|
"Alternative Directions: Options "Written By: Karina Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the lovely
boys and their girls in the series. Wish I did. Please don't sue me.
I haven't even got a brass razoo to give you. Rating: Deffinately PG in Australia, at the moment,
but probably safer to say R for later chapters. Not sure about international
ratings Warnings: It will be 6x2, even though it does
not start out that way. After all, Zechs and Duo never met in Gundam
Wing and only spoke briefly over a com line in Endless Waltz. I've
tried to keep them in character as I saw them in the series. A bit
of language creeping in under stressful conditions. Pairings: eventual 6x2, past 2xH, 2+H,6x9, 1+R
Summary: Directions is set post Endless Waltz
and roughly 2 years have passed. Zechs and Noin are on Mars and Duo,
after spending some time with Hilde in a relationship leaves L2 to
join Preventers. Hilde was not happy about his decision. I guess enough
said. Here t'is, and I hope you like it. This is also AU for the standard
setting, as well as the series and Endless Waltz. Spoilers: Gundam Wing Series and Endless Waltz Many thanks to Dulin for volunteering to beta this. //... // thoughts
"Alternative Directions: Options"
Chapter 122 Mars Colony Base Dome 2nd March AC 198 Time: 01: 15 [approx Sanc time 23:05] Polnar “Oh fuck!” // Oh shit! Damn, that is not a pleasant surprise.// He was very close to hyperventilating and he needed to control himself or place himself and possibly the other two at risk. He could not afford to lose it. // If there was any doubt about what has been going on around here this clinches it. Barker should be here to see this.// He knew that he must look something like a wild deer must look that was caught in the headlights of an onrushing car in the middle of the night. He could almost feel the impact of that vehicle as it smashed him into what was going to be the void of death. He was not dead. He was alive. He wanted to yell and swear his head off but he dared not and was thankful that the helmet muffled his initial reaction to his situation. He could not afford to give away his position and must remain bound to silence if he wanted a chance of reaching the inspection access. He dared not move until he was certain that there was no danger threatening him in his immediate vicinity. The blood on the body he had landed on was long dry so he suspected that the killer was not in the immediate area but he was not prepared to presume the way was clear nor could he take the chance that someone else had moved in to cover the doorway when the alert sounded. The whole situation reeked of a set up and he was not inclined to fall victim to any planned ambush. Ignoring the corpse that he rested on as best he could, not daring as yet to move and forcing his awareness away from the fact that he knew this person who lay dead beneath him, he focused his attention on the necessity of preserving his own skin. As best the limits of his helmet permitted he scanned his immediate surroundings, seeking the smallest indication that he might have acquired a stalker. If anyone had marked him he was not inclined to be considered an easy kill and he had responsibilities. He was not here for his own pleasure after all. //I wonder where Haydon is? I hope he found Merquise and has him in safe ground, though where on this base could actually be classed as safe ground is entirely another matter.// The foliage remained still, the dome eerily silent but he was not inclined to trust that. There was no breeze to move the palm fronds or branches of the young rain forest trees they had genetically modified to survive in the Martian conditions but he was not willing to trust that lack of plant movement. His life was worth more than any supposition of safety though it did at least assured him that for the moment he was alone. With his rather spectacular entrance into the hydroponics dome and considering that he was wearing a brilliant orange enviro suit it stood to reason that if there had been someone in the immediate vicinity he was an easily spotted target. Had his entrance been witnessed he should have had a knife between the shoulder blades or a bullet lodged in a vital point by now. He eased slowly back from the body he had landed on, careful not to dislodge any of the palm fronds that surrounded them and further mark himself as a target. He had no trouble identifying the body as being that of one of the geneticist's employed to make subtle changes to the plants being raised on Mars to better cope with the changes in gravity and the harshness of the environment. For all they were within a dome there were still many conditions that were far from Earth typical. Edward Sanderson was a genius in his field who now would never complete his groundbreaking research into the genetic modification of plants that would result in the eventual development and large scale production of plant species that could adapt to the exterior conditions of Mars. His ultimate brief had been to produce vegetation with by products that would overtime naturally alter the composition of the gasses that at this time made up the atmosphere of Mars and over time work to encourage changes toward a more Earth like atmosphere. One of only hundreds of projects designed to eventually alter the planetary conditions to make dome living a thing of the past. //Damn. You were a good sort, Ed. Sorry you became a victim. // He spared enough time to examine the body curious as to the methods the killer had used, knowing that any knowledge gained would assist him in avoiding a similar fate. //Looks like he was taken from behind and his throat slit. If I dared roll him … No, not a good idea and