Tranquility in Darkness Pt. 08

by G. Lawrence

No longer isolated on the moon where he grew up under the guidance of Tranquility's computers, Grey now has friends and a girlfriend, but also many enemies. Enemies who multiply by the hour.

A reminder, these are two stories; Governor Thomas McKinsey in 2046, and the lunar rebels in 2070 dealing with McKinsey's earlier actions. But the two stories will come together. All characters are over 18 years old. All rights reserved.

* * * * * *

Chapter 8

MIDNIGHT MESSENGERS

Tuesday, March 6, 2046

"Having fun, dear?" Kes asked, entering Crystal's quarters and finding McKinsey gone.

"He's very masculine, isn't he?" Crystal said.

"And just a touch cruel, dear," Kes said, noticing her sister was nude with her hands tied behind her back.

"He believes this assertion of male dominance will inspire me to cooperate with him," Crystal explained. "In this respect, he is as foolish as other men."

Kes sat down on the edge of the platform with a sigh.

"What do you think should be done?" Kes asked.

"The destruction of this world is premature. I would have it stopped," Crystal replied.

"You and I make but two voices," Kes mentioned. "Roman claims no right of declaration. Lord Stater and Loam oppose us, as does Stirwin. Quexitor is silent."

"Time flees. A decision must be made," Crystal said.

"The decision belongs to Quexitor regardless of our voices. I believe Quexitor waits for the strongest faction to emerge."

"In strength do we prosper," Crystal said, quoting a childhood teaching. "In what manner might we prevail?"

"The path is not clear," Kes said. "Your Thomas is said to be resourceful. Perhaps he will light our path."

"He is not my Thomas, though I do find him stimulating," Crystal blushed.

"I see that," Kes smiled.

"Untie me," Crystal requested.

"No," Kes laughed.

"I have work to do. Untie me," Crystal demanded.

"In time. I would have Loam believe you abused. Anger clouds his judgment, and this thought will distract him even further. Lord Stater will also find such a development beyond comprehension. The men will not focus on necessary issues. In this there will be weakness."

"You sacrifice my modesty easily," Crystal complained.

"It's nothing they haven't seen before."

"You are not one to criticize," Crystal said.

"I'm not the one who is tied up," Kes smiled.

In a different part of the complex, McKinsey paused to catch his breath, pleased to discover the airlock he had entered seven days before. And just as Crystal had said, Juniper's tractor was parked nearby. McKinsey ran toward the vehicle, climbed up the side, and popped open the driver's canopy.

Something flashed by his head. A pick ax. McKinsey ducked and fell back just in time.

"Goddamn it, Tom, I almost put Old Betty through your skull!" Juniper complained, emerging from the vehicle's rear seat with the prospecting tool in his hand.

"Jup? Have you been hiding here all along?" McKinsey asked.

"Yep, right under their noses. Last place they'd look is in my own truck," Juniper grinned. "You're looking good. Maybe better than good."

"Have you been able to get a message out?" McKinsey asked.

"Tried, but I don't think so. Damn place has got to be shielded. Thought for sure those claim jumpers would find me when I activated the locator beacon, but that was over a day ago and nothing's happened."

"How are you? Last I saw, Loam had you down for the stomp."

"There's going to be a reckoning for that," Juniper promised, waving the pick ax. "Woke up with a hell of a headache. Sore, too. But weren't no one around, so I tried that trick with the walls and got away. Not sure how I ended up here, but had food and water, so I dug in."

"Glad you're not hurt," McKinsey said. "This situation is a little tougher than we expected."

"How's that?" Juniper asked.

"They're planning to destroy Earth," McKinsey said.

"Are you on drugs? Hell, Tom-boy, these why-nots can't even find two escaped prisoners in their own base."

Juniper laughed. McKinsey didn't.

"I know it sounds like a bad joke," McKinsey said. "I wish it was. Somewhere around here there's a control center. If we can't get help from outside, we'll need to bust up this thing ourselves."

"And if we can't?" Juniper asked.

"Then we'll have to wreck this entire complex," McKinsey said. "Are you up for it?"

"Up for it? Hell, I've been kidnapped, shocked, chased, and insulted," Juniper said. "You bet your ass I'm up for it. What have they done to you?"

"I've been holding my own," McKinsey replied.

Wednesday, February 5th, 2070

"Those are the outer defense stations," Grey said, pointing to laser battery number five on the west side of the road and laser battery number six well off to the east.

"We have seen these weapons. The ones on the north slope are harmless," Mordari said, peering from her side of the tractor.

"The northern perimeter was stripped for spare parts," Grey admitted with regret. "These stations are not. Any approach from this direction will be compromised."

The tractor rolled up Highway 30, angled northeast through the colony perimeter, and halted outside the primary garage entrance. Above them, on a low knoll, the graceful White Towers dominated the handful of surface structures, and beyond that, the towering cliffs of Tranquility Ridge ruled the horizon.

