Jonas looked dejected.

  “Pabi? Your thoughts?”

  “Let’s do the edge. It will be faster. I will belay. I promise not to let you drop, Jonas. Maybe just a little!” He punched Jonas in the shoulder.

  “Serena?”

  “I want to go over the edge. Enough talking already. We’ve got to get this done. We are losing time here.”

  “Jonas… your call,” Gina said.

  Jonas shifted his feet. He didn’t want to lose face, especially with his rival engineer, Gina. “Yeah. okay. Abseiling, it is.”

  “That’s the spirit, man!” Max clapped him on the back.

  “Okay. Let’s get it done.” Gina said. First crisis averted, she thought.

  Gina sent Max and Jonas to organise lowering the packs while she helped Serena and Pabi set up the abseil. They worked quickly as the sun edged higher in the sky, waking the flies and bringing the heat.

  Serena donned her helmet, harness and gloves and was soon ready to go over. Pabi checked her belay and prepared to lower her as she went backwards over the cliff.

  “Okay, don’t fall!” he said. Serena gave him the finger as she stepped smoothly over the edge and glided down the rock face.

  “Safe!” she yelled back up once she hit the ground. Within moments she attached her abseil kit to the rope and tugged it twice to signal retrieval. Pabi hauled the equipment back up.

  Serena started to receive the packs being lowered by Jonas and Max.

  Gina tapped Max on the shoulder.

  “You go next to help Serena. I’ll finish this with Jonas.”

  “Sure thing!” He favoured her with one of his glorious smiles. Gina noticed how his blond curls stuck to his forehead with sweat. His shirt was soaked through. A little rivulet ran from his face down to the notch at his throat.

  He strode over to the abseil and stepped into his harness. Gina snuck glances, watching his physique in action. He was always poised, relaxed power, sensuous… But he fancied Serena, didn’t he?

  Gina and Jonas lowered the remaining packs in quick succession. They untied the ropes and let them drop to the rock edge below where they could be used for the next abseil.

  Gina checked Jonas. He was still moving, still focused. Not so pale.

  “Ready to abseil?” she asked.

  “Ready as I’m gonna be,” he replied, with a feeble smile.

  She helped him get geared up. Helmet, harness, abseil gloves, everything tucked in.

  “Very good, Jonas!” Pabi said. “You look good! Let me drop you over.” Pabi beckoned to Jonas to stand in front of him to rig up the abseil and belay. He clipped Jonas in and double-checked all the gear.

  Jonas was pale again, Gina noticed. His hands trembled.

  “Okay, Seaborn, time to get you ‘airborne’. Ha! Funny, right? Okay, easy goes it. Step back, one foot then the next foot.” Pabi was jovial as he talked Jonas through the steps.

  “Breathe. Use your lungs. You have too much hot air – let it out!” Pabi grinned. “Your feet are like a pony. Stop prancing like that. Make a solid step back.” Jonas was rocking from one foot to the other, barely moving, his gloved hands clenched around the belay rope.

  “Relax the hands! Breathe! Move the feet! Stand tall! And, Jonas?” he waited for Jonas to respond. “Jonas? Jonas!” Jonas looked up. “Smile! You need to improve that face, okay? A smile is a good start! Go, now!” Jonas was at the edge where he had to step over and place the balls of his feet flat against the rock while lowering his body perpendicular to the cliff. It was the most precarious stage of the process.

  “Lower the butt! Good. Very good. Champion!” Pabi continued to bleat encouragement.

  Jonas’s foot slipped and he banged his face on the cliff, knocking his lip. A trickle of blood ran down his chin.

  “No problem, Jonas. That is an improvement, no? Do not worry, I have you!”

  Jonas clung to the rope, breathing hard. Gina went to the edge so she could see the top of his head.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  “Just dandy, thanks.”

  “Good Jonas! Now feet flat on the rock and walk.”

  “Pabi?” Jonas called out.

  “Yes Jonas?”

  “Shut up.”

  “Okay, Seaborn. You just move.”

  Jonas pushed himself away from the cliff face and placed one foot and then another flat against the rock, so his body formed an L-shape. He started to lower himself again.

  “Jonas, walk your feet down!” Gina called.

