliffs, deserted train stations, and all manner of discarded mining materials. It was amazing to believe that fifty years ago parts of this desolate region had been highly contested. The Colonial Wars had been about more than the territories of the Dusk Zone. The most valuable mineral and ore deposits of Prospect had been discovered on the light and dark sides, where the extreme climates had provided unique geological circumstances.

Upon discovery of the planet by the
UNV Brasilia
, the Japanese Emporium had been the first nation to jump. Having historically been a country restrained by their natural resources, the Emporium quickly assembled a massive expedition. By the time other nations got their acts together and finally reached Prospect ready to exploit its treasures, the Emporium had already laid claim to a quarter of the planet, including nearly all of the Klyston deposits. With control over the ore that made hyperspace possible, Japan was able to slingshot itself forward into half a century of extreme economic prosperity, and at the same time become the dominating power on Prospect. With its endless supply of automated mining equipment the art of mining was revolutionized.

By 2262, China had had enough of the Emporium
’
s monopoly. Knowing they only had one chance, or else they would be cut off from their access to Klyston, China assembled a massive fleet and laid siege to Japanese territory on Prospect. In a matter of days, half of the Emporium
’
s Klyston mines on the light side had fallen to Chinese forces. This was the beginning of the Colonial Wars.

A line in the sand was quickly drawn. On one side the aggressors, at least as David saw it; China, Korea, Indiasia, and the Siberian Republic. On the other side was the Japanese Emporium, the United States, and the Republic of Brazil. While many other nations declared themselves neutral in the dispute, each nation who claimed territory on Prospect found itself fighting to keep it at one time or another.

For two years the war was a gentleperson
’
s war, at least according to the intergalactic news agencies. The war was contained to Prospect. It was gruesome and bloody, but for the general public back on Earth it wasn
’
t anything to worry about. Even at the United Nations the Japanese and Chinese delegates were often seen interacting with each other. This all ended with the Shanghai Bombing.

On the Chinese New Year in 2265, the year of the snake, a nuclear device was detonated in Shanghai. Japan was immediately the prime suspect. Despite the Emporium
’
s constant claims of innocence, China and the other Equalists, as they liked to call themselves, were furious. Soon the Earth was plagued by the most brutal conflict of arms in human history. No country was safe. For three years the tribes of humanity were locked in terrible conflict. During his time in the US Marine Corps, David had heard great and terrible stories of battles at places like Antipolo, Capetown, and Hong Kong. The death toll across the planet was immense.

Then it all stopped. On December 29
^th
, 2267, China did the unthinkable. They commenced a nuclear attack against Japan. Up until this point, other than Shanghai, the nuclear option had been avoided by all nations involved. Like the stories in twentieth century history books of the Americans and the Soviets, most leaders were worried that the use of these weapons would escalate the conflict out of control.

The attack was devastating. Hundreds of ballistic missiles impacted the Japanese mainland. Taken by surprise, the other side fired back. It was said the force of the nuclear detonations could be felt around the globe. In that one strike the Japanese culture became nearly extinct. But the Colonial Wars were over.

As the desolation of the light side passed before his eyes, David found all of it ridiculous. Millions of people had died, cities and villages turned to rubble, an entire nation wiped off the face of Earth. What for? Some rock? Economic superiority?
I wouldn’t shed an ounce of blood for one square meter of this hell hole.
He was happy to stick to his meager living as an outlaw. He had served his time in a military outfit that was now extinct, fighting for pieces of rock that meant next to nothing to him. He would now leave the war waging and blood spilling to the PKs and the crazy politicians who manipulated them.

His attention was drawn away from the landscape outside. Mr. Black was walking down the aisle toward them.

“
I am pleased to inform you that we will be arriving at our destination shortly,
”
he said as he sat down.

“
It
’
s about damn time,
”
Alana grumbled, powering off her tablet. Her irritation and uneasiness with the whole Windcorp situation was starting to show too much. David would have to say something to her later.

“
When will we be getting to the ship?
”
David inquired, hoping to get any piece of additional information on the run.

“
Patience, Mr. Carpenter. This job is not going anywhere. Once we get to Dee-Six-Alpha there are some individuals who would like to speak with you. Then we will turn to the task of preparing you two for your flight.
”

David
’
s brow wrinkled.
“
Who wants to talk with us?
”
The less people they interacted with the better.

“
I cannot tell you that right now,
”
Mr. Black replied.
“
But you will find out soon enough. I promise it will not be unpleasant.
”

David was pretty sure that Mr. Black
’
s definition of unpleasant was different than his. This whole damn trip had been unpleasant. Nevertheless, there was little he could do but go along with it.
“
Wonderful.
”
The sarcasm appeared to be lost on Mr. Black.

The train rocketed along the track. The ridgelines outside continued to grow in height until the train was traveling down a deep canyon. And then they were underground. David felt his ears pop as they traveled into the depths of Prospect. Mine D6A must be harvesting very remote ore deposits.