Grey disembarked from the tractor to activate the manual entry sequence, keeping between the control panel and the Arikhan scouts so they wouldn't observe the procedure. A moment later, the heavy hatch rotated up.

"Stay hidden," Grey warned. "If any of the humans see us, they might mistake me for the governor."

"In that suit?" Ryndari asked.

"The governor is a loyal servant of the rocks," Grey said. "They once gave him a meteor suit as a bribe. If we encounter him, be cautious. He is most dangerous."

"This we have heard on our intercepts," Mordari said.

They drove the tractor within the airlock, then passed through several heavy chambers into the garage. Grey checked the area for heat signatures, then opened the door to let the Arikhan out.

"There are extra spacesuits in the wardrobe alcove," Grey explained. "If you wear them and keep the sunshades down, no one will suspect a superior race has infiltrated the colony."

"Very clever," Mordari chirped with approval.

Even Ryndari seemed to like the idea, much to Grey's relief, as he had little idea how to explain their presence should they be discovered.

They went to the rotating closets where dozens of walkers in different sizes and styles were stored. Each Arikhan selected a dark blue surface suit that was large enough to accommodate their thin surface suits, making a change of outfits unnecessary. Grey helped them suit up, making sure each stood before the Medical Computer's bio-scanner, and soon they were passing through the staging area where Grey signaled for the engineering elevator. The ride down to 100W didn't take long, and when black signature patterns appeared on the elevator control panel, Grey ignored them.

"This tunnel is rarely used," Grey said, opening the visor of his meteor suit as they disembarked. "100W will take us underneath the landing bays and bring us up near the hangar where the hoppers are stored."

"You know this hive well," Ryndari said, possibly with suspicion.

"I was kept slave here for many years, forced to do the governor's bidding," Grey explained.

They walked along the wide tunnel seeing nothing but harmless maintenance units. When they reached the junction with EN-1, Grey took them up through a double airlock into landing bay major.

"How does this facility compare with your own?" Grey asked, pausing to admire the huge underground garage and the dozen service bays ringing the main floor. On the far side of the bay, two elevators were ready to access the launch tubes. On the second floor, Grey saw the corridor to the hospitality complex. It felt strange to be home again, especially under such unusual circumstances.

"The technology is not so different, though the organization is primitive," Ryndari said.

"I hear most of your technology is stolen from other cultures," Grey questioned.

"We cannot steal that which is ours by right," Mordari said, her tone clipped.

For some reason, Grey liked that answer and let the subject drop.

The hopper was parked just where he remembered. He bounced along the edge of the bay with both aliens close behind, then stopped to review the maintenance charts.

"Bonanza is flight-ready, but it will take a few hours to recharge the engine cells," Grey said. "If you'll hide in the cargo compartment, I'll find a ground crew unit to expedite the process."

"No tricks, impertinent creature," Ryndari said.

"Until our goals are accomplished, we'll just have to trust each other," Grey answered, studying the aliens but unable to see their faces through the shaded visors. He did notice that their bodies tended to twitch, just slightly, when expressing themselves. Confusion. Hostility. Determination.

They aren't that much different than the humans, he thought.

As the aliens climbed into the hopper's side door and hunkered down, Grey closed the hatch, entered instructions at a nearby maintenance station, and turned toward the far side of the landing bay.

Kelly's Saloon in the second-level hospitality complex was familiar, the walls decorated with pictures of famous pilots and ancient flying machines. He remembered saying farewell to New Ranger's crew, with Roger Vandebrown offering The Mars Goodbye. And his visits with Colonel Larson. It reminded him of the need to stay focused.

"Coffee, black, and a bowl of rice soup," he ordered, sitting awkwardly at the counter.

Not designed for bar stools, he fidgeted in the Quexelian meteor suit before deciding to take it off. He freed the gauntlets, then another quick tap along the collar caused the chest plate to open. He crawled out and resealed the suit before the horrible smell became annoying. After donning a chef's apron from the kitchen, he sat down at the bar. For fun, he put on one of the cook's paper hats. His reflection in the mirror made him chuckle.

"Welcome home, Governor," the Security Computer suddenly said, black signature patterns appearing on the countertop sales monitor. It surprised Grey for a moment that Security was able to access any of the saloon's systems, then he realized that nothing Security did should ever surprise him.

"I'm not alone," Grey said.

"Your arrival was recorded on the surveillance monitors," the Security Computer said. "Are they armed?"

"Affirmative," he confirmed.

"Do you want them neutralized?" Security asked.

"Definitely not," Grey said. "The Arikhan are my allies."

"Allies?" Security said.

Before Grey was forced to provide details, the sound of footsteps from the corridor announced a new arrival.

"Welcome home, son," Roger greeted, taking a seat at the bar. And momentarily surprised to find his nephew dressed in a white apron and red hat. But he didn't bother asking about it.

"Hello, Uncle Roger," Grey said, noting the lanky human looked thin. "Have there been any unusual occurrences?"

