He couldn't look at Georgia. He wasn't sure how he could look at himself in the mirror again. Instead, he focused on controlling the jetcopter as it rose steadily into the air above the plain, heading for the cliff face. "I'm sorry. Believe me, I didn't want any of that. If they'd let me leave, they would still be alive."

  From her position on the floor, Georgia could no longer see Aquarius. Only wisps of smoke from the explosion. "Don't you dare blame any of them. They were all good men, and you gave them no choice. You caused all this to happen. I will make you pay." She struggled to loosen her ties, hoping to make good her promise. Redmayne flinched instinctively, but she remained securely bound.

  They continued to climb in silence. Redmayne had nothing to say and was trying his hardest to forget the final expressions on the faces of the now dead men. He reminded himself to focus on the mission in hand. It was now even more important for him to succeed so that the deaths were not a needless waste. He also desperately needed the Russians to save him and give him sanctuary. He couldn't return to his life in Alpha Base. They would kill him for sure.

  The ridgeline drew closer above them as the jetcopter continued to climb ever higher. There was no time to take in the view, even at this altitude. Redmayne was calculating how far away the Sentinel ship was and hoping that it had not moved location since the previous day. That would be disastrous. The Russians would never land just for him.

  Once they'd passed over the top of the cliff and were traveling across the plateau, Redmayne plugged the modified sensor into the jetcopter's computer and looked at the screen waiting for the tell-tale shimmer of the alien ship. He flew in a zigzag pattern thirty feet above the ground to give him the best visibility. After several minutes of searching, Tom was worrying. However, as he passed an ugly brown rock outcrop, the sensors picked up the ship, and he was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

  Slowing the jetcopter down, he brought it gently in to land with a bump about fifty yards from the alien craft. He didn't know if the Sentinels could detect him or not but hoped that they would react to make his job easier.

  His first task was to contact the Andropov. He pulled the communicator from his pouch and synched it with his suit comms. "Redmayne to Andropov. Come in, please."

  There were a few seconds of delay before a man's voice responded. "This is Alex. I assume you have some information for me."

  Redmayne tried not to betray his nerves. "Yes, Alex. I'm at the location of the Sentinel craft now. You should be able to obtain the co-ordinates from this transmitter."

  "Is the craft secure?"

  "Not yet. But I have the key," he replied, looking down at Georgia for the first time. She was lying on her side but no longer glaring at him.

  "Excellent work, my friend. The Kiev is ready for undocking on the next orbit. I am told it will be with you in seventy-five minutes. Today will be the day that shakes the world."

  "Indeed, it will, comrade. I look forward to celebrating with you." Redmayne knew that the Russians had a supply of vodka on board the Andropov. It had been too long since his last proper drink and he needed it after what had just occurred at Aquarius.

  With the Russians on their way, his next and hardest challenge was to access the Sentinel vessel. "I'm sorry for interrupting your thoughts, Georgia, but now is the time I require your help."

  Before she could react, Tom had lifted her to her feet and was pushing her roughly off the jetcopter's platform. With her hands still tied in front of her, it was all that she could do to keep her balance as she stumbled forward.

  "Keep walking. I still have my knife."

  "You're insane if you believe I will help you and your communist friends. Leave the Sentinels alone."

  "That's not an option. You either help me willingly or we do this the hard way." He knew that Georgia would resist so thought a little reminder might help. "You've seen what I'm capable of so don't make this difficult for yourself. Captain Winter made the mistake of underestimating me, and it ended very badly for him." He regretted the threat immediately as the final image of the captain came back to him.

  "Threats won't work on me, Redmayne."

  Tom had no doubt that Georgia would be tough to crack. She'd proved that too many times and she wouldn't be as easily manipulated as Anders had been. "You've been inside their craft. Just get me access. Show me the way in and I'll release you. You can have the jetcopter and return safely to Alpha. I promise I won't harm you if you help me."

  "You're wasting your breath. The Russians will have a wasted trip and probably won't be too impressed when they find out what you've done."

  Georgia must have walked through a force field because the Sentinel's ship suddenly appeared less than forty feet in front of her. Automatically she stopped in awe just as Redmayne bumped into the back of her. The craft was metallic with a smooth surface that shone in the sun. Its weird series of curves and edges gave it a unique quality, unlike anything either of them had seen before. There was still no sign that the aliens had detected their presence.

  Tom was speechless at what he saw. This close, it was more impressive than he could have possibly ever imagined. The technology inside would keep him occupied for the rest of his life.

  It was the motivation he needed to complete what he had to do. "Okay, Georgia, you have one last chance. Get in touch with the Sentinels."

  "I'm not going to help you. And you won't make me change my mind. Kill me if you have to but that still won't get you inside."

  "I'm ready to bet it will," Redmayne replied smugly. And without another word, he turned off the air supply to her suit.

  "What have you done?" she said as the heads-up display in her helmet turned red. She had less than a minute's air in her suit to draw on.

  "I said you'd help me. Let's see if your alien friends will let you die when they've already saved you once. For your own sake I really hope I'm right about this."