there does not look to be sufficient blood here to account for that type of wound. // Sweat rolled down his forehead producing another itch and he snarled quietly. // I have to get out of this suit before I go nuts! // Long training came to his rescue and he resisted the urge to tear the enviro suit from him. He could not be guaranteed that the environment within the hydroponics dome was safe. Supposition was what got people killed and he was not inclined to become another statistic. He forced the irrational urge down and made use of the suits many features, taking air samples and checking the composition of the atmosphere within the dome. He admitted to himself that he did not expect the atmosphere here to be compromised but an ounce of precaution exercised in due time might just keep him alive to complete his mission. A small smile twitched his lips at the more than acceptable reading of the sealed environment and he was quick to strip off the confining helmet and suck in a huge lung full of humid earthy scented oxygen. He almost moaned in pleasure. The air felt so much colder and smelt so much sweeter than the interior of his suit which caused him to wrinkle his nose at his own stench, but what did one expect when he had been wearing the suit for something in the vicinity of sixteen hours? Of course he was rank and would he ever enjoy a long and luxurious shower but that would have to wait and anyone who associated with him would just have to put up with his stink. For a few precious seconds he permitted himself to luxuriate in the cool air and then he could no longer control his urge and dug his fingers into his scalp, scrubbing vigorously at the myriad itches that always developed with prolonged use of the enviro suits. From his scalp he moved on to his neck and thence to his face, working at satisfying the urge to wipe the irritating sweat from his brow and simply to indulge in the pleasure of being able to touch himself. //I thought I was never going to get out of that bloody suit. Christ, I stink. Anyone in the dome would have to smell me coming.// With the efficiency of long practice he stripped off the suit in its varying sections. With the removal of each piece he indulged in a quick but very satisfying scratching bout and stashed the brilliant orange material beneath the body and in the nearby protection of a thicket. He was soaking wet but now that he could scratch what was so uncomfortable he was content enough to ignore the less than comfortable condition of his clothing. With the suit hidden as best he could manage at this time he ignored the body and surveyed the area around him. All seemed quiet, perhaps too quiet but he ignored that thought in favour of easing to the edge of his chosen thicket and working his way through the undergrowth to a vantage point that would permit him to survey the entry lock. He was uncertain just how long ago he had passed through that airlock but he knew it was no more than a few minutes. Time seemed to stretch oddly under stress and he had long ago become proficient in the removal of the enviro suit so to remove the suit had taken no more than two minutes. Less, he suspected. As near as he could figure he had passed through the entry lock no more than five minutes ago and searching the open area fronting the lock he detected no sign of Barker or Carter, nor did he honestly expect to find them. The inner and outer doors were now closed and locked against the growing pollutants and poisons in the air of the enviro dome. They were safe enough from that danger for the moment at least but safety was far from the ultimate goal he had to achieve and he was not inclined to hang about and waste time. His survey of the doors and the open area before them produced a grimace as he noted a dark patch of ground that marked the hastily covered over pool of blood in the middle of the cleared area. While at the time it was done it might have served to cover a fresh spill of blood the dirt had long since soaked in the blood and was now an angry dark rusty colour so at odds with the lighter natural brown of the loam mixed with the Martian dirt that the stain fairly leaped out and hit one in the face. //That would have to be where the gene tech was taken out. You deserved more than to be dragged into a thicket and forgotten about, Ed. A hasty and poor cover up to avoid alerting anyone else who might be moving around the domes would explain the mess it is now. // He scrubbed lightly at his face, vaguely aware of lingering itches and more interested in the conditions he was going to have to be aware of if he wanted to survive. // I wonder how many people they have managed to take out before they were stopped? // He winced. // If they have been stopped. Merquise has to have been in the dome otherwise how would he know of the way down to the sub base? He can't have been ignorant to the danger he was in and his reputation suggests a more than thorough man so maybe his knowledge is just a matter of careful research and planning and he has not actually been in the dome today. Second guessing, Chris? Of course you are and probably guessing wrong too, but I have to do the best that I can. I never got the chance to talk to him so I have to rely on his reputation and what Raydon told me of him. He's not a fool and his reputation as an elite was earned, not supposition so if he has been in the dome he obviously did not fall prey to the hunters that were here. If they were here when he was here and its possible that others might have entered the dome since. I hate not knowing the entire picture. Have they moved on to other killing grounds or are they still here?