"That depends how you define unusual, but nothing serious," Roger reported.

"That's not quite accurate, Major," the Security Computer said. "Deep space tracking has picked up a wave disturbance. The origins are unknown. If the Governor hadn't told us where to focus the sensors, the aberration would have gone undetected."

"Excellent," Grey said.

"Excellent?" Security asked, displaying a mystified subcurrent.

Suddenly there were footsteps from the walkway. The black signature patterns abruptly disappeared from the monitor screen flux, and a moment later, Kris and Tamera were standing in the doorway, their sidearms drawn.

"Grey? Grey! What the hell are you doing here?" Kris asked.

"Everyone is supposed to be sleeping during the darkness cycle," he said. "Do the regulations mean nothing to you humans?"

"Extra duty shift, Grey. I'm sure you know all about them," Tamera said, following Kris into the saloon.

"You haven't answered my question," Kris said. "We weren't expecting you back for several more days. What's all the secrecy about?"

"Would you like a drink?" Grey asked.

"Oh, God, you're up to something again," Tamera said. "What is it this time? And why are you running around the landing bay half naked in the middle of the night looking like the Pancake King?"

"I'm attempting to neutralize a cabal of genocidal rock creatures by enlisting the assistance of flesh-eating extraterrestrials," Grey said.

"If you aren't going to tell us, just say so," Kris complained.

"The sooner you're honest about all this, the easier it will be on you," Tamera insisted, pressing closer.

"How come you're here, Roger?" Kris asked. "The way you've been sneaking around the last few days, we thought... well... "

"We thought you might be the assassin," Tamera revealed.

"I'm not the assassin," Roger complained.

"But something's going on. You've been keeping secrets," Tamera said, continuing to press.

"Major Vandebrown is acting on my instructions," Grey said, sharing Roger's anger. "And if I'd wanted anyone else to know my plans, I would have provided the information. Now I would appreciate it if you would leave."

Kris and Tamera were shocked. Shocked and hurt. Roger quickly jumped up, took Kris by the arm, and brought her close to the bar. Then reached out to draw Tamera in as well.

"Grey, this should be a happy time for us," Roger said. "We're together again. Let's not say anything to regret later."

"I deserve better than that, mister," Kris said. "It didn't work the last time you tried to push me away, and it won't work this time, either."

"Don't think you're fooling us," Tamera added.

Grey let out a low sigh, unsure why it was so hard to get rid of unwanted humans. Especially females. The harder he tried, it seemed, the more he failed.

"I'm not prepared to explain myself at this time," Grey said, struggling to present his feelings calmly. "I'll be leaving again in an hour and may not return for several days. Major Vandebrown was invited to provide advice on intelligence issues, which is his area of expertise. Had I required additional assistance, I would have expanded the roster for this meeting. I'm sorry if you're offended, but that can't be helped. I have other problems to occupy my time."

"On a scale of one to ten, how dangerous is this project?" Kris asked.

"Dangerous for who?" Grey asked.

Kris laughed, much to everyone's surprise. Then Roger laughed, too.

"What's so funny?" Tamera said.

"Okay, lover," Kris said, hugging Grey's arm. "If you're running their hoops, we won't get in your way. But call if you need us. Anyone mind if I have a few minutes alone with my boyfriend?"

"Sure, Kris," Roger said, getting up from the chair and taking Tamera by the elbow.

"I got lost there," Tamera said.

"We should both get lost," Roger said, giving Kris a wink. She flushed red and smiled, hugging Grey's arm even tighter.

As Roger and Tamera left Kelly's and started back toward the community access tunnels, a fifth person watched them go. Tey Meriwether had heard much of the conversation. Enough to be very curious about what it all meant. As the others passed by, she ducked into the shadows, then started down into the landing bay floor and the hopper sitting in the preflight circle.

"You feel great," Kris said, squeezing Grey's arms and feeling the new strength in the muscle. She leaned in for a kiss and was not disappointed. "That Red Room must be terrific. Has everything been repaired?"

"I am currently in perfect health," Grey confirmed.

"We'll see about that. Did Roger tell you about the assassin?"

"Unsurprising," Grey said, going back to the Quexelian suit and dropping off the borrowed garment. "The Council has invested too much effort in this enterprise not to have hidden resources." He opened the suit and quickly climbed inside.

"Doesn't it bother you? Aren't you mad? Or frightened?" Kris asked.

"No," Grey said after opening the visor, even though he knew it wasn't true.

"Everybody's being checked. We'll learn who it is," Kris promised.

"It should become obvious soon enough. But that's not important now. When you return to the community level, I want you to lock down the deck, then arrest Kes. Keep her in solitary confinement until further notice."

"Arrest Kes? You're kidding, right?"

"It would hardly qualify as humor," Grey said. "She must not have access to any communications. Search her for hidden devices."

"What's the charge?" Kris asked.

"It doesn't matter. Loitering. Conspiracy. Genocide. Any excuse will do."

