Last transmission, p.27
Last Transmission, page 27
When they were on the far side - out of the radio line-of-sight - Karma spoke. “We’ve got company.”
Mike looked out of the rear window. All he could see was the side of the dome and the dark shadow beyond. “They followed us?”
“Not the miners,” she said. “There was a SAM stationed in front of the garage. They saw us and they’re following. If Asterion has tipped Gus off they’ll be watching all the entrances.”
“So where are you going?”
“There’s an airlock on the far side the Gagarin. It was part of the original five domes. No one uses it anymore, but I’m sure it’s still there… if we can find it in time. It won’t take long for them to catch up with this piece of junk.”
They rounded the Ericson. The far side of the complex came into view gleaming in the direct sunlight. Gagarin was the third dome along. They were halfway there when there was a crackle of static in their helmets. Mike looked out of the cabin’s rear window. The SAM appeared from behind the curve of the Ericson dome.
A familiar voice came over the radio. “What are you guys doing here?” he said. “No miners until after they’ve gone. That was the deal. Hey! I know you can hear me. I’m on your wavelength. We’ve already got enough trouble with two hundred of the Earth’s richest assholes. We don’t need you making things worse. You need to back off. Hello. Talk to me. Don’t make this difficult.”
“Jason…?” said Karma.
“Karma..?”
“Hey. How’s it going?”
“Damn Karma,” he said. “What are you doing in a mine truck?”
“I’ll tell you about it sometime.”
“Gus has got half the station out looking for you. Is Mike there?”
“How you doing Jason?” said Mike. “Nice day for a ride.”
“I have no idea what you two are up to,” Jason said, “but Mike, you’ve got to come with us. Like I said, it’s started. All the tourists are being taken to the spaceport.”
“How long till the flight leaves?” Mike said.
“It lands in a couple of hours. They’ll be boarding straight away.”
“Thanks for the heads up. I’ll be there.”
“Gus wants to see you. He’s at the spaceport. Just follow me.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll find him. As soon as I’m done.”
“Can’t do that Mike. Sorry.”
“Come on Jason,” said Karma. “What’s the rush? We’re not going anywhere.”
“What is it with you two?” Jason said. “Haven’t you understood? This doesn’t matter anymore. I’m sorry for the girl who died, but it’s over. Nobody cares.”
Karma pointed to the outline of a door in the side of the Gagarin dome fifty yards ahead. She rolled her hand in a keep-him-talking gesture.
“I care,” said Mike. “And so should you. Due process matters Jason. Without it, everything you’re building here will fall apart. The next person who goes missing could be your wife or your daughter. And then what? Are you going to tell them nobody cares? What kind of future is that?”
“If I don’t get your asses to the spaceport, I won’t have a future here at all,” said Jason.
“‘Just following orders, eh?’” Mike said. “Is that the law in paradise?”
“No one said it has to be perfect here. Just better than back there.”
“Then you’re off to a bad start,” Mike said. “Trust and responsibility go hand in hand. You’re giving your life to people like Gus who are not telling you’re the truth.”
“Why don’t you take that up with him? Stop your truck.”
“OK Jason,” said Karma. “You’re not listening and there’s no point in us trying to outrun you. I’m going to pull over. We’ll get out and come with you.”
She stopped the truck at the foot of the Gagarin dome so that it obscured the view of the airlock. The driver door was on the far side from Jason. She opened it and beckoned for Mike to follow her out. They dropped out of sight of the SAM and closed the door. This side of the complex was little used, and the fused apron was clear of regolith. The metal door had a fist-sized indentation. Karma reached in and pulled at a latch. The door unlocked but was stuck fast. She tugged in silence until Mike stood beside her. She showed him the problem. He inserted his hand. He gave three sharp pulls with a grunt of effort on the last.
“What are you two doing in there?” Jason said. “No don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. Just get out where I can see you.”
