The Agathon: Book One (7 page)

“It is this world’s cockroach,” he had told an unimpressed Barrington. He knew Barrington just wanted it destroyed, but he had held him off to try and learn what he could about it. He turned his attention back to the display.

The orbiting space station had been completely obliterated but there were several Jycorp ships scheduled for cargo and personnel runs to and from the moons of Mars and the colony itself. If their outer shields had been able to protect against the ionising radiation, there could still be survivors. Although less concerned with this area of the event than the reason for the change in the signal, Tyrell thought it would be prudent to at least examine this possibility. He entered a new algorithm into the search parameters, to detect energy signatures emitted from spacefaring craft, and let it run. He instructed the computer to begin filtering out background radiation, to try and lock onto signals being sent from both Phobos and any other ships in the vicinity. The computer began to process the data while Tyrell turned his attention to the expanding mass of rock.

“Computer, what is the status of the signal?” Tyrell said, while making his observations.

“Signal has reverted to previously established patterns, Doctor,” came the familiar female voice.

“They hit us hard and went to sleep?” he said out loud.

“Please repeat request,” the computer said.

“Never mind,” he said. Then something occurred to him. “Computer, can you scan the debris field and begin a trajectory plot for the debris fragments? Then begin a collision threat analysis.”

“Of course, Doctor, beginning now,” she said calmly.

“Doctor, I have found something which falls into the parameters, as outlined by your request. Could you please direct your attention to coordinates indicated on the screen?” He tapped some commands into the panel.

“Can you give me a visual?” he asked

“Of course, Doctor, one moment.” The screen lit up. An enormous black shadow filled the visual, almost completely blocking out the surrounding star field. At first Tyrell thought there had been a malfunction in the display, until he adjusted the visual contrast manually. The unmistakable contours of rock and ice formed on the screen. The surface of the rock was molten and had begun to glow with an eerie electric crimson. The surrounding edges left a trail of ice and companion debris fragments.

“Computer, size and course of object?” he asked.

“Object is approximately 1100 miles in diameter and is on a direct course for impact with planet Mars.”

Tyrell looked at the continent of rock, as it appeared motionless. A strange fear began to embrace him. It was a curious sensation. An odd urgency began to take hold. Perhaps the insects had not been so lucky after all. He glanced over at the sample of The Black and stood from his chair. He took a breath and made his way out of the lab and back towards the others. He caught the eye of Barrington, who immediately knew something was wrong. Walking over to the group, he called to Carrie.

“Carrie, I need you to input a new set of coordinates into the viewing chamber.” Carrie frowned with curiosity, but obeyed Tyrell’s request. She made her way over to the chamber and took her seat. As she tapped in the information sent to her control panel from Tyrell’s station, the viewing chamber came to life. The enormous piece of rock floated casually in the glass cube.

“What am I looking at, Tyrone?” Barrington said. There was silence in the group. Tyrell sighed.

“The apocalypse, John.”

3

Time since
Evacuation
– Four Hours

“C
hancellor, can you hear me?” came a familiar, yet distant voice. The haze began to clear as the senator looked outwards towards the twinkling light. “The disorientation will pass. Try and open your eyes slowly. You are safe.”

She looked to her right, as the form of James Ryder came into focus. Her head felt groggy and her lips were dry. She cleared her throat, which felt tight.

“What the hell happened?” she said, holding her head.

“You are on board the Nexus,” came the reply. She looked around and noted the unmistakable appearance of her personal shuttle. The comfortable surroundings and high clean lines were something she had taken a liking to when she had first sat in the luxurious ship. Two members of her security detail were seated on the other side of the shuttle. They nodded to her.

“How are you feeling, Chancellor?” came the deep baritone voice of her head of security, Greyson Kane, a formidable ex colonial Marine from the Congo region of New Africa. She was relieved to see him. The other member of her detail was Kevin Ruffalo. Although physically not as foreboding as Kane, his accuracy with sidearm was legendary among the protection detail.

“Hello, Greyson. I am well, thank you. Would somebody please explain to me what is happening?”

Ryder sat back in his leather chair and glanced out at the stars. “A few hours ago I was given an order to execute executive order Alpha. Given that protocol there was no time to discuss actions until you were safely transported to the orbital platform. In order to do that you were rendered unconscious for your own safety.” He took a slow breath.