"Grey, she's your aunt. She saved your life. You owe her so much it can't even be calculated."

"You humans may be influenced by such sentiments, I am not," Grey replied.

"Love and obligations aren't just sentiments," Kris protested. "They define who we are. Anyone who reads as much poetry as you do already knows that."

"I didn't expect you to understand. I don't expect any of you to understand. I am myself alone, and that's the way it's always going to be."

"Not if I can help it," Kris insisted.

"Will you arrest Kes or should I order Security to do it."

"I'll do it, but I still think someone's loyalties are getting misplaced."

"Kes has a loyalty stronger than our blood tie," Grey said. "It will be better for everybody if she's locked away until this operation is over."

"Is this Quexitor situation really that bad?" Kris said.

"Not just Quexitor," he hinted.

"Explain," Kris demanded, using his own terminology.

Grey walked out on the walkway overlooking landing bay major.

"Quexitor's mission is to initiate the destruct procedure before their enemies arrive," Grey said, his voice soft. "But the Arikhan are already here. Not the invasion force, but a reinforced scout capable of much damage. The moment Quexitor realizes this, everything we've struggled for will be destroyed."

"Jesus Mohammed King," Kris whispered. "How can you be sure these Arik things are here?"

"Two of them are down there, right now, hiding in Bonanza," Grey said. "We're on our way to Farside where I'll meet their commander. If all goes well, we'll coordinate an attack on the rocks, as Quexitor's species is referred to."

"Screw a she-grate!" Kris said, glancing at the waiting hopper. "How in the living shroud of hell do you get yourself into these situations?"

"I don't understand," he said.

"Aliens, secret bases, life or death decisions affecting billions of people. And you act like it's no big deal. How in hell do you expect to pull this off?"

"It shouldn't be that difficult," he guessed.

"Not difficult? Outfox Quexitor and beat an army of aliens? Fuck! No wonder an ordinary assassin doesn't impress you."

"You are a very high-spirited female," Grey said, finding her difficult to resist.

He took her in his arms, pulling her as close as the bulky walker would permit, whispering,

Night's heat, darkness falls;

Love or duty, mysteries all.

Seek, my love, the rest will wait;

The gods are cruel who guide our fate."

"Oh, Jeez, I wish you wouldn't do that. At least, not now," Kris said. "Life Support says to expect the worst when you resort to poetry."

"Life Support exaggerates. From my earliest childhood, the system has sought to mold me to form. In some ways, it's been successful. Now Life Support seeks to mold my image, making me appear more heroic than the facts substantiate. With Computer, everything's a game."

"It's a dangerous game you're playing now," Kris said, not sure if Grey was downplaying the situation or simply oblivious to the risks. "Assuming you somehow neutralize this Quexitor, you've still got the aliens to deal with."

"I have two contingency plans," he said. "If one doesn't work, the other will."

"So, you're saying you've got this whole deal covered?" she asked.

"Affirmative," he said.

"Liar," Kris nearly spat. "You're up to your balls in hot shit, you can't possibly know what to expect next, and this game plan could melt like a July snowbird."

"That's another way of looking at it," he admitted.

"Well?" Kris said.

"What other alternatives are available?" Grey asked. "Let these aliens capture Tranquility? Allow Earth to be destroyed?"

At that moment, Kris saw something in Grey's eyes she'd never noticed before. Something that had always been there, just below the surface. Just out of reach. Fear? she wondered. No. That's not it. It's the responsibility. Too much, too soon. God, he's just a kid. We all are.

"I'm sorry, lover," Kris said. "This kind of stuff is way out of my league. Hell, it's out of everyone's league."

"Sports metaphors aside, I'm not always sure which side of the field I'm on, but Quexitor must be stopped. What needs to happen will happen. There may not be many options."

"What can I do?" she asked.

"Stay alert. Don't let anyone risk themselves foolishly. If I'd known how much the Arikhan thirst for fresh meat, I'd have followed Nick's advice for a beef exchange instead of repair units."

Kris could tell he was trying to make a joke, though she sensed a truth to the remark that made her skin crawl.

"Be careful," she urged.

"Careful is not an option, but I am hopeful," he said. "Anxiety caused by these enemies has plagued me for so long, I've developed the strangest desire to seek a sort of vengeance on them."

"That's great!" Kris smiled. "If you go into this looking to stick 'em, I know everything will be okay."

"Stick them?" Grey asked.

"Don't think about it," Kris said. "Just do it."

____________

On the other side of landing bay minor, Tamera noticed Roger sigh as they waited for the airlock to open. Though she rarely went out of her way to speak with him, events had made her curious.

"What's wrong, Major?" she decided to ask.

"I ran out on Tey. I hope she's not mad," Roger answered.

"Are you guys an item?" Tamera teased.

"No. Not yet, anyway. She's quite a lady, though. Smart. Beautiful. Accomplished."

"Sounds like someone's in love," Tamera observed.

