"Very, captain." Commander Anders stiffly saluted and left the room, staring straight ahead.

  That wasn't like Anders at all, Winter thought. He's not been himself lately but that may be simply down to stress. Winter made a mental note to speak with Doctor Betts on the subject. Maybe she could have a talk with Lars and discover if anything was wrong.

  ***

  At that same time, Redmayne had his own concerns to address. The response from Alex was not one he had expected. Someone in the Russian camp either had a warped sense of humor or they were seriously overestimating his skills. Although he had the utmost confidence in his own abilities, this was going to be the ultimate challenge for him. The location of the Sentinel craft was no longer enough. The Russians wanted to know they would have access to the craft when they landed.

  Tom was disappointed that he had not anticipated this request. Once the Russians committed to a landing on the plateau so close to Alpha Base, there would be an international outcry. Time would be of the essence to control the situation, which meant there would be no time to waste attempting to contact the Sentinels and gain access. There was also the probability that the Sentinels could relocate their craft. Finding them again would be like looking for a needle in a haystack with the Russian lander forced to return to the Andropov.

  He sat at his science station, absently tapping a pen on the corner of the desk, working out in his mind how he could regain control of the situation. He was not sure what options he had. He doubted the Russians would expose him if he refused to help or failed in his attempt unless they decided he was no longer a valuable asset. His strong position was now looking more tenuous.

  Reaching the plateau, five miles straight up, was the easy part. A two-person jetcopter was stowed on Aquarius for surveying the terrain outside the crater. He was sure that it hadn't yet been unloaded though and knew he would require the help of someone else as the jetcopter was large and unwieldy.

  The only person likely to assist him was probably Commander Anders, but it was a dangerous game he was playing. Taking the jetcopter was a one-way ticket; he'd never be able to offer an adequate explanation to Captain Winter. That stakes were that high. He would have to succeed and join the Russians or fail and be confined to quarters for the rest of the mission. He knew which option he preferred.

  The tough part was figuring out how to convince the Sentinels to welcome him aboard. That required further thought and careful planning. But the rewards for success would be immense. He was convincing himself that such rewards far exceeded the risk of failure.

  Redmayne discovered Commander Anders in the common room, reading some reports on his tablet device while eating a protein bar. "Lars, have you got a few minutes?" he asked.

  Anders put down the tablet on the table in front of him. "Yes, Tom. If it's urgent"

  "It is. I've been giving a lot of thought to the aliens. I'm really concerned about the safety of all of us. Don't you think it's reckless of the captain to not carry out some level of reconnaissance so we know where we can go. It's as if we're walking around in blindfolds when we could bump into an alien at any moment. We still don't know for sure if they're hostile or friendly."

  Anders nodded in agreement with Redmayne's sentiment. "I spoke with the captain about this earlier. Neither he nor General Stockton are overly concerned and aren't willing to do anything. To me, they simply don't have a plan and instead are happy to stick their heads in the sand. By the time they do decide, it will be too late."

  Pleased that the commander didn't agree with the passive approach being taken by the captain, Redmayne saw there was an opportunity to manipulate those misgivings. "You saw how the captain rejected my suggestions out of hand last night. There was no need for the stance he took."

  "Yes, I noticed. I tried to support you, but Captain Winter was having none of it. And now he's side-lined me, giving me the snag list to resolve instead of more important tasks. He could have given this job to the chief or even Rashid."

  Redmayne nodded, knowingly. He looked around the room furtively to make sure no one was in earshot before saying in a low voice, "I don't know about you, Lars, but I've seen how the captain speaks to you and the jobs you're assigned. You're clearly not the favorite."

  "I'm sure that's not true. Everyone on this expedition has an equal say." The commander didn't sound convinced, so Redmayne twisted the knife.

  "Is that what you really believe? Captain Winter keeps Georgia close, along with the chief and the doctor. They were the people who knew about Georgia's dreams and suspicions before you were told. Even Joe Mancuso gets the plum jobs. You saw in the meeting that they spoke with one voice. Winter didn't listen to either of us. You're supposed to be second in command and I'm chief scientist. He should give us both more respect than he does."

  "Tom, I can see you're frustrated. We have to trust that the captain is doing the right thing. He won't let anyone come to harm."

  "Your loyalty is admirable. How can you know for sure we're safe? Georgia has nearly died twice, and we were all at risk because of the asteroid strike. It was only thanks to you that this base was operational in time to save us. I'm not sure if the captain is up for the task. He's counting down the days to his retirement."

  The commander looked frantically around to ensure no one was listening to their conversation, before whispering, "I hope you're not suggesting mutiny. This is the twenty-first century, not the eighteenth. You can't take over the ship and leave the captain marooned on a passing moon."

  "That isn't what I'm saying," replied Redmayne. "But I am convinced you would be a stronger leader than Winter. You're younger and have more ambition, I'm sure. I trust you far more."

  "You'll find out if you can wait for the next crew rotation."