The door hinged away from the wall. Mike grasped the edge with both hands and opened it. Inside was another door with a wheel lock. Karma spun it. The door opened. A light popped on inside revealing a space only big enough for one. Karma considered it for a moment.
“Come on lovebirds” said Jason. “Will you please get a move on?”
Karma pointed to her chest, then to the cabin. She held up both her fists, knuckles in. She sprung open her palms, flashing out all ten fingers, three times. Mike got the message. He gave her a thumb up. Karma stepped into the cabin. She pulled the door shut behind her. The wheel turned and Mike started counting.
The SAM pulled up on the far side of the miner’s truck. “Do we have to come and get you?” said Jason.
“Be right with you,” said Mike. “I just had to take a leak.” Jason nudged the SAM forward to the front of the flatbed. Mike stood facing the airlock, trying to obscure it for as long as possible
“Is that you Mike?” Jason said. “What are you doing?”
“My zipper’s stuck.”
“Where’s Karma?” said Jason.
“She’s just freshening up,” Mike said. “She’ll be out in… fifteen, fourteen, thirteen…”
“Jesus,” said Jason. “Is that an airlock? SAM, open up. Open the doors. Quick.” SAM would not be hurried. Procedures had to be observed. By the time they were completed, Mike was down to three with his hands on the wheel. It wouldn’t turn. He tried again, harder. It was locked fast. The first of three figures in surface suits descended from the SAM. Mike attempted to spin it anti clockwise. It was still locked. He went back to clockwise. He was sure thirty seconds were up.
The wheel unfroze with a jolt. He felt a weight on his shoulder. He turned. One of the suits was attempting to grasp him with his thick gloves. The two others were directly behind. Mike faced them; he pushed the closest in the chest. It wasn’t strong, but it was good enough in one-sixth gravity. The figure flew back and skittled into the other two. All three fell over. As they were righting themselves Mike finished spinning the wheel. The door unlocked. He pulled it open and stepped inside. There was a porthole in the door on the far side. Karma’s face peered through it. She raised her hand and made a rotating gestured. Mike closed the outer door. On the inside of it was another, smaller wheel. He spun it anti-clockwise as far as it would go. The cabin light flashed three times. Mike felt a strong wind buffet the outside of the suit from all directions. The regolith dust vanished into the walls. The light flashed again and the wheel on the inner door started to turn.
Karma had already stripped down to the coveralls she had been given in the mine. She was standing on one leg leaning against the wall of the narrow corridor. Her suit and helmet lay on the floor behind her. She helped Mike out and released his helmet. Mike lifted it off.
He took a deep breath. He glanced back into the airlock. “Can they follow us?”
“Not if we leave this door open,” she said. “The outer door stays sealed until the airlock is secure.” She started to unbuckle Mike’s suit. “What now?”
“Xandra,” he said. “We have to find her. She was Oakley’s lover. There’s a connection between Mary’s passcard and the hidden rooms where Xandra stayed. She must know something.”
“She’s probably already at the Spaceport,” said Karma. “Can you let go of your suit please?”
“I can’t,” he said. “I’m naked.”
“Well you can’t run around like a clown in this thing,” she said. “They’ll be here any minute. Come on, stop being such a baby.”
He grunted then said, “Turn around.” He let go of the suit and it dropped to his ankles. She turned back round. Mike crossed his hands over his privates. “Do you mind?”
“I have brothers,” she said. “I’ve seen it all before.”
“Not mine.”
“Well, to be truthful… when I saved you from the crater…”
“Alright, alright” he said. “I don’t want to know. Can we focus on something else, like finding me some clothes?”
“I have an idea,” she said. “Come on.” She hopped forward. They reached a main artery and stopped at the sound of voices. Ten yards to the left was a spiral staircase going down. The way was clear. Karma ushered Mike forward but stumbled. Mike picked her up and piggy-backed her down the stairs. “Keep your eyes front,” he said.