"Naw, just a little charmed. Too much baggage for me to ever get serious again, especially with someone like Tey."

"What? Other girls? Ex-wives?" Tamera asked.

"No, no. I haven't had a girlfriend since... well, a long time ago. It's the dirty blanket business. Women like Tey don't fall in love with rogues like me."

"I'm sorry to have suspected you," Tamera said. "You know, of being the assassin. In my heart, I know you are not, but I was so worried. There's something special about you. About your relationship with Grey."

Tamera paused to look at Roger closely, noticing some very familiar physical characteristics. Roger started to feel uncomfortable.

"A long time ago," Tamera whispered. "And you were stationed at Tranquility before the evacuation. When Grey's mother was still alive. Oh, my God."

"No, you're wrong, Tammy," Roger quickly protested, glancing around before leading her into a corner where the security monitors had no view.

"Top secret," he whispered. "Top, top, top secret."

"Okay," she said, thrilled by the dangerously confidential tone.

"Grey's my nephew. Jaime's son," he said. "But we can't let anyone know. If the Council ever learned--"

"I understand. I understand it all," Tamera said, giving him a hug. "You are very brave, to risk so much and let others think so little of you. I'm not surprised that Tey is your special friend."

"Well, Tey can be a bit of a mystery herself, sometimes," Roger grinned. "She always seems to know what's going on."

They heard the big airlock hatch begin to slide open and Roger turned to leave. Tamera paused, thinking how long the triple airlock process could take, and made her excuses.

"I must use the ladies room. I will catch up later," she said.

"Are you sure? I can wait."

"It's a woman's thing."

As Roger disappeared into the airlock system, Tamera turned back toward the lounge. When she emerged a few minutes later, an odd shadow caught her attention. There, on the far side of the hangar, someone was quietly moving down the ramp toward the landing bay. It wasn't Kris, and it wasn't Grey.

Tamera passed through the hospitality complex to watch from a balcony. The mysterious intruder was working along the edge of the maintenance area, moving steadily toward a medium-size hopper in preflight. Tamera descended the stairwell, moving in from the other side. Above and behind her, she heard Grey and Kris whispering. The dark figure reached the hopper, opened a side hatch, and climbed inside.

The ground crew units started towing the hopper toward the elevator. Tamera raced to catch up, put a hand on her blaster, and pulled the hatch open ready to confront the assassin. To her astonishment, she found Tey Meriwether lying on the floor of the cargo hold. Tey was not alone. Before Tamera could retreat, two bony claws reached out to drag her inside. The hatch slammed shut.

Fifteen minutes later, Grey boarded the mining hopper and widened the seat to accommodate his Quexelian suit. Through the cockpit window, he saw Kris standing on the second-floor walkway, feeling sad to leave her so soon. Before long, the hopper was raised up to the surface launch tube and pushed out into the lunar vacuum with a shove of eight support jets.

"Hello, Bonanza," Grey said to the on-board flight computer.

"Greetings, Cal," the flight-computer said.

"We need to get off Earthside as soon as possible, but I don't want a lot of altitude," Grey instructed. "Take us over Mare Serenitatis past Ostrov, then through Lacus Somniorum. We'll take a look at the North Pole Observatory, then slide down 120 via Landau. When we reach Farside, set us down in the Candace Fault."

"Acknowledged," Bonanza said.

"Is our cargo giving off a radiation signature?" Grey asked.

"Negative. All protocols intact."

"Maintain a black trail," Grey instructed, getting up from the pilot station and squeezing into the crew compartment through the rear corridor. A galley to the right provided meals. The passenger area converted into four sleeping pads. To his left was an airlock. Like many mining hoppers, Bonanza's facilities provided for extended missions.

Beyond the crew compartment, through a niche where several surface suits were stored, was the cargo hold. Grey felt the vibration of the engines as the thrusters pushed the craft steadily forward. He opened the final hatch to see how Mordari and Ryndari were faring, only to find an unpleasant surprise.

"Cal, perceive our glory," Mordari said, a weapon in her hand pointing at two frightened humans.

"Prisoners. Juicy ones, too," Ryndari said with a click of his tongue, his claw stroking Tamera's thigh.

Grey paused to take in the scene, his heart beating faster as he groped for an acceptable strategy. The scouts had removed the stolen walkers, keeping only their tight spacesuits. Ryndari held Tamera's sidearm, his posture joyful. Tamera appeared scared. Dr. Meriwether looked alarmed but thoughtful.

"Abide in disappointment, my allies," Grey said. "The small female is a hostage to prevent the Governor from interfering with our attack on the rocks. The older female has come to sell us the colony defense codes."

"Sell?" Ryndari asked.

"You must have something to trade? Rhodium? Diamonds?" Grey said.

"We carry no precious minerals," Mordari answered.

"Perhaps technology. Advanced scientific equipment?" Tey said, pushing Mordari's weapon aside. "The codes I have are very valuable. I expect to be well compensated."