  Too late – he let the abseil rope slide through his belay device while his feet stayed in place, his hips lowered, and then with a cry he was upside down, his feet above his head.

  “Shit.” Gina cried. “He’s inverted!”

  Pabi gripped the belay rope in a brake.

  “I have you Jonas! You will not fall.”

  Jonas was white with terror, gripping the belay rope that wedged him hard against the rock face.

  “Jonas – try and swing your legs to the side so you can go right side up,” Gina yelled down to him. She watched him flail like a mouse with his tail in a trap.

  Max and Serena came over and called up encouragement. Jonas struggled to get his head above his waist, his face beet red from the effort. He grunted and strained.

  The voices below grew more concerned as the minutes dragged on, and Jonas became more fatigued.

  There was nothing they could do from the top, either – all the ropes had been dropped below for the next abseil. If Jonas let go of the abseil rope, he ran the risk of falling out of his harness. His hips were so narrow.

  “C’mon Jonas!” Gina pleaded.

  Jonas tried flinging himself sideways. His toe caught on a crack in the rock. It was enough to give him some purchase. He grunted and heaved and managed to get himself upright again.

  Cheers erupted.

  “Well done! Good on you!” Gina yelled down to him. “Pabi can do the rest! Just keep your feet against the rock and Pabi can lower you the rest of the way.”

  Pabi lowered Jonas to the small ledge where Max and Serena grabbed him and unhooked him from the abseil system.

  “Off belay!” Serena shouted to the top.

  Jonas sat, heaving, his arms aching, hands trembling. His face was white, bar the trail of blood from his lip that stained his chin.

  “Nice work!” Max said. Jonas said nothing. He was one metre away from the next edge and did not want to move.

  Gina came down the abseil followed by Xavier then Pabi who self-belayed and pulled the ropes down after him.

  The ledge was cramped with the six of them and their packs.

  “Okay – round two. Let’s go,” Gina said, eyeing the sun, now high in the sky.

  “I can’t,” Jonas said.

  “Yes you can,” Gina said.

  “No, I can’t. I’m wrecked. My arms are dead,” Jonas said. “Look.” He held out his hands to show her the tremors.

  “Jonas – look around. You have no choice. We are on a tiny ledge. There is no way out but down. Get your shit together!” Gina’s exasperation was icy.

  “Take it easy! Give the man a moment, okay?” Pabi said. “He almost kissed his buttocks goodbye. You set up the next one, I will look after Mr Seaborn.” Pabi sat next to Jonas and rubbed his back. “Breathe Jonas. Adrenaline will calm down soon.”

  “No dicking around – we’re running late. It’s going to be tight to get down and out in time.”

  “I promise – no ‘dicking’,” Pabi said. Gina glared at him.

  Gina, Serena and Max worked carefully around Jonas and Pabi to set up the next pitch. When it was ready, Pabi got to his feet and set up to send them over again.

  “Okay, princess, let’s send you down,” Pabi said to Serena.

  “Don’t call me princess.” Her eyes sent him daggers. Then she grinned, finding her sense of humour once again. “I will accept ‘Queen’ only.” She slipped over the edge. The rope whizzed through the descending device and she was down in moments.

  The packs went over as before, followed by the ropes, then Max.

  “Let’s get you over quickly, Jonas. You know the drill. You’ve just got to keep moving. I’ll be on belay at the edge and help you get over. It should be a bit easier – see, there’s a little step that you can lower on to.” Gina bustled around Jonas.

  “Okay.” Jonas seemed resigned.

  “Focus on me, Jonas,” Pabi said. “Listen to my voice.”

  Pabi gave clear instructions, no nonsense this time. Jonas approached the edge, Gina stood there with him, guided his footholds, and Jonas was over the difficult part without any incident. His descent was jerky, but he got there.

  Gina let out a big sigh, not realising she’d been holding her breath watching Jonas.

  “Your turn, Gina,” Pabi said. “Be careful – there is a lot of loose rock. I do not like it.” He spat suddenly. “Damn flies! I have eaten about ten! And one up my nose!”

  “Thanks, Pabi.” Gina clipped in and went over, pausing to admire the view. “This is stunning country. Nothing like this on the Moon!”