The basement area was filled with large tanks and service pipes. Sounds of pumping and whooshing filled the air. Karma guided them through, staying away from exposed areas.
“What’s that smell?” said Mike.
“This is the recycling zone,” Karma said.
“The one in the mines didn’t smell so bad,” he said.
“It’s a lot smaller,” she said. “This one caters for the whole of the hotel and admin. That’s four hundred and fifty people: a hundred and twenty kilograms of fecal product, four hundred and fifty liters of urine and five thousand liters of perspiration extracted from the air every day; not to mention, forty thousand watts of energy from body heat, two hundred thousand liters of carbon dioxide from respiration, a kilogram of dead skin, fifty thousand strands of hair and surprisingly large quantities of things like blood and semen.”
“Yuck,” said Mike. “Do you really recycle everything?”
“We sure do. 99.5 percent efficient.”
They reached the bottom of an unmarked stairwell. At the top they passed through an empty and silent corridor and up more stairs. “I can’t believe how quiet it is,” she said. She stopped outside room number 29. “This is it.” She got down and tapped Mary’s card against the door.
It opened directly into a conference room. There was a round table with six chairs and a tabletop screen. It was clean, tidy and impersonal. They passed into a living room with a couch, two easy chairs and a low table. There was an open kitchen identical to Karma’s on the left and a door on the right. Behind the couch was an orchid the height of a man with a fine display of velvet black flowers. A hooded hiking jacket was thrown over the back of the couch. A pair of lace-up boots lay nearby. Mike stared at them.
“Whose are those?” he said.
“Gus’.”
Mike nodded. “I thought I recognized them.”
“There’ll be more in the bedroom.”
“This is his apartment?”
She nodded. “Jason told us he was at the spaceport so...”
The double bed was unmade. The doors to the closet were open and empty of clothing except for a blue and black Jericho jump suit. A small suitcase lay open next to the bed. Some of the contents lay on the floor beside it. Karma sat on the bed and pulled out four T-shirts, two, white collared shirts, a pair of jeans, half a dozen shorts in colorful patterns and a dozen black socks. She placed them one by one on the bed. Mike grabbed the first pair of shorts and put them on. He grabbed a T-shirt.
Under the clothes, she found a colorful paper sac and a liter bottle of Jack Daniels. She picked up the bottle. “Tut tut,” she said. “That’s strictly verboten.” She threw it on the bed. She picked up the paper sac. It was pink and white striped and tied at the handles with a black ribbon bow. In the center was a white shield with the letters SK picked out in pink. She undid the ribbon and looked inside. She pulled out a flimsy piece of pink fabric and held it up. It was a short, diaphanous ladies’ nightgown. The neck and cuffs were trimmed with black ribbon. Karma laughed. “Here. Try this on.” Karma upended the bag onto the bed. Out fell a black and red polka-dot bra, a matching camisole, a garter and stocking.
“Not my color,” said Mike. He finished putting on a T-shirt and walked to the cupboard.
“Not his color either,” Karma said.
“I hate to break the illusion,” he said, “but I wasn’t his first-choice for this trip.” He took the jumpsuit off the hanger.
“I can see why he’s so pissed with you,” she said. She lifted the tag hanging from the camisole. “Svenskläder,” she read. “Made in Sweden. Very fancy.”
Mike stepped into the jump suit. “Sweden?”
“That’s what it says.”
He zipped up. He picked up the presentation bag and looked inside. Nothing. He picked up the lingerie, shook each piece and tossed it aside.
“What are you looking for?” she said.
“A receipt.”
“Why?”
“Just a wild idea,” he said. “I’ll tell you if you can find it.” He knelt down and examined the suitcase. There were two zip pockets. He opened the first and put his hand inside. Nothing. The second contained two packets of Camel cigarettes.
Meanwhile, Karma went into the living room and picked up the jacket. A search of the inner pockets turned up a lighter and a pair of sunglasses. The left-hand outer pocket was empty. But the second provided a small crumpled piece of white paper. She unpicked it.