Interesting, Grey thought, seeing how quickly Tey read the situation.

"We will eat the hostage," Mordari said. "Our leader will bargain with the spy. If no agreement is reached, we shall feast on her as well."

"That may be acceptable," Grey agreed.

"Grey!" Tamera shouted.

"Do not call upon your hero, human," Grey scolded. "I have allies now. Grey Waters will not frustrate my plans this time."

Ryndari and Mordari clicked their tongues with pride, eying Grey with newfound appreciation.

"We're about to pass the remains of Ostrov Observatory, the only complex destroyed during the lunar evacuation," Grey said to the aliens. "It features an antiquated weapons platform, if you care to see it."

Ryndari and Mordari turned from their prisoners and went forward to the bridge, curious about the long destroyed Russian base. And anxious to make sure the hopper was on course.

"What are you doing here?" Grey said the moment the Arikhan were gone.

"I was following her," Tamera said, pointing at Tey. "I think she is the assassin. She must be, there is no one else."

"Doctor Meriwether is here on my instructions," Grey lied, noticing how well Tey hid her surprise. "You've put our operation at great risk."

"I'm sorry, Grey," Tamera apologized. "I... hey, wait. You're the one who must explain. What are those things? And where are we going? And why do you talk about yourself like you're someone else?"

"My name is Cal. I'm a renegade bent on revenge, and those creatures are scouts for a very dangerous species called the Arikhan," Grey whispered. "I need to discover their methods, which your presence here has greatly complicated. Take off your clothes."

"What?" Tamera said.

"Take off your clothes," Grey repeated, removing the gauntlets of his meteor suit and reaching to activate the collar codes. The chest plates opened, adding a very obnoxious smell to the close confines.

"Good lord," Tey said, backing as far away as she could.

Grey pulled his arms out first, then climbed nude from the bulky suit to find his flight uniform. Tamera was bashfully unsealing her jumpsuit when Grey ripped the front open, yanked it back from her shoulders, and tipped her upside down, pulling on the leggings.

"I can do the rest myself," Tamera said, upset by the rough handling.

"Get into my walker," Grey ordered.

Tamera meekly complied, twisting to slide her feet into the leg casings, then reaching back to put her arms down into the sleeves. Grey activated the collar code to let the chest plates close, the smell instantly disappearing.

"Oh, my god," Tamera exclaimed, twitching against a sudden intimacy as the bio-oil grafted the suit to her skin. "Why am I in this awful thing? What are you going to do?"

"The Arikhan are meat eaters. Tammy burger is coming off the menu," Grey said.

"But what about you?" Tamera asked.

"When the time comes, I don't think they'll care for my flavor," he replied.

Tey looked at Grey, her ear tilted to catch an inflection in his voice.

"Your joke is not funny," Tamera said.

"That remains to be seen," he responded. "There are homing beacons stationed along Highway 30. If you stay near the road, you'll be back at Tranquility in twelve hours."

Before Tamera realized his intentions, she was pushed into the airlock. When the door sealed behind her, he punched the emergency evac, blowing her out into the lunar vacuum.

"Cal!" Tey shouted, rushing to the porthole. She saw Tamera tumbling on the surface several meters from the gravel road. The remains of Ostrov were just off in the distance.

"That was very dangerous," Tey criticized.

"The suit will protect her," he explained.

Tey continued to watch through the porthole until the brief cloud of dust caused by Tamera's fall disappeared from view, then turned toward Grey.

"Do you think I'm the assassin?" she asked.

"I know you are, but that doesn't matter now," he answered.

"Why doesn't it matter? Because you don't care? Or because you don't expect to survive whatever it is you're doing?"

"I fully expected to survive this mission until a few minutes ago."

"You lied to Tamera," Tey said.

"I lie to a lot of people."

"Okay, where do we go from here?" she asked.

"There's a mission to accomplish. One that hardly requires an explanation at this point," he answered.

"We're in a hopper headed for the far side of the moon with two hostile aliens, preparing to meet a larger group of hostile aliens, and you don't think that requires an explanation?" she said.

"Next time don't come in during the middle of the movie," Grey answered, remembering a clever line from an old movie he'd once seen.

"Cal! Something has happened. An object fell from the craft," Mordari said, bursting into the crew section.

"The hostage boasted that her hero would come to her rescue," Grey explained as he strapped on a holstered sidearm. "I became enraged and broke her neck, then dumped the body on the surface for the Governor to find. My vengeance will be sweet when he discovers his plaything dead."

Mordari stared at him in horror as Tey took a serious look at her captor. Many scenarios ran through her mind. Costumes. Holograms. Drug induced hallucinations. None seemed viable. She looked at Grey, who appeared totally at ease with the situation. Despite all her previous observations, she had never imagined how well he could deceive.

"You should not have wasted so much food," Mordari scolded. "Zendar will be displeased."