// Scratching at his chin and at the drying sweat liberally mixed with a less than day old beard, the perfect combination for the worlds worst itch, he eased back into the undergrowth. He had to presume that there were hostiles in the dome and take every care in reaching the entrance to the sub base. Putting the entry lock to the hydroponics dome behind him he ghosted deeper into the dome for the moment choosing to follow the curve of the structure around. //I don't know Barker very well but he's a professional and he would not linger long in this area. We know where we have to go so I suppose the best thing to do would be to work my way around the dome to the reservoir and find the maintenance shaft. If I don't find Barker or Carter on the way then I would expect to find them there. If not … // He paused, crouching within a thicket, careful to keep within the undergrowth and off the defined path. He moved slower by ignoring the path but he viewed it as the safer option as he was capable pf moving through the foliage with due care. Yes, he did move the odd palm frond but that was unavoidable and he was careful to move in a low crouch so as not to present a full sized target to any sniper in the vicinity and he was very careful to keep the thickest growth between himself and the path. He listened for any sounds of movement, the rustle of plants or the more subtle sounds that might be the soft footfall of a stalker but all seemed still and far too quiet to be safe. Or was it so quiet because this place now belonged to the dead? // Not a nice thought. I'm glad that I will not be remaining on Mars after this. There will be no way that we can remain here and He has to understand that well enough. I only hope that he believes we work for Raydon. From what I know of him Merquise is not a trusting soul and I can't blame him for that but the fact remains that we have a job to do and now the best way to accomplish that is to get him off this rock. We need to hi our butts safely to Station One where Raydon can deal with the man or somehow get to a friendly ship and call in to the Station. Raydon has to have sent some form of assistance and with our transmitter I doubt that any electronic jamming of the signals would have contained our alert. We are totally independent of the stations systems. He will have sent us help but it will take a while for that assistance to get here and until it does arrive we have to keep the man in one piece. I'll be thankful to leave this place.// He moved off again, sliding carefully through the foliage, pausing every so often to listen and then moving on, perhaps slower than was necessary but he was unwilling to hurry for fear of marking his passage with a trail of moving plant fronds. He began to edge away from the curve of the dome, inclining deeper into the foliage, crossing the path he had been paralleling and easing toward the distant centre of the dome. The place felt gigantic to him, much larger than he knew it to actually be. // I don't think I will ever think of the hydroponics dome the same again. It's not that big a place when you consider it but just now it seems massive. I know that the paths were deliberately laid out to meander through the foliage and that some sections have no paths at all to further add to the illusion of space and size. It's a psychological ploy to accommodate the innate need we have to wander in wild places. Living under domes and in space stations taught the psychologists the needs that had to be catered to. I used to enjoy this place but I don't recall it ever taking this long for me to cross the dome. My sense of time is screwed. It feels like I have been wandering in here for hours and going bloody nowhere! // He froze, blanched and backed carefully into the shelter offered by a thicket. Through the foliage ahead he knew there lay a clearing and he could clearly hear the soothing laughter of water flowing over a stone bed. He knew this place. He had picnicked here on more than one occasion with a couple of the women he had fancied amid the terra formers. The female population on Mars was considerably lower than the male and any healthy heterosexual tried to interest any of the unattached females who demonstrated the minutest interest in them. He was no exception to that instinctive reaching for a partner of the opposite sex and had not been inclined to dally with any of the males though he knew that this spot was popular with same sex couples. In isolated circumstances it had been proven time and time again that a male who could not find relief with a female partner would eventually turn to another male for sexual gratification. While Mars did have a relatively high population of homosexual men in comparison to other colonies and some of the mining communities it also had the odd bisexual male who was equally attracted to male and female. Those who were strictly heterosexual took any opportunity that presented itself to interest the females of the colony. The administrators were quick to jump on any untoward behaviour. Stalking was forbidden and appropriate behaviour was strictly enforced and this clearing that was just visible through the plants was perfect for a romantic picnic by candlelight after nightfall, but now it was a killing ground. “Shit.” the breath of a whisper was all the sound he dared to permit himself. Crouched under the foliage he counted slowly to thirty and sought any sign that he might not be alone. When he detected no one in the vicinity he counted a second time and this time to sixty before he relaxed a little. // How many dead are there in this place? How many are dead under the enviro dome? Seems quiet enough now but do I dare trust that? // He considered the tableau spread before him with a sick crawling in his gut. He