PERIL (15 page)

“Are you okay?” Bains asks.

“Yes, I’m having an allergic reaction to the fibers in a new air filter we installed on our habitat. Our Medical Officer prescribed an
antihistamine. I’ll be fine,” Yuri quickly replies.

“I hope, Captain Yuri’s, breach of protocol doesn’t taint your outlook of the mission,” Captain Satoh says to Bains.

Bains looks around the room as the rest of the group is seated around a large dining table. Captain Yuri was surprised that his breach was discovered.

“Uh, well my apologies,” Yuri stammers.

“We monitor all decodable transmissions,” Satoh affirms.

Satoh’s comment was a jab at Ares Corp. and Apollo Corp. technologies.

“Besides collecting the ore, our team’s objective is to preserve the sanctity of our treaty on this dig. You have my word on that,” Bains assures the men.

“Then let us proceed,” Yuri urges.

“I’m sorry gentlemen I can’t help but notice that your teams are a little light,” Bains says.

“Mining conditions have forced us to monitor operations ‘round the clock,” Satoh says.

Bains doesn’t buy his explanation. She senses something more is up. Yuri is acting suspicious and he looks like death warmed over.

“We’ve had to adjust our activities as well, but these are our key personnel,” Yuri adds.

“Are there problems with the dig sites?” Bains probes.

“You’ll find that the terrain and the locations of the ore make mining operations difficult. Let’s get started shall we?” Yuri urges again.

The three Captains join the rest of the group at the round dining table. Some of them are smoking cigars and cigarettes. It was a very informal meeting. Captain Satoh wastes no time in breaking the bad news. He signals over to his Commander, Aneko Yamaguchi, and she quickly unrolls a holographic map of the dig sites. She immediately points out the designated drilling territories.

“We have begun digging here, here and here on Sites A, B and C. You may begin here at site D,” Yamaguchi aggressively directs.

“Wait a minute. According to the treaty we we’re supposed to decide the drilling designations after all of our teams have reached the planet,” Bains says sternly.

“We should’ve waited two full months until you got here?” Yamaguchi asks sharply.

“You were supposed to follow the fucking plan!” Cruise snaps ignoring the map.

The group begins to argue over drilling rights and treaty regulations. Bains notices the areas Yamaguchi outlined.

“Hold on a second. Based on this map you’ve given us access to the larger deposits of ore,” Bains remarks.

“After extensive analysis Apollo Corp. feels that the grade of ore on this planetoid is substandard. The larger share is yours if you want it,” Satoh says.

“Aaron Enterprises concurs with those findings. However, the sites we’ve annexed are our territory. You will not go within fifty clicks of them,” Yuri adds.

“You take the smaller share, give us the larger and claim territory. What’s going on?” Bains inquires.

“Who cares, Bains? I have no problem with a larger share!” Cruise interjects.

  Bains looks over at Reed. He’s baffled as well.

However, Nyna seems to have some insight about the strange turn of events.

“Captain, a word,” Nyna says.

She gets up from the table and walks to a far side of the Mess Hall and Bains joins her.

“What is it?” Bains asks.

“Take the deal,” Nyna says firmly.

“You’re running this show now android?” Bains whispers.

“You’re getting what you came for,” Nyna says softly.

“Really. Then why do I get the feeling something else is going on here?” Bains asks.

“Because, there is,” Nyna responds.

“Do you mind filling me in? Because, frankly I’m tired of the subterfuge.”

Nyna doesn’t respond and it was clear she wasn’t going too.

“Are we finished here, Captain?” Captain Satoh asks from the table.

Bains and Nyna make there way back over to the group.

“We’ll check out the site and get back to you,” Bains says.

The meeting was adjourned and Commander Yamaguchi left the map on the table. After the other teams left, Bains and her crew discussed the situation further.

“Clearly, we’re not getting the full story here?” Bains says as she eyeballs the map.

“Agreed. The Beryllium is pure. Advanced scans determined that before we left Earth,” Reed says.