"It was a thoughtless act," Grey apologized. "Still, there are many more humans at the colony. With the codes this female can provide, you can overcome them easily. You will feast well after defeating the rocks."

"We will feast well," Mordari agreed.

Thursday, February 6th, 2070

"I can't believe we're doing this," Glenda complained, checking the charge on her stunner.

"Let's keep it quiet," Kris said, looking first at Glenda, then at Michiko.

"You're not telling Nick or the guys?" Glenda asked.

"Need to know only," Kris said. "We go in quiet and keep her locked down. No com, no dust."

"But why? Why arrest Kes?" Glenda asked.

"Do you want to help or not?" Kris tersely questioned.

"Who's asking, you or Grey?" Michiko said.

Kris paused, then laughed. "Okay, so I'm picking up some of his bad manners. This is important. Believe me, I love Kes. I'd never want to hurt her. But I can't explain more without violating a trust."

"Good enough for me," Michiko said.

"Yeah, let's do it," Glenda agreed.

The women left the community level armory and walked through the darkened quiet of the central promenade toward the hotel. The long corridor entrance was empty. To their right, service units were beginning preparations for serving breakfast in the Restaurant D'Oasis. They veered left up to the second floor and crept down the hall until pausing outside a slender door.

"Ready?" Kris whispered, preparing to kick the door in.

Glenda reared back and crashed through shoulder first, shattering the light regolith alloy. Kris and Michiko followed, finding Kes half asleep in her bed.

"What is this?" Kes said as Kris reached for her arm, but she didn't wait for an answer, pushing Kris to the side before knocking Michiko into the wall. Glenda grabbed Kes in a bear hug, but Kes flipped her over and body slammed her to the floor.

Kris realized the small woman was tougher than she appeared and grabbed a blanket, throwing it over Kes's head and tackling her. Glenda jumped back into the fray, resuming the bear hug but with her feet better braced. Michiko applied a soft but sturdy fabric binding to the older woman's ankles, then one around her pinned arms. Kris found a second blanket, rolled it around Kes like a carpet, and the three of them rushed from the hotel with the struggling bundle under their arms. Several heads popped from various rooms to check on the commotion, but seeing Kris in the lead, no one interfered.

A few minutes later, Kes was carried into the administration center brig and set down in the rear cell. Kris reached under the blankets to cut off the lightly weighted nightshirt Kes was wearing, fearing the large pockets might contain a communications device, then waved for Glenda and Michiko to back away. Kris put a brand-new jumper on the floor for Kes to wear, then freed the bindings and jumped back, quickly locking the cell door.

"I demand an explanation," Kes said.

"You'll only be here a day or two," Kris answered. "We'll get you a vid pad or whatever else you want. Everything's going to be okay."

"But why, Kris? Why?" Kes insisted.

"Orders," Kris responded.

"Whose orders? Did Grey order this?" Kes questioned. "But that makes no sense. Unless... No! No, Kris, you must stop him."

"We don't even know where he is," Michiko said. "But he's your friend. I'm sure this must be necessary."

"Necessary to stop me from interfering," Kes said. "Kris, do you have any idea how dangerous this situation is? If Grey challenges Quexitor, he will lose. Not just his life, but everything he values. Everything you value."

"Who is Quexitor?" Glenda asked.

"And why would Grey want to attack him?" Michiko added.

"Quexitor is my leader," Kes said. "He has been here on your moon for many years. And if attacked, he will destroy your moon, and your planet. You must help me."

"What about it, Kris?" Glenda said.

"We're in a tough spot, no doubt about it," Kris admitted. "Everything Kes says might be true, but Grey's counting on us. Whatever he's up to, he must have a good shot at pulling it off."

"Kris, you don't understand," Kes protested.

"Sorry, Kes," Kris said. "I like you. I like you a lot. But I love Grey."

Kris waved to Glenda and Michiko, who exited the brig as Kris closed the outer door and set the lock. The moment the women were gone, the communications panel on the opposite wall suddenly came alive, green signature patterns emerging on the unsophisticated monitor screen.

"Hello, Kes," the Life Support Computer said. "I believe it's time for us to talk."

____________

As the hopper approached Far Side Observatory from the north, Grey studied the area carefully for evidence of the alien ship. Had he not visited the remote outpost twice before, he might not have noticed the massive gray lump that had suddenly appeared along the Jeremiah Rill. The camouflage netting was more than adequate to frustrate orbital observation, and the dark side approach had apparently proven effective.

"She is here," Mordari reported.

Grey felt a lump in his throat as he set the hopper down on the outside landing platform, the slab protected by the steep walls of a narrow trench.

"We must convince their leader we have value," Grey whispered to Tey. "If we can't, this mission will end very unpleasantly."

"Not without a fight," Tey said, showing Grey the fully charged Marsden tucked in her utility pouch.

"Only as a last resort," Grey warned. "The rocks must be defeated at any cost. Survival is secondary."

"You mean that, don't you?" Tey said. "I'm not sure if I have that kind of courage."