  Georgia tried to stay calm. Panic would only result in using her remaining air quicker. She sat on a boulder and waited, desperately hoping that Tom was wrong. She'd rather die than let the Russians exploit the Sentinels. Or let Tom succeed in his mission. The man was a murderous traitor, after all.

  It wasn't long before she was gulping for air, her lungs desperately searching for that last bit of oxygen. But there was none. Her chest heaved but to no avail. Uncontrollably, she fell to the ground, rolling around in the dust. Her erratic movements soon slowed until they stopped completely. She lay there staring at Redmayne's dusty boots, feeling defeated but strangely calm knowing that his plan had failed. She'd already faced death several times since arriving on Mars. This was finally her time. Her vision grew dark. And then there was nothing.

  Redmayne ignored what was happening to Georgia. She was just a means to an end now, and he didn't need to see her death throes. Instead, he was intent on spotting any reaction from the alien ship but there was none. Any hopes he had to get on board were fading fast. It looked as if Georgia's would be another senseless death on his conscience.

  He kicked the ground in anger and screamed at the Sentinels' craft. "Damn it! Why don't you fucking save her?"

  Chapter 66

  Georgia opened her eyes, blinking at the bright but somehow familiar lights. She was lying on her back, still in her spacesuit but with the visor removed and her hands untied. She reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes.

  Rather than relief, she was filled with utter dismay. Falmas did not understand what he had done or what Tom's plan was. The Sentinels had played right into his hands, because of her. She had to warn them.

  Sitting up made her head swim, and she thought she might be sick. The nausea soon passed though, and she was able to stand and look around the room to get her bearings. The muscles in her chest and legs felt as if they'd been squeezed and twisted but she was otherwise okay. Of greater concern as she looked around the empty room was where were Redmayne and the Sentinels. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious or if Redmayne was even aboard, but only she knew what he was planning.

  Georgia walked slowly around the edge of the room. The walls were bare and there was no obvious door so instead she looked for a switch or mechanism. Her fingers deftly felt along the wall but frustratingly there was nothing.

  "Falmas? Are you there?" she called out. A few seconds later, the wall in front of her dissolved to make a doorway leading into a wide corridor. Standing there were the two Sentinels with Tom standing close behind them. Georgia noticed that Falmas stood stiffly and silently.

  Redmayne spoke, his eyes bright with excitement. "Georgia, I've just had a guided tour. This craft is unbelievable. Its engines alone are unimaginable. They warp space, allowing faster than light travel without the relativistic issues that Einstein predicted. It's totally revolutionary. No more chemical rockets." Georgia had never seen Tom so animated. He was a different person again. Someone she no longer recognized.

  "Tom, I don't think the Sentinels will just give up their technology. Do you?"

  "They will be forced to share what they know. The Kiev will be here very soon, and the Russians have very persuasive techniques for finding out what they need to know. Of course, it would be much better for everyone if Falmas simply co-operated. There could be a grand powerful alliance between Russia and the Confederacy. Imagine that? They would be stronger as respectful allies."

  Falmas turned to Tom, speaking calmly and confidently. "The Confederacy will not allow that to happen. Is it wise to threaten them?"

  "It's not a threat; it's an offer. I am sure that both sides can find areas of mutual benefit. If not, then we'll just have to figure out how everything here operates. However long that takes."

  Georgia stepped slowly forward, keeping eye contact with Redmayne. "What's happened to you? You nearly killed me. And for what? To piss off alien races that could eradicate humanity as easily as we wipe out an ant colony?"

  "Yes, I'm sorry about what I did to you," Redmayne conceded. "But I was proved right, wasn't I?" He paused as if waiting to be congratulated for his insight. "The Sentinels have compassion. They've invested too much time studying Earth on behalf of the Confederacy. I'm sure that there is something more to the research that they're not telling us. And for that reason, they won't wipe us out."

  Georgia could sense that Redmayne was becoming lost in his arrogance, prematurely bathing in the knowledge, fame, and power that he thought was coming his way. Perhaps she could use that against him. But she needed to know how he had overpowered the two Sentinels. They both towered over him yet had not tried to resist him.

  "Falmas, why have you let this man take control of your vessel. You outnumber him. Surely you can do something."

  "Sentinels are not trained to fight. The Confederacy has other races to do that. We are merely researchers, or historians if you would prefer. There was no contingency to encounter humans directly. Perhaps that was an oversight."

  "Yet you saved me again. Why?"

  "That was another mistake on my part. I had not expected your colleague here had intentions that were so negative and aggressive. But I could not see you die. It would have been because of us again. I may live to regret that decision."

  "Good try, Georgia," sneered Tom. "You see. It will be too easy for me and the Russians to discover all that we need to know. Then we can go out and conquer the universe."

  "And what about helping humanity?"

  "Not for me to decide. But I'm sure those that want to be helped will be. For a price."

  "How very noble," Georgia sneered.

  Redmayne smiled back. "Enough of this chat. I have to secure the vessel. You," he said, pointing at Falmas. "As you care so much for Georgia, get in there with her while your crew member here shows me around." Tom roughly pushed Falmas into the room, causing the alien to stumble. "Now seal this door. I want no surprises."