“So why would they claim it’s substandard?” Neil asks.

“Again who cares? This map says there are large deposits and they’re giving it to us! I say we take it. I got no problem with it,” Cruise says.

“You’re also prone to leaping before looking, Cruise,” Magruder says in jest.

“Enough. Pure grade ore, large deposits based on this map, this is all speculation. The only way we’ll substantiate anything is if we physically go out there to the site and run some scans. So suit-up,” Bains orders.

“Alright Cruise, Pendersen and Nickolette you
’re up. You know the drill, two in environmental suits and one in the DCU,” Reed commands.

“Awe, hell no! I ain’t getting in that thing. I’ll take an environmental suit if it’s okay with you,” Cruise objects.

The downloadable Conscious Unit or DCU is a mechanical suit used for mining. The occupant would get into a cryo-stasis unit and have his or her consciousness downloaded into it.

“I’ll do it
––it’s like dreaming, Cruise. It’s just like hyper-sleep. Paid snooze time!” Nickolette says jokingly.

Nyna listened in silence.

“Call it what you like, but you can’t spend the money if you die in that freakin’ thing,” Cruise scoffs.

“I don’t care who gets in it just get moving! We don’t have all day,” Reed says.

Everyone except Nyna heads over to D-Block via the North Corridor to the habitat’s Med Lab where the DCU’s are housed. Nyna has plans of her own. She slips away unnoticed by the group.

The crew arrives at Med Lab. The robotic units stand nine feet tall with huge mechanical arms. There are two of them. The suits are shiny red and silver in color. The suits’ helmets have large black visors with neon blue domes on top of them. Both of the robotic suits stand up against a wall and has a large spikes lodged in both of their backs. The spikes are used as conduits for the suit’s power and user’s consciousness to be transferred through.

In the Med Lab are also four portable cryo-stasis units. There is also a closet housing several environmental suits. Magruder and Reed assist Cruise and Nickolette as they put on their environmental suits. They methodically check to make sure that the suits are secure. Doctor Peirce and Bains helped Pendersen into the cryo-stasis unit and check its systems. Neil sits at a station monitoring the cryo-stasis unit’s activity and powers it up.

Once Pendersen is in the cryo-tube, Bains and Doctor Pierce joins Neil at the station. Nickolette and Pendersen watch each other from across the room. The genetic twins share a feeling of apprehension despite Pendersen’s confident attitude about the unit. The DCU process is a fairly new use of the cryo-stasis unit barley out of the testing phase. Nickolette watches as his counterpart settles into the cryo-tube.

“Just like dreaming, bro,” Nickolette says reassuringly to Pendersen.

“Just like dreaming,” Pendersen replies nervously.

“HAB 1, initiate DCU protocols,” Doctor Pierce commands.

The cryo-tube begins to hum and the robotic suit lights up. Bains watches intently. She moves closer to Doctor Pierce.

“Pierce, tell me more about this unit you’re transferring him into,” Bains inquires.

“Well
it operates like your standard cryo process except instead of his consciousness remaining in the cryo-unit it’s transferred to the robotic suit. He’ll have full control over the suit with the ability to push, pull and lift over five thousand pounds off pressure,” Doctor Pierce says confidently.

“Sweet!” Reed says.

Bains smiles in response to Reed’s childlike amazement.

“How long can he safely be in it?” Bains inquires.

“Up to 7.5 hours max,” Doctor Pierce warns.

“Hey doc what happens after 7.5 hours?” Cruise asks jokingly.

“Obviously, that would be considered clinical death Lieutenant,” Doctor Pierce replies.

“Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen,” Bains urges.

Nickolette slaps Cruise on the shoulder.

“What? I just wanted to know where ya go after 7.5 hours”

“In your case, Cruise a fiery pit somewhere at the bottom of Hades,” Magruder jokes. 

“Downloadable Conscious Unit is online. Whenever you’re ready, doctor,” HAB 1 states.

