Mission Origin View (Final Days Trilogy) (16 page)

“
Sorry, Commander. Doctor Kastriva couldn’t attend the meeting due to other commitments. I’ll be talking with him soon,” Director Buru said. “Please except my invitation to dinner this evening. I’ll make sure Doctor Kastriva is there. We’ll discuss the expedition with him, and if he would like to accompany you, he has permission from the Communal Tribal
Union to do so. Meanwhile, you’ll be escorted to a lounge, where you can relax until dinner.”

“
Thank you, Director. I’d like to contact my ship and inform them of our plans this evening,” Commander Steward requested.

“
Of course, Commander. I’ll arrange for you to contact your ship from the lounge,” the director replied.

Sensing
that the director was stalling and would likely hold the envoy team hostage, Gideon decided to give the director something to think about and possibly assist the extract team in locating Dr. Kastriva.

“
Director, before we departed the
Stephen Hawking
earlier today, Doctor Kastriva tried to contact us, but his transmission was loss. Do you know what he was trying to contact us about?” Gideon asked.

Gideon saw the
director’s eyes widen as he fought for something to say. The question also surprised the rest of the envoy team, but they said nothing.

“
I’m not sure, Doctor,” Director Buru said in a way that wasn’t as calm as he usually spoke. “I’ll look into it. Please follow your escort to the lounge.”

“
Thank you, Director,” Gideon said.

The e
nvoy team followed the soldiers to the lounge as Director Buru quickly made his way to Assistant Leeward.

***

“Assistant Leeward, we may have a problem. Connect me to the commander in charge of guarding Doctor Kastriva!” Director Buru ordered almost hysterically.

Assistant Leeward connected the
director to Commander Dewitt.

“
Commander, I’ve reason to believe Doctor Kastriva has access to a communications device. Find it!” Buru demanded.

“
Yes, Director,” Commander Dewitt said.

The vigilant S
-TIC picked up the communication and marked it to be sent in the next message to the
Stephen Hawking
. The S-TIC also noted the communications source and destination.

Combat Control Center, SRS
Stephen Hawking

1605
—February 21, 2372

“
Captain, Stephen received another message from the S-TIC. We know where Doctor Kastriva is being held,” an excited
Ensign
Young said. He paused to calm down and continued. “He’s being held in his home.”

“
Very good,
Ensign
. Connect me to Extract One,” Mary said with a big smile.

Captain Bowser briefed Captain
Neubauer
on the location of Dr. Kastriva, and Tidwell immediately prepared to enter the Gliese
atmosphere. Mary ordered Captain
Neubauer to land at the designated landing zone and wait for further instructions before continuing the extraction mission. If possible, she wanted to know the status of the envoy team before the biosphere was breached. She should’ve heard something from the envoy team by now.

“
Captain, I have a Director Buru standing by to speak with you about the envoy team,” Ensign Young said. “He says it’s urgent.”

“
I bet it is, Ensign,” Mary said with an angry frown. She had a gut feeling it would be bad news. “Put him on.”

A moment later, Ensign Young nodded that Mary could speak.

“This is Captain Bowser. What can I do for you, Director?” Mary asked.

“
I’ll get right to the point, Captain. I’ve reason to believe your trip here is a ploy to gather intelligence about the Communal Tribal
Union. The so-called envoy team will be held here for interrogation, and your ship will be detained until the matter is resolved. Please make no attempts to leave Gliese space or rescue your team,” Buru said.

“
Director, we’re on a peaceful expedition. Your claims are outrageous! I demand that you release the envoy team and allow our ship to leave,” Captain Bowser responded in a tone that only a ship captain would use to assert his or her authority.

“
Captain, four fighters are on an intercept vector,” Stephen reported.

“
I’ll contact you again soon, Captain,” Buru said, and then disconnected the communications channel.

Mary selected a com link to the bridge from her console. “
Lieutenant LaPalm, monitor those fighters. If they fire on us, take them out.”

“
Yes, sir,” LaPalm replied.

“
Ensign
Young, connect me with Captain
Neubauer,” Mary said.

“
Captain Neubauer is on the com,” Ensign Young replied a few seconds later.

“
Captain, what’s your status?” Mary asked.

“
We’ve landed at LZ Alpha. Waiting orders, sir,” Captain Neubauer answered.

“
Go ahead with the extraction,” Mary said. She paused a second and added, “I was notified by the
Communal Tribal
Union
that the envoy team is being held hostage and is going to be interrogated. Get Kastriva out of there as quick as you can, and then we’ll deal with getting our envoy team back if they’re not able to link up with you.”

“
Yes, sir,” Captain Neubauer answered, his voice laced with anger at the
Communal Tribal
Union.

“
Captain Bowser,” Commander Pettway said once Mary had finished speaking with Captain
Neubauer.

“
Yes, Doctor.”

“
I have the information you requested.”

“
Go ahead, Doctor.”

“
Bottom line, sir, the atmosphere can’t support human life. No problem with pressure, but the temperature varies between zero to minus-ten Celsius, and there’s simply not enough oxygen to breathe. Anyone without an atmospheric suit would die from suffocation before hypothermia set in.”

“
Thank you, Doctor,” Mary said. She realized even if the envoy team could somehow escape and link up with the extract team, there weren’t enough atmospheric suits to get everyone back to
Bernice
. 