  Falment waved an arm, and the door became a solid wall again. Georgia and Falmas were trapped.

  Chapter 67

  Georgia slumped down in defeat and looked up at Falmas with sorrow in her eyes. "You shouldn't have saved me. You don't know what you've done."

  "That is your opinion. I had no choice."

  "But now you've lost your ship because of me. And when the Russians get here, they'll strip this vessel apart for all the technology. When they've done that, they'll more than likely experiment on you to extract all the information they can. If you've been studying us for countless millennia, then you know what humans are capable of. We stop at nothing to get an advantage over others. Redmayne has already killed three of my colleagues today."

  "I appreciate your concerns. The situation looks grim at the moment. But it will be impossible for anyone else to enter this vessel. Falment will not let that happen."

  "But your presence is now known. You'll have humans rolling up outside in a matter of minutes. Surely the Confederacy won't tolerate that. Will they send re-enforcements?"

  "If we do not report within ten of your hours, then you are correct. The Confederacy will send a contingent of warriors to rectify the matter."

  Georgia wasn't sure she was keen on the approach Falmas proposed. "What exactly does that mean?"

  "A search unit will arrive to assess the situation and then take the appropriate steps. In this instance, that action is likely to involve purging the area."

  "Again, I don't like the sound of that. It sounds like a clinical operation."

  Falmas nodded. "In many ways it is. This vessel will be remotely swept for any sign of organic life or infestation. If any life is detected, other than myself or Falment, the ship will be flooded with gamma particles. This will be lethal to all biological life aboard, including myself. The planet will also be cleansed in the same way to eradicate any signs of our presence."

  Georgia was shocked. "So, all human life here will be destroyed. Even those in my base."

  "It may be a crude and brutal approach but that is how the Confederacy keeps itself hidden from emerging civilizations. We have conducted the process several times in your Earth history and these were treated as natural disasters."

  Georgia put her head in her hands, desperately trying to formulate a plan. "Oh my God. We need to get out of here and stop Redmayne, so that you can prevent that from happening. How can we get out of this room?"

  Falmas sat next to Georgia and put an arm around her. "This room isn't a prison. We only gave your colleague the impression that it was. There is more than one door out of here. However, it is small, and designed for the maintenance droids on this ship."

  "Now you tell me you also have robots. Okay, so show me how to escape."

  Falmas walked over to a wall on her left and pressed what looked like a blank spot in the wall. A small opening, more a hatch than a door, appeared. It was far too small for Falmas and Georgia feared that it would be too tight a squeeze for her too. "You want me to get in there?" she asked in disbelief.

  "There is a maze of passageways that allows the droids to access all parts of this vessel. I will give you the directions to my personal charging station." Falmas unscrewed a finger from his left hand and passed it to Georgia, who stared at it in astonishment. "You will need this. It will allow you to open and close doors as you have seen me do."

  This was the half-chance that Georgia needed. She still had to overpower Redmayne but hopefully she'd be able to take him by surprise.

  "Thanks, Falmas, this makes all the difference."

  With Falmas' directions fresh in her mind, Georgia knelt down and slid through the tiny hatch on her stomach.

  Chapter 68

  Redmayne was in the Sentinels' flight center with Falment. There was an array of consoles and equipment in front of him. He couldn't begin to guess how any of it worked, but he knew he would have fun taking it apart. The only equipment he recognized was a large screen which appeared to show the location of each of the Expedition Two and Legacy ships, Alpha Base and several objects moving in orbit. Presumably, those were the Andropov and the Kiev, with the latter appearing to be heading in his direction.

  Checking his watch, Redmayne calculated he had less than ten minutes before the Kiev landed with a shipload of Russians expecting an open door to the Sentinels' craft. It would be embarrassing for him to fail to fulfill his promise.

  Falment had been uncooperative so far. Redmayne looked up at the towering Sentinel. "Help me out here. I'm trying to be reasonable. I need you to switch off the cloaking device and open the main hatch. Is that really too much to ask?"

  Falment stood impassively still, staring into the distance and acting as if Redmayne wasn't even in the room. Although the Sentinel didn't understand this human's behavior, it was obvious he was dangerous.

  "He's not going to help you" a voice called out behind him.

  Tom spun sharply around, briefly surprised to see Georgia standing in the doorway to the room. "I should have known you'd escape. You've had luck on your side these last few days. But it won't do you any good this time."

  "You're wasting your time, Redmayne. The Sentinels will not give up their craft for you or anyone else. They're sworn to protect it and themselves. You've killed good men for nothing and trapped yourself here."

  "I'll work it out for myself," Tom shrugged in response.

  "How long will that take? The Confederacy will be sending a sanitation squad long before you learn any of the symbols. We'll all be dead. Try to be smart. You're beaten."

  Tom's eyes flashed in anger. "This does not end now," he raged. "Don't try to talk me out of this or trick me. I will succeed because I am better than you and not afraid to do what needs to be done."

  He angrily swung his knife into Falment's leg. There was a clang of metal hitting metal and the knife became firmly lodged. Tom attempted to pull it out but could see that it was stuck fast. He glared up at Falment whose only reaction was to look back down at him with a knowing smile on his face.

 

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