“Chancellor, it is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that the planet Earth has been completely destroyed.”

She looked at Ryder. “What?”

He continued, “As it turns out the shift in the signal carried with it a powerful Gamma ray emission which destabilized the core, causing it to detonate. I’m sorry, Sienna, but it’s gone. We barely survived ourselves. Our engines have sustained heavy damage and our life support systems are cutting out due to the ionizing radiation levels in the area. The outer shield is holding for the time being, but we still have a long way to go.”

This was a moment that she had never planned for and the magnitude started to overwhelm her. She turned to the window but was unable to contain the tear that rolled down her cheek. She covertly wiped it away and addressed her chief of staff.

“Survivors?”

“We lost most of the orbital platforms and orbiting vessels in the explosion. We set a course for Phobos the moment we got off world, so we caught the tail end of the detonation. There are several transport ships ahead of us. We don’t know how many or what shape they are in.”

“Who survived, Jim?” Sienna pressed.

“Your senior aides, the
off
-world colonies, obviously, and a few trade and supply vessels on various runs.” He paused again. “We also lost contact with the moon. I am sorry.”

She felt a profound sadness take hold. “My brother?” she asked.

“We have no communications with anyone at the moment. Radiation levels are too high, so honestly we don’t know. My guess is that the colony and structures were lost in the blast. We have no way of really knowing and are currently unable to do a visual due to the expanding debris field.”

The chancellor’s head began to spin. “I need a glass of water, Jim.” Her chief of staff immediately jumped to order and poured her a tall glass from a jug that was sitting on a neighbouring platform. He handed it to her and she drank deeply. She steadied her shaking hand and looked at Ryder in the eye. He was clearly shaken.

“I suppose I owe you thanks for saving my life,” she said quietly, while watching the stars go by.

“Actually, I just took the order. The big man put it into effect.” He nodded in the direction of Greyson Kane. “Had him carry you to the shuttle once we’d knocked you out with anesthazine. Again, sorry about that but it’s procedure.” She looked at Greyson and gave the large African an earnest smile and a nod. He reciprocated and turned his attention back to the window.

“Young gave the order while you were on the phone?” she asked. Ryder gestured with his hands to indicate she had guessed correctly. She nodded.
Thank you, Jerome.

“What do we know from the signal station on Phobos, before comms went blank?” she asked.

“Very little at this stage. We know that the signal amplification incorporated Gamma emissions and we evacuated on the orders of Jerome Young. We have not been able to raise anyone since the event and have set a course in the hope that the radiation levels will clear in the next
thirty
-two hours or so.”

The chancellor took a breath. “Okay, Jim, let’s get everyone we have on board into the observation deck and have discussions about where we go from here. I need to get some input. Give me a half hour to get my thoughts together. These people need to know that someone is still making decisions. What is the headcount on board?”

Ryder paused. “The head count?” he asked. “I honestly don’t know, Chancellor. We didn’t have time to take one. I will attend to that now and get back to you.”

Sienna was annoyed at that. “Jim, if we are the only survivors of the planet Earth, it would be nice to know how many humans we were able to save on board. Don’t you think?”

“Of course, Chancellor, I will get right on it.” As he made his way to the oval door that reacted to his presence with gliding fluidity, she stopped him once more.

“Jim, did you get Laura out?”

He turned back and met her eyes. “I am sorry, Chancellor, it was key personnel only and there simply wasn’t time.” He bowed his head and walked out of the room. The chancellor’s heart sank and her chest began to fill with rage. Her assistant and new
mother
-
to
-be had been such a vibrant spirit.
Jerome Young, you son of a bitch
.

Phobos

Time Since
Evacuation
– Four hours thirty minutes

“Emerson, get the reactor levelled off to
ninety
-two percent before we blow the whole place to high heaven!” shouted Tosh at the top of the metallic gangway.

The rising heat in the chamber was becoming unbearable for the large man, but he had remained to assist the young Irish engineer. Landon Emerson’s legs were visible from where Tosh was sitting on the bridge. The rest of his body was firmly hidden from view under the array of twisted metallic pipes and cables that made up the main base reactor.

“No shit, Tosh!” came the sharp Irish brogue.

“I am trying not to freeze myself solid with coolant right now, can ye gimme five fuckin’ minutes?”