Marine Assault VTOL
Bernice
, LZ Alpha, Planet Gliese

1620
—February 21, 2372

“
We’re a go,” Captain
Neubauer said over the VTOL intercom and then turned to Sergeant
Tidwell. “You know what to do if there’s a problem.”

“
Yes, sir,” Tidwell answered. “If there’s a problem, wait for any team members who can make it back to
Bernice
, take off and wait in orbit for orders.”

***

In the cargo bay, Xia was getting the team ready. “You heard the man,” he bellowed. “Get your gear on and prepare to move out.”

Minutes later the extract t
eam was geared up and ready. Captain Neubauer
had made his way to the cargo bay and told Xia to open the cargo bay doors.

The doors open
ed, and the ramp extended toward the ground. As soon as the ramp touched the surface, the marines were out and set up a defensive parameter around
Bernice
.

C
arrying the heavy breaching tool, Joseph followed
Sergeant Kindle and lay down beside him until he was told to do otherwise.

After a few minutes,
Captain Neubauer used his Anna to transmit a move-out chime and ordered the team to enable their armor camouflage. He’d decided to use chimes and hand signs during the mission to minimize the chance of being detected.

As planned
, Sergeant Manelly took point as the rest of the team followed. Joseph heard the tone, didn’t understand it, and wasn’t sure if he’d been told what it meant. Anyway, he decided not to move and watched Kindle for instructions. Finally Kindle got up and motioned for Joseph to follow. Joseph stood as Kindle faded into the background. Joseph had been briefed to walk slowly and keep the outline of Kindle’s armor in sight once the team was camouflaged. The armor camouflage, though very effective, left a slight outline of the wearer. If Joseph lost sight, he was to stop and wait for Kindle to come back and get him.

The team walked to a nearby shallow ravine. They
’d follow the ravine to within five meters of the biosphere.

The ravine
’s
turquoise-and-gray
surface contained patches of snow. The marines’ armor camouflage system continually changed hues and brightness to adjust to the surrounding surface. Joseph had to constantly refocus his eyes to see the vague outline of Kindle ahead of him. The other team members could see their teammates clearly by using the heads-up display in their helmets that filtered out the camouflage of their armor.

As they walked
, Joseph tried his best to walk as quietly as possible. His heart pounded as adrenaline flowed through his veins. To him, the pounding was so loud that he thought the marines would hear it.

As the team neared the biosphere, Sergeant Manelly slowed the pace down. He
’d take a few steps and wait half a minute as he looked for any signs of movement. At 1705, they were at the biosphere wall. Xia signaled Kindle, Manelly, and Gault to begin breaching the biosphere. Kindle momentarily disabled his armor camouflage and motioned for Joseph to place the breaching tool by the biosphere. Then he pointed to a nearby rock for Joseph to hide behind.

***

Within minutes the marines had set up and attached the breaching tool to the smooth surface of the biosphere. Manelly used the BR34 breaching tool’s control panel to start the breaching process. The tool first expanded to create a small room that would be used as the access and exit hatch to the biosphere. Next the tool cut out a three-foot-wide-by-seven-foot-tall section of the surface of the biosphere wall. The tool quickly added sealing insulation and hatch attachments to this cutout section and turned it into a hatch. A flexible door that self-sealed when closed, offered access to the expanded room from the outside.

As s
oon as the process was completed, the control panel indicated that the breach was successful. The marines were ready to enter the biosphere to find and extract Dr. Kastriva.

Science Division Building, Canton Mie Biosphere

1630
—
February 21, 2372

The lounge where the e
nvoy team had been asked to stay provided a few necessary comforts: a small restroom, couches, chairs, and two tables with bowls, which contained plastic fruit as decoration. There was also a cabinet located between the tables that contained real food and drinks.

The lounge was located on the outside corridor on the seventeenth floor. The outside wall had
a built-in cylindrical, curved window that gave the team a clear view of the north side of the Canton Mie
biosphere. The inside lounge walls were painted blue, and the floor was covered with what looked like natural rock cut into pieces resembling a completed jigsaw puzzle. Gideon noted that the lounge didn’t have a communications-access console, and assumed the lounge was being monitored. Conversations among the envoy team were only about the meeting, and nothing was discussed about the extraction mission. If either Dr. Harper or Dr. Jones started talking about anything unrelated to the expedition meeting, either he or Commander Steward would change the subject back to the meeting.

Half an hour later, Commander Steward had
n’t yet been allowed to contact the
Stephen Hawking
. Gideon assumed they were now hostages, and began formulating an escape plan. As he was carefully looking at everything in the lounge that may help them escape, the lounge door opened, and Director Buru entered.

“
I apologize that I haven’t visited you sooner, but a few minor things came up which I had to attend to. I’m sure you understand,” Buru explained.

“
Of course, Director,” Commander Steward replied. “May I contact my ship now and let them know we’ll be staying for dinner?”

“
No need, Commander. I contacted Captain Bowser myself and told her of our dinner plans,” Buru said. “I wanted to see if she would join us for dinner, but she declined. I did note that she didn’t look at all ill. Hopefully she’s feeling better.”

“
Thank you, Director, but I’d like to speak to Captain Bowser myself, if possible. I need to-“