  “Not yet, anyway.” She smiled at him, and he nodded in return.

  Once Gina was down, she asked Max to get the map out so they could plan their route. As they bent over the map there was a cry from above.

  “ROCK!” bellowed Pabi. They jerked automatically towards the rock, standing tall, hoping their helmets would take any debris.

  A chunk the size of a tennis ball thudded to their right and bounced down the slope. A few pebbles chipped at them, one hitting Gina in the cheek as it ricocheted off the rock face.

  “Ouch!” she cried. That stung like a bitch, she thought.

  Pabi thudded to the bottom of the abseil and unclipped.

  “Everyone okay?” Xavier asked.

  “Yeah. Though one of the rocks got me in the face.” Gina said.

  “Let me see,” Max said. He moved in so Xavier had to step aside and leant down to examine her face. She could feel his breath on her cheek, smell his sweaty tang. He had his shirt off, hoping for it to dry while they packed up. His fingers probed the spot where the rock hit.

  “Just bruised I think, no skin broken.” He rubbed her shoulder. “You’ll survive,” he said warmly.

  Damn this man, she thought. I can’t think straight when he’s around! Then she noticed Serena eyeing them carefully. That one’s trouble, Gina thought.

  “No rest for the wicked!” she cried. “Let’s move out.”

  Chapter Twenty

  In world design, there are rules to be followed. Communities need essentials like food, water, shelter, hygiene, a place to gather. After that, rules do not apply.

  WORLD DESIGNERS’ MANIFESTO

  “Whoa! Put those guns away, someone will get hurt!” Dave said, pointing at Troy’s arms.

  They were halfway down the valley after an arduous descent from the cliff face. Pierre was leading and they stopped for a break in the rising afternoon heat.

  Troy flexed and posed for Dave.

  “Just drying off after that sweaty work,” Troy said.

  “Dry somewhere else, no? My biceps wilt from inferiority complex.”

  Relieved they had made it through the tricky part of the task, they loaded the ropes and equipment into their packs. Mohammad moved slowly, exhausted.

  “Any food left?” Dave asked. “I could eat my arm. Or Mohammad’s arm. Maybe Troy’s arm, it is the biggest.”

  “Sorry – no rations left until we hit the valley floor,” Madison said. “We’ve got to hustle. That sun is showing late afternoon and we still have a tricky walk through this steep rubble.”

  “How are people’s oxygen levels?” asked Jade. Her confidence was rising as she’d performed well on the abseil. All those afternoons she’d spent at the climbing gym close to the hospital research centre were paying off. She felt like she could contribute a little to the group now.

  They checked their biometrics on the wrist comms.

  “Whoa. I’ve got about two hours left on mine,” said Pierre. “I think I used up quite a bit on that first pitch.”

  “Mine doesn’t have much more than that,” said Dave. The others were the same. Their readings were low. It was going to be a push to meet the deadline.

  Sweaty, weary and hungry, they donned their packs and set off, picking their way carefully down the steep slope.

  “At least there is shade in the trees,” Dave said. “But damned flies! They are bastards, no?” He waved his hand in front of his face.

  “Flies make good protein, Dave!” Troy said.

  “Is that your secret weapon? All this time I thought steroids!”

  “LOOK OUT!” Jade cried from behind them. Something massive crashed through the bush. Troy flung forward, grabbing Dave around the waist, and dragging him sideways as a boulder the size of an old TV smashed past them. Troy felt the wind of it and heard the crunch as it caught Dave on the leg.

  Dave howled and then went quiet.

  “Dave?” Troy asked. Jade came running down to them, flinging her pack aside when she reached them.

  Dave was shaking. “My ankle.”

  “Let me look,” Jade said. She lifted his pant leg. There was a purple egg-sized lump on his foot.

  “Looks like a bad sprain. Maybe a fracture. Who’s got the first aid kit?” Jade asked.

  “I do.” Madison said. She retrieved it from her pack and brought it over. Jade was efficient as she strapped the ankle. Mohammad came over to inspect her work.

  “Not too tight,” he warned. “We don’t want to cut his circulation.”