After a few minutes, the darkness of the tunnel started to be interrupted by light. It wasn
’
t natural light. It was soft blue, the kind miners used. They must be getting close to the mine.

The train emerged into a gigantic cavern. It had to be half a kilometer long. Through the glass David watched as men and women in blue coveralls scrambled around on a long train platform, making last minute preparations. There were various types of forklifts along with the same types of mechs that had been working at the freight terminal.

When the train finally coasted to a stop Mr. Black stood up.
“
Welcome to Windcorp Mining Facility Dee-Six-Alpha. If you will follow me, please.
”

David and Alana gathered their gear and hustled off the train. Once on the platform, Mr. Black led them across the cavern to a tunnel entrance. He walked as if he were moving through an empty city park, but all around him was chaos. Workers were moving quickly to load and unload the train. It was not as smooth and graceful as the choreography in the freight terminal. David had to dodge and side step multiple pieces of heavy machinery.

Reaching the relative safety of the tunnel, Mr. Black began to play tour guide.
“
Dee-Six-Alpha was opened just five years ago,
”
he began.
“
It has been one our most productive Klyston mines to date. Last month, nearly four percent of all Klyston produced galaxy wide came from this mine.
”

“
Very impressive, Mr. Black,
”
David said.
“
But who exactly are we meeting?
”

“
All in good time, Mr. Carpenter,
”
Black deflected.
“
Now, as you know, Klyston is used to power faster than light
…”
He then went into a diatribe about the history of hyperspace travel. David felt it would not be a good idea to interrupt the man again.

He glanced at Alana. Her eyes were glazed over as she walked. Clearly she was completely ignoring anything Mr. Black had to say. David knew that she was growing restless. She hadn
’
t had any good excitement since the Skull Pit. That combined with the stress of this unusual and mysterious job was putting her on edge.
Just another day, Alana, that’s all I ask
.

David turned his attention outwards. The tunnel they were in was easily large enough for two hovers to pass each other. As the three of them walked, they passed various doors embedded in the rock. David could only guess where they all led. Something made him think a facility this large and well established was more than just a mine.

He looked at the tunnel walls. They were a dark grey, almost black color. David was not a geologist, but he recognized the rock as what Klyston was normally found in. It was rough like volcanic lava fields, yet strangely reflective. Now he wished he had been listening to Mr. Black. Maybe he could have learned something interesting about how Klyston was formed.

Then, as he was inspecting the strange rock, he noticed something. All of the rock was covered in a latticework of fine red lines. David knew what it was but had never seen it before. It was Rockworm.

Rockworm, or Ferenic dust as scientists called it, was a newly discovered phenomenon on the light side of Prospect. David had read about it in a magazine. It was a chalky substance found in the cracks and crevices of certain types of Prospectian rock. But that wasn
’
t the surprising part. The surprising part was that the chalk appeared to move.

Rockworm baffled scientists. The idea that a fine chalk buried underneath tons of rock could just move at will defied physics. Some argued that Rockworm must be some type of living organism. The more traditional scientists found the notion absurd. Apparently, extensive studies had been conducted by geologists and biologists alike, and neither were any closer to explaining the substance. And in all the tests not one useful application for Rockworm had been discovered.

Mr. Black led David and Alana down the tunnel until their path was blocked by a pair of blast doors. One of the two troopers guarding the doors stepped forward.

“
Good morning, Mr. Black.
”
He held out a thumb scanner.

Black placed his finger on the device.
“
Good morning. Is he here?
”

The thumb scanner blinked green and the trooper pulled it back to inspect the screen.
“
Yes, sir. He
’
s been waiting for you.
”
He looked at the two smugglers.
“
Sir, ma
’
am. If you wouldn
’
t mind scanning your fingers.
”

David hesitated and then surrendered his thumb. Alana followed suit. Once the trooper was satisfied, he nodded to the other guard who operated a control panel on the wall.

“
Thank you,
”
Black said, nodding cordially to the trooper.

“
Have a good day, Mr. Black.
”

The blast doors opened to reveal a large chamber filled with computer systems and personnel. There were at least twenty computer terminals all with men or women in tan uniforms at them working diligently. There were countless displays and monitors strewn about the walls. At the center was some type of large holo table displaying a large network of caves and tunnels. Around the table stood various men dressed in both uniforms and business suits. The whole set up reminded David of something he had seen many times before- a war room.

As the newcomers entered, the big wigs at the center of the room turned their attention to them. One man, dressed in a black business suit, headed over to greet them. He was bald and short in stature and his face had soft features, but something about him commanded authority. Behind him, the holo display flickered and vanished.

“
Mr. Black.
”
The new man shook Mr. Black
’
s hand.
“
I
’
m glad you could make it. We
’
ve been waiting eagerly for you.
”

Mr. Black flashed a smile.
“
The ride in was excellent as always, sir.
”