Cruise now in his environmental suit eased over to the robotic suits.

“Begin transfer,” Dr. Pierce says.

“Transfer in progress. Standby,” HAB 1 replies.

The group watches anxiously awaiting Pendersen’s transfer. The neon blue dome on top of one of the suits begins to glow and lower into the suit’s helmet. The rod piercing the back of the suit charges with electrical currents. Electrical bolts fire rapidly around it. Suddenly, the suit jerks upwards from its slightly hunched over position. Cruise quickly accesses a panel on its arm. He scrolls through several commands stopping at “Vocal App” and then accesses “Captain Vanessa Bains Vocal Processor.” He pats Nickolette on the shoulder and grins mischievously. He’s up to his juvenile pranks per usual.

Suddenly, a projected image of Pendersen’s face appears on the suit’s black visor. It flickers a bit until a solid signal is obtained.

“Transfer complete,” HAB 1 indicates.

“Uh, we got ‘em here, doc,” Cruise says grinning widely.

“Ok, Pendersen, how are you feeling?” Doctor Pierce asks.

There is a distorted audible response as Pendersen tries to answer. It sounds like a very bad transmission. The suit is confused by an input error. Then Pendersen responds again.

“I said I’m good. Hey quit screwin’ around, man!” Pendersen says in Bains’ voice.

Cruise laughs hardily. He’s amused at seeing Pendersen’s face speaking in Bains’ voice.

“You know, Cruise, the sooner we get those scans completed the sooner we know how much money we get,” Bains says.

“I copy that!” Cruise says.

Cruise accesses Pendersen’s Vocal App and corrects the error immediately.

HAB 1 withdraws the metal rod from the back of the suit.

“Okay. Pendersen why don’t you stretch your legs a bit? Get a feel for the suit” Doctor Pierce says.

“My pleasure doc,” Pendersen replies eagerly.

Pendersen steps away from the wall disengaging the suit from the spike in its back. He raises the suit’s huge arms in the air and lifts its heavy legs. The pounding of the suit’s footsteps produce a thunderous bang as he moves quickly towards Cruise. He looks very opposing. Cruise backs into a corner in fear of the giant.

“Hey back off man!” Cruise yells.

Pendersen slams both the suit’s arms down against the wall pinning Cruise between them. He leans in placing his projected face close to Cruise’s face.

“The suit is working just fine now, doc,” Pendersen says.

“I agree. However, I’ll want to run a few more test before you go out,” Doctor Pierce adds laughing.

“How long?” Bains inquires.

“About twenty-minutes,” Doctor Pierce adds.

Turning her attention away from the horseplay Bains revisits the earlier meeting highlights with Reed.

“I’m still a little perplexed about the other team’s agenda.”

“Agreed. I’m curious about what they don’t want us to find at the other sites. Fifty-clicks, that’s excessive,” Reed says to Bains.

“Knowing what’s up over there would make me feel a lot better,” Bains replies.

“There maybe a way to find out what they’re hiding. The probe Seeyer launched over a year ago was monitoring all the prospective dig sites,” Neil says.

“Wasn’t it lost?” Bains asks.

“Yeah, but when the, Decima, came within range of the planet, ISIS, picked up on its last known telemetry. She transmitted the data before she went offline,” Neil adds.

He logs onto a holo-terminal and has HAB 1 download the data. HAB 1 also scans for the downed probe’s current location.

“Probe found in Sector 373-D,” HAB 1 states.

Bains and the rest of the crew gather around the terminal.

“Sector 373-D?” Bains says as she wanders back over to the map.

“That’s Site B!” Bains points out.

“Site B. Okay, Bains, what are you thinking?” Reed asks.

“That probe is Ares Corp. property and retrieving it gives us an excuse to look around their dig site”

Bains notices that Nyna has been absent for a while.

“Reed go ahead and send Cruise, Pendersen and Nickolette to scan our site,” Bains orders.