“Like this?” she said. She smoothed it out on the coffee table. Mike joined her.
It was a receipt. At the top was the name Svenskläder. Underneath it was a barcode and lots of numbers. There were five line-items totaling 2340,35 SEK. Beneath them was the date and time of the purchase. The very last line read ‘thank you for shopping at Stockholm Arlanda Airport.’
Mike shook his head. “Why didn’t I see it before?”
“What?” said Karma.
“This receipt puts Gus in Sweden the day of Pedersen’s death. He must have flown from there straight to New Mexico. That’s why he was late arriving at the spaceport.”
“What was he doing in Sweden?”
“Take a guess,” said Mike. “A woman at the harbor saw two men board Pedersen’s boat. The other was tall and they were speaking in English. It was the last anyone saw of them before the accident. This,” he stabbed at the receipt, “shows Gus was in Sweden at the airport buying lingerie while the police were dragging the lake for bodies. I’m guessing they’ll only ever find one. The timing works. And it explains other things that have been bugging me like the heavy jacket, the hiking boots and his injured hand.”
“You think he killed him?”
“I think he’s capable of it. He’s an ex-cop. He knows there’s no way of determining if a drowning was accident or murder. He drowns Pedersen, dumps the body, scuttles the boat then hikes across country to the nearest train station.”
“But why?”
“Because Pedersen was standing in the way of independence for their little colony.”
“Gus isn’t a Selenist,” said Karma. “He makes all the right noises. But he’s not a believer. Not like Jason and the others. He’s too… I don’t know, cynical.”
“A man who doesn’t have convictions doesn’t have a conscience,” said Mike. “They paid him.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. The Selenists, Adams…”
“Adams and Pedersen were friends,” she said.
“Have you seen his plans for New Jericho?” he said. “It isn’t just a city. It’s a whole new civilization. And that’s just the beginning. While Pedersen was watching the profit margin, Adams has been preparing for the next thousand years. I don’t think he would let anything get in the way. He’s a man with big ambition and a short lifespan. He doesn’t have time to let nature take...”
He was interrupted by the tinkle of wind chimes. He looked around, puzzled.
“It’s the doorbell,” Karma said, indicating the front door, visible from the lounge. The chimes rung again: a soft atonal sound. “Cute,” said Mike. “Maybe I was wrong about the lingerie. Can they get in?”
“Not without Gus’ passcard.” She hopped to the door and tapped an icon on the panel to the right. A window opened up in the top half of the door revealing the corridor and people outside. Mike froze.
“It’s just a screen,” Karma said. “They can’t see us.”
Three men were facing the door. A fourth in front of them had his back to it.
“I know them,” said Karma. “Those are all hardcore Selenists.”
Mike joined her at the door. “Can we hear what they’re saying?”
Karma touched the panel again. The sound faded in on a cross-conversation
“…about the others?”
“They’re whores for Christ’s...”
“No one’s going to notice if they never go back.”
“What’s so special about this one?”
The man with his back to the door turned around and pressed the doorbell again. “It isn’t about her you idiots,” he said. “Where the hell is Gus?”
Mike recognized him. “Barbaro.”
“What?”
“The lawyer I told you about from the relay station. I’m more convinced than ever he killed John Oakley. Do you know him?”
“Never seen him before.”
“Hold on,” Mike said. “What’s he…?”
“…not a whore,” Barbaro said. “When we find Xandra we find Mary Datt. Anyone who doesn’t like it can go get a job in the mines.” He pointed to each of the others in turn. “Rob, Admin. Yoshi, Residential. Turner, Technical and Maintenance. Go through every single room. Don’t forget the basements. I’m going to find Gus.”
The men set off in different directions.
Karma turned to Mike. As she did so, she placed her injured foot on the ground and cried out in pain. Mike held her. He lifted her up and carried her to the couch in the lounge. She slumped into it. Mike lifted up her foot by the calf.