  "Yes, but that may be too late for us! I simply believe we need a different approach with the Sentinels. It wouldn't hurt to find out a little more about them. Who knows when our next opportunity will be to encounter aliens? Perhaps not during our lifetime. Maybe you could go down as the person brave enough to make contact. Georgia doesn't count as her encounter was accidental."

  Anders thought about it for a moment. Redmayne could tell he'd struck a chord and that the commander had a secret desire to see his name be immortalized. "What would you say if I told you I have discovered the location of the Sentinels' ship?"

  Anders' mouth flopped open. "I would say that's impossible. How could you possibly do that? We thought they camouflaged it to avoid detection."

  "I am chief scientist for a reason, Lars," Redmayne replied smugly. It is hidden by a form of cloaking technology. But I sent out a drone yesterday with some modified sensors. And I found it!"

  "You did what?" Anders was incredulous. "That was incredibly stupid. And against explicit orders."

  "Nothing's happened so far, so I got away with it."

  Anders' shock quickly turned to suspicion. "Why are you telling me this now? You could have kept the information to yourself. Or shared it directly with the captain and let him decide what to do."

  Maybe he wasn't as gullible as Redmayne thought, but without skipping a beat he replied, "Because I need you for the next step. And I'd like you to help me make contact with the Sentinels. Their craft is up on the ridge and the only way to get to it is with the jetcopter. I was hoping you'd help set it up with me and then we can go for a test flight."

  "I'm not so sure about that. It's a big step and it would leave us exposed if the Sentinels spot us. Let me give it some thought."

  "Thanks, Lars. That's all I could ask for. The last thing I want is for you to do something you're uncomfortable with. Although I'm sure it will be viewed well on your record if you establish more details about the aliens or save crew members." Redmayne decided to stop there. Pleased with himself, he left Anders to his thoughts. He'd planted enough seeds, but he couldn't push Anders any further.

  ***

  Georgia had been running on the treadmill for about fifteen minutes when Jim walked in ready to start his own workout. She removed her headphones and smiled at him, as he dropped his towel on the weight bench and started his warm-up exercises. "Are you following me?" she asked.

  "Would it be a bad thing if I was?" he replied with a wink. "It's far more fun exercising with a friend."

  "Ah, is that what I am now? A friend. What was I before?"

  Jim flinched. She was always too quick for him. "You were a colleague. Now I've promoted you. You should be honored. I don't have many true friends."

  "I do feel honored to be in such an exclusive club. Now stop stretching and get running with me. Friend."

  They spent the next thirty minutes continuing their friendly banter as they ran together. They were so absorbed in each other they hadn't noticed how much time had passed until Georgia's timer rang out. By now, her body was flushed, and she wasn't sure if it was from the exercise or Jim's close proximity. Either way, she knew that she was enjoying his company and didn't want it to end.

  She stepped from the treadmill and tried her luck. "I'm in need a shower after that run. Care to join me?"

  Jim was clearly surprised by Georgia's sudden request but quickly recovered his composure and stopped his machine. Giving her a big smile, he said, "Why not? I can always run again tomorrow." He collected his towel and followed Georgia to the shower room.

  Chapter 53

  Redmayne was awake early again. He still didn't know whether his plan would succeed, but he had to start as soon as possible. He was sure he'd said enough to convince Commander Anders. But Anders was a weak man and, therefore, not entirely reliable.

  The significant issue of accessing the Sentinel craft also still needed to be addressed. He had hoped for some divine intervention to help guide him to an answer but, as yet, he was sadly disappointed. He climbed out of bed and crept down the corridor for a quick shower, hoping it might invigorate him for the day ahead.

  Once showered and dressed, he made his way to the control room where, as expected, Anders was checking on the latest instructions received from Ground Control overnight. The commander looked up from his computer screen and gave Tom a suspicious look as he entered the room.

  "Good morning, Lars," said Redmayne in his most friendly tone. "I trust you slept well. Have you given any more thought to our conversation yesterday?"

  Anders frowned. "I knew it wouldn't take you long to chase me for an answer. Yes, I've had some time to consider your suggestion and, weighing it up against the interests of the crew, you have my approval and my assistance."

  "Thank you. That means a lot to me. I know you won't regret it."

  "I hope that I won't. This could go badly for both of us if we're not careful."

  "So, you'll help me offload the jetcopter this morning."

  "I've been checking the daily tasks and I've nothing that can't wait or be delegated. The same for you. The question in my mind is what you intend to do once you reach the ridge line?"

  Tom hesitated before responding, not sure how Anders would react to his next suggestion. "That's a really good question. I want to try to make contact with the Sentinels. They don't appear to be aggressive so I'm hopeful that any risk is very small."

  "Wow, I didn't expect that so soon. Although I guess I should have expected that, coming from you. You've never been backward at coming forward."

  "What did you think? If I just wanted to monitor them, I could have used the drone to place sensor equipment! No, this is a moment for bold leadership. Are you up for that challenge, commander?"

  Secretly, Anders wasn't sure that he was. But the lure of making history was very attractive. And the risk was worthwhile. If successful, how could he be court-martialed for failing to follow orders. He'd be a public hero, celebrated by billions. "Okay, let's do it. Do you expect the Sentinels to respond? They may just ignore our requests for contact. Have you given that any thought?"