  Jade flinched at Mohammad’s criticism and her lips drew to a tight line. “Of course, Dr Mohammad.” She undid two wraps and re-wrapped them more carefully. Troy piled some packs behind Dave so he could lean back.

  “Very good, Dr Jade,” Dave said and winced as she cinched the bandage. “I have to work so hard to get attention around here!”

  Pierre and Madison sat on their packs, watching. The shadows were growing long through the trees, and they hadn’t yet reached the valley floor.

  Pierre stood and faced the group. “Well, we have a bit of a situation here. Dave can’t walk, so we are going to have to carry him.” Silence. They all knew the terrain was steep, and their packs were already loaded with the extra abseil gear.

  “We can call base and ask for a medivac. I think this qualifies for outside support. If we get him down to the valley, they may be able to drive in,” Jade suggested.

  “Good idea. Fire up the comms, Madison,” Pierre said.

  Madison pressed the call button on her wrist comm. “Base this is Delta group.”

  The line crackled then Claire’s voice came through. “This is Base. Reading you loud and clear, Delta group. What is your message, over?”

  “Base, we have a group member, David Eriksson, with a possible fractured ankle. We are requesting medivac support,” Madison said. The others looked on, hopeful.

  “Is he mobile? What is his condition?”

  “He is in good spirits. Vitals good. He can be moved, but not on his own. We suggest carrying him down to the valley floor from our current position, then requesting vehicle evac from there.” Madison chewed her lip.

  “One moment, please.”

  The line was silent for what felt an age.

  “Delta group, continue as planned. There is no vehicle support available, at this time. All parameters remain the same for the exercise.”

  “Base, I’m not sure we will make the deadline if we have to carry Dave out all the way.” Madison looked startled. The others were wide-eyed in surprise.

  “Understood. There is no vehicle support available, at this time. You will need to solve this on your own.” Claire’s voice was firm.

  Madison took a breath before she replied. “Understood. Delta group out.”

  “Well, this is a real pile of merde!” spat Pierre. The others grumbled in agreement. “We’ll never make it. Our biomarkers already show low oxygen – enough to get us to the valley base if we were walking normally, but not if we have to carry someone. If we were on the Moon, they’d be signing our death warrant.”

  “I think that’s the point”, Troy said. “We don’t have the luxury of the cavalry rushing to our aid. We’ve got to be independent.”

  “It’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? If we stick together, we all run out of oxygen.”

  They went quiet. No one wanted to be the one to state the obvious.

  Dave spoke. “If you leave me, you make it. You have enough oxygen to get there on time.”

  They all looked uncomfortable.

  “We’re not leaving you behind, Dave,” Jade said.

  “We might have to, if any of us are going to make it – to ‘survive’ in their Moon scenario,” Madison said. Jade narrowed her eyes and stared down the other woman. Where was her compassion? Jade let it go as she pondered the bigger concern: what should they do next?

  *

  “No one is being left behind on my watch,” Pierre said with a clenched jaw. “We’ve got to sort this out. First, let’s put up some shade over Dave while we come up with a plan. Mohammad, can you and Jade rig something up? Madison, can you look at those maps again.”

  Mohammad pulled the plastic sheet from his pack and he and Jade strung up a makeshift shelter. Mohammad was quiet.

  “Is everything okay, Dr Mohammad?” Jade asked as she tied off the edge of the fly.

  “Yes, of course,” he snapped. He was disappointed his fatigue showed.

  Pierre rifled through his pack and retrieved something.

  “What’s that?” Madison asked as she came over with the map. He put his finger to his lips, then pointed to his wrist comm. “I thought I had another energy bar in here. For Dave. Pierre gestured for Madison, Jade and Mohammad to join him under the shelter, alongside Dave, with a sign to stay quiet.

  “Oh good. Cuddles,” quipped the invalid. Troy came over as well to listen to the discussion.

  “Very cosy!” Dave said. “I feel the love.”

  Pierre had them put their comms arms together and then pulled a circular device from his pocket. He pressed a button and a red light activated.

  Mohammad recognised it immediately: a communications jamming device, the kind the Sultan and his officials used. He wondered how Pierre had got his hands on one. His eyes narrowed. This was underhanded, he thought.

 

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