"It's not about courage," he said.

Tey had no doubt of his resolve. Then she remembered the confrontation at Kelly's Saloon over the vote. The way he had sought to alienate his friends, especially Kris. Suddenly Tey realized why he found that necessary. What she'd thought was petulance was really a desperate effort to cut himself loose from the emotional ties that might hold him back. She understood the feeling, reflecting on elements of her own career, and suddenly wondered why she wasn't more afraid. Certainly nothing in her experience had prepared her for this.

Grey led Tey to the airlock, squeezing in with Ryndari and Mordari. They stepped out on a dark platform, then followed a row of guide lights up a sloping ramp accessing the Farside Observatory from the cargo dock.

"Do not be rash, food creatures," Mordari said. "We will explain your presence to the Leader."

"She is a mighty warrior, great in wisdom," Ryndari said. "She will know how you may serve us best."

"Or be served?" Grey said.

Mordari clicked her tongue in amusement, and even Ryndari seemed to find the remark clever.

As they entered the long-abandoned observatory, Grey was alert for trouble. The dark staging area was empty, so they moved on through to the cargo bay.

The Arikhan were waiting for them in the warehouse. Grey saw seven of the formidable creatures directly ahead blocking the door to the living quarters. Five more stood to the left near the storage racks, another five on the right near the supply counter. All were better than two meters in height, broad-shouldered, and suited in closed environment armor decorated with leather. The hand weapons were similar to the ones used by the scouts, but two carried long-stemmed guns that appeared to be energy rifles.

One particular Arikhan stood with arms crossed in the center of the largest group, the posture speaking of leadership.

Close to terror, Tey glanced at Grey to see he was shaken as well. It didn't stop him from seizing the initiative.

"Greetings!" he said, brushing past Mordari with his hands held out. "My name is Cal, sole survivor of the Abandoned Tribe. This is Doctor Tey Meriwether, agent of the Nationalist Party. We are come to wage common cause against the rocks."

To Tey's astonishment, Grey knelt before the leader and slowly withdrew his sidearm, then offered it up with his head bent low. The alien made a chortling sound and tucked the weapon in her belt.

"Stand," the alien ordered.

Grey stood, his gaze still lowered, his body drooped in submission. Tey could tell the leader was pleased. Mordari and Ryndari were astonished.

"I am Zendar, Leader of the 44th Camp," the Leader said. "We anticipated a feast when we detected your craft approaching. This we did not expect."

Zendar looked at her scouts who did not return the steady gaze.

"Mordari and Ryndari have generously offered assistance," Grey said, even adding a slight click of the tongue to the end of his sentence. "My enemy has allied with the rocks. Their coalition will prove formidable."

"The rocks make poor allies, as these inhabitants will learn to their sorrow," Zendar said. "What advantage do you expect?"

"I will have revenge upon the Governor of the Moon," Grey said.

"You will have this revenge knowing the fate which awaits you once your usefulness has ended?" Zendar asked.

Grey straightened up, putting a hand over his empty holster as if to draw the missing weapon.

"I care nothing about that," he declared. "Too long has my enemy held the place that is mine by right. Too long has he enjoyed the woman who was mine alone. I would have him dead, but if your feast is more important than defeating the rocks, then take the first bite."

Grey unlatched the sleeve of his spacesuit, dropped it to the floor, and pulled back the underlining to expose his forearm, boldly offering the flesh to Zendar. Tey noticed the sleeve had been cut in advance to make the dramatic gesture easier. More ominous, she noticed Grey secretly slip something into his mouth. Cyanide? If his bluff failed, would he kill himself to avoid a more gruesome fate?

"This governor, he stole your mate?" Zendar inquired "And by slaying him, you seek to win her back?"

"She's a lying, traitorous whore," Grey said. "She will be food."

Zendar clicked her tongue, as did the other Arikhan.

"This creature knows much of the colony," Mordari said. "He took us inside and then out again without the inhabitants' knowledge. He may serve us well."

"It is impertinent, but clever," Ryndari agreed.

Zendar twisted her head, a twitch of her eyes sending a signal to her soldiers. Two came forward to press against Tey, taking her shoulder bag and probing her pockets, then tying her hands behind her back. Tey tried to keep her composure, though it wasn't easy. Once Tey was secure, the Arikhan tied Grey's hands as well.

"We will consider how you may serve us. You offer much, but such as you pose risk as well," Zendar said.

Grey and Tey were hustled back into the storage room where they were put on the floor with their ankles tied. Though handled firmly, Grey noticed no actual force was used. No doubt to avoid bruising the meat.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Tey whispered.

"No one invited you," he said just as quietly.

"That can't be helped now. If that she-beast doesn't buy your story, we're ripe for slaughter."

"You're a little lean for their tastes, that's why I dumped Tammy out at Ostrov," Grey explained.

"You look healthy enough," she said.

"You'd better hope so," he sighed.

* * * * * *

Four parts to go.