Tosh responded with silence, but kept his eyes fixed on the rising pressure readouts from computers above the gangway. Tosh had given Emerson a wide berth, given his attitude and the situation they were currently in. The comms chirped.

“Tosh, it’s Young. Talk to me.”

“We’re at one hundred and three percent, Jerome. Landon is under the main coolant distribution nodes, trying to access the manual override. It’s getting pretty warm down here. Might be a good idea to start thinking about getting everyone off. If we can’t get a handle on this, we’re done here.” Tosh didn’t fancy his chances of getting clear if the reactor went into meltdown. He didn’t like the idea of leaving his friend down here to die alone either.

“Tosh, I’m going to leave this channel open. I want updates every two minutes. Young out.” The comms chirped twice to indicate an open channel and Tosh acknowledged the head of Jycorp.

Beads of sweat were starting to roll down his ample cheeks. He had opened his tunic up and his sleeves were as far up his arms as they would allow. Tosh was still curious as to how they were all still alive. The feedback pulse from the Gamma burst that had destroyed the planet had shaken the small moon so violently that two of the equipment hangars had decompressed, killing
thirty
-four personnel. Through some miracle, the base reactor had remained relatively unharmed, other than a coolant lock that was now threatening a core meltdown.

“One zero four, Landon. I think it’s time to go.” Tosh was now beginning to get nervous. No response from Emerson down below.

“Landon!” he shouted. “Come on, Paddy, it’s time to light some fires and get the hell outta Dodge.”
Not that it will matter much
, thought Tosh. At one hundred and six percent it was all over and, at this rate, the odds of even getting out of the chamber were slim. He looked at the gauge. One hundred and five.

“Emerson, let’s go! NOW!” He looked over the platform but couldn’t see Emerson any more.

“For fuck’s sake,” he shouted at himself. From beneath the curved and twisting metal a head appeared, which looked up to the platform and smiled.

“Got it!” Emerson shouted. Tosh looked up at the pressure reaction readouts. One hundred and one percent and falling.
Ninety
-nine,
ninety
-eight. He looked down at his large legs and sighed. Wiping a layer of sweat from his brow, he signalled to the young Irishman.

“Good lad. Good lad. Now get back up here, we have work to do before you give me a fucking heart attack.”

Emerson gave a mock salute. “On my way.” He slid out from under the machinery and stood up. His black overalls were covered in fluid and his hands were filthy. He made his way up the steps to the gangway, where Tosh was seated. With a shaved head and carefully unkempt stubble, Tosh often joked that he looked like Jack Tanner, a film star from back on Earth. He was a favourite among the female residents on the small moon and frequented the bedrooms of many of them on a regular basis. The playful rogue used his dry Irish humour, much to the delight and frustration of the opposite sex. He reached Tosh and put a hand on his shoulder

“Gotta say, Danny boy, I’m impressed that you stuck it out. I never thought of ending my days on this moon with you for company. No offence, but that’s not how I intend to check out.” Tosh gave him a grin and turned his chair back towards the main airlock, which had been sealed during the crisis. He keyed in some commands and the metallic circul
ar door slid open, revealing a small group of onlookers all wearing the same overalls as Emerson.

“You all look like you’ve seen a ghost,” said Tosh, as he slid past calmly.

“If you would all be so kind as to attend to the reactor, while we ascertain the level of damage to the base, that would be splendid.” He reached for the comms system on his chair and tapped. “Jerome, this is Tosh. We got it under control here. Emerson and I are on our way back to signal control. Do you want to meet us there?”

There was a small pause. “Well done, Daniel. See you in five. Young out.” The abrupt communiqué told Tosh that Young was probably elbow deep in problems up there. All hell had broken loose following the signal shift. There was a moment of total shock and awe, as the flash of broken rock had filled the observational screens. Comms from Earth had gone dead in an instant. The scientists and engineers in signal control had become statues. Like
wide
-eyed figurines waiting to be placed in position. Then the ground had begun to shake. Tosh had remembered looking at Young, who was looking at the screens. He had shaken his head in confusion and bewilderment when their eyes had met, and grabbed a nearby upright to stop his chair from flipping on its side. He had heard a female technician shouting over the noise.

“Reactor 2 is going critical! Coolant leak on 1.”

Tosh had screamed to Emerson who had fallen next to the processing tower at the back of the control room. “Landon, let’s go!” Emerson had responded immediately and they had scrambled to the reactor.