  "Very perceptive. That's what I've always admired about you, Lars. You can always detect the key issues before anyone else." Tom was fairly sure he wasn't going over the top with his praise. "I have given it some thought, but still don't have an answer. To be honest, I don't really know what to expect. But we should give it a try."

  Anders was flattered that Redmayne could see his qualities. "It would be best if we have some kind of plan ahead of the game. Other than knowing the location of their craft, we'll be traveling blind. Have you considered speaking with Georgia? As the only person who's spoken with the Sentinels and been inside their ship, maybe she'll have an insight."

  "I don't want to get too many people involved and raise suspicions. Georgia wouldn't help us, anyway."

  "You're probably right. It's a shame because she is the only real link we have to the Sentinels. If only there was a way to convince her to help."

  That gave Tom the seeds of an idea. Anders was right. Georgia was their best and only hope of contacting the Sentinels. They would hopefully recognize her from their previous encounter and allow her access. The issue was how to get Georgia in the right place at the right time. It would not be easy and would involve making her do something against her will, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

  "Leave that with me, Lars. I'll meet you at Aquarius at eleven o'clock."

  Chapter 54

  At the daily team briefing in the common room, Winter completed his update to the crew and requested that Commander Anders assign the task list for the day. Once all tasks had been allocated, Winter finished the meeting by asking if anyone had any questions.

  Doctor Betts was the first one to raise her hand. "Sir, don't you find it strange that we've still had no further guidance on what to do with the Sentinels?"

  "Good question, Megan. Normally, I would agree with you, but the major powers have more significant problems to deal with close to home. As I understand it, tensions have flared in the South China Sea with the Chinese and American navies facing off. Unsurprisingly, the Russians are supporting China and accusing President Foley of warmongering. Added to that, there have been food riots across parts of southern Europe and an increased number of power outages across Africa, Japan and India. So, while the issue may be close to our hearts, I'm afraid it's way down the list of priorities on Earth."

  Megan nodded. "That makes sense globally. I expected more of a response from General Stockton. Discovering new intelligent life is a potential game changer for everyone."

  "Exactly. But as far as Ground Control is concerned, they have the situation contained from the public and can choose when to provide further guidance."

  "It sounds as if it's the wrong time to go public. It's already a potential powder keg back home!" added Mancuso. "Imagine throwing aliens into the mix."

  "I can't see there being an all-out war," replied Winter. "But there's plenty of instability at the moment. The Chinese have been threatening to show they're a power to be reckoned with for some time. They may have Russian support, but I don't know how keen the Russians would be to get dragged into a war between East and West."

  Anders shook his head. "They wouldn't get a choice if all hell kicked off. They'd have to back the Chinese."

  "Okay, guys," interrupted Winter. "We could debate this all day. Are there any more questions before we get on with our duties?"

  Harry King stood up and asked. "Captain? Talking of the Russians and Chinese, do we know what's happening with the Andropov? It's been in orbit for a week now. Do we know what they're doing or when and where they'll be landing?"

  "Ground Control are in the dark. The only news coming out of Moscow and Beijing is that they're carrying out in-orbit tests and reconnaissance. There was the delay for the asteroid which made sense at the time although to be honest I'm surprised that they've not landed already. But as always, they're keeping their cards close to their chest. I doubt we'll know their plans until they've landed."

  Georgia added, "Don't you find it strange to come all this way and then wait for days on end? They already have a landing site with their own cargo ships and equipment in place. Are they waiting for something else to happen?"

  Redmayne, keen to change the subject, asked, "Like what, Georgia? There's no delivery service out here." His attempt at humor fell flat, but he continued anyway. "They may have some kind of technical issues with their landers and don't want to risk any of the crew. I sincerely doubt they would publicize the fact that they have any malfunctions."

  Captain Winter stepped in. "Okay, that's enough for now. There's plenty to do. Commander, do you have all the assistance you need today?"

  Anders cast a quick look at Redmayne before replying, "I could do with borrowing Georgia this morning. I'm heading out to Aquarius to check on the construction robots we'll be using on the facade. I know that's a few weeks away, but I want to get ahead with ensuring the robots are fully functional. We may even be able to get them working on a few other tasks."

  His request surprised Georgia. This was the first that she'd heard of the construction robots being needed so soon. They were her babies though, so it made sense for the commander to require her help. It might also give her the opportunity to get to know him better. She'd not spent much time with him, and he often acted awkwardly around the female members of the crew. Several hours with him would give her a chance to understand him better, and maybe to share some of her ideas with him.

  "Jim, is that alright?" she checked. "You don't need me today?"

  "You don't need my permission," he laughed. "I'm sure I'll survive just fine without you."

  Chapter 55

  Redmayne watched the MEV drive away from the base with Anders and Georgia on board. He felt a knot in his stomach as he accepted that there would soon be no going back from his course of action. Despite his concerns about whether Anders would pull through, he'd had no other choice but to rely on the commander.

 

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