would never again be able to consider the hydroponics dome a romantic interlude. He edged back in the direction of the wall for the dome, skirting the edge of the clearing and being certain to stay within adequate cover but ensuring that he kept a relatively unobstructed view of the clearing. He could not turn his back on it or stop searching the foliage around him for signs of an ambush. He wanted the solidity of the wall to be reassuringly close at hand, an assurance that he could not be stabbed in the back with its solid bulk to protect him. One of the two bodies lying in that clearing had already suffered that fate. //Not so much stabbed in the back as in the back of the neck. Most likely a thrown blade and one thrown by an expert. I doubt the victim knew what hit him but from the position of the bodies …// he paused to study the tableau from a new angle and shook his head slightly, forcing himself to move once again. He was not going to present a stationary target. // That is sick. The poor bastard must have been kneeling over the woman when he took the blade. Perhaps checking her for signs of life? That is possible. She was probably taken out first and he might have heard something and come to investigate. If that is the case then I very much doubt that he would have known what hit him. // There was no doubt that both bodies were very dead and had been so for some time. He edged cautiously around the clearing as he determined what his best course of action might be. Somewhere up ahead of his current location there was a door, he recalled. An entrance to and from HD Three that was little used and faced the side of HD Two. At one time the designers had intended to link the three hydroponics units together and the door had been constructed as a part of that plan. If he continued in this direction he was going to find himself running out of cover as he neared the door and he was afraid he that was going to find evidence of more killings there. Gardeners here used that clearing as a work area and a killer on the hunt would naturally check there for prey. He was very much aware that his work uniform, the standard tough tan work clothing that they all wore did not blend very well with the vibrant greens of the foliage. It was difficult enough to hide himself in the foliage of the plantings but it would be glaringly obvious if he should leave that foliage. //The question is do I need to check out the door? The dome is under emergency computer control and the door should be sealed. An alarm would have sounded if the door had not sealed when the lock down came into effect. No one should be capable of entering or exiting the dome from that point until the lock down is lifted. The door should not be able to be opened unless emergency codes are used from either within the dome or from outside and that might or might not be a good thing. I don't have the necessary codes, though it is not from lack of trying on my part in the event it should help in getting Merquise out of here if it proved necessary. Which I guess it now has. The codes were too well protected for me to hack. If I need to get out into the enviro dome again and because for some reason I can't use the access way down to the sub base then it means that I am effectively locked in here with the dead and who ever has been doing the killings. Unless Barker has a set of security codes that will lift the seal? Possible.// A point on the plus side of the equations being made was that the three bodies he had thus far located had been dead for some time. It was entirely reasonable to presume, while it remained stupid to assume anything of the sort, that the killer might have moved on to new ground in search of fresh kills outside of the hydroponics dome. Certainly there were enough workers within the enviro dome to provide ample opportunity for the killer or killers to keep busy for some hours. The law of averages had to imply that at some point the killers were going to have to err and at that moment someone would catch them in the act. Possibly even one of the not so few and far between ex military types who had sought out Mars as a new beginning. Surely someone in the dome had put up some kind of resistance and should that be the case then he might even have a clear run to the maintenance shaft, but how could he be certain of that? The truth was that he could not be assured of any such thing having happened and he could not go around shooting or knifing anyone he might find in hiding either, as they might actually be a survivor. //I hate moles.// a tired sigh escaped him and he paused, secreting himself in a thicket as he considered his alternatives. Somewhere in the hydroponics dome Barker and Carter would be moving, making their way toward the reservoir and what he assumed was their only unmonitored way down into the sub base. Well, he corrected himself with a grimace, not the only way, but certainly the safest way. The maintenance shaft was not commonly known amid the base personal nor was it commonly used by those who did know of it. The elevators down into the sub base had been blown to hell which left the ventilation shafts linking the upper dome and the sub base or the freight elevators. //It's a certainty that the freight elevators are watched and even if they are not they are most likely rigged to explode if they are used. I can see them being rigged to explode even if they are not monitored. We don't have the time to defuse the bombs to use the lifts safely and anyway, we have no idea where the enemy is at this time or even how many of them there are. I think the biggest concern we need to consider though is that we don't know who is friend and who is foe.// He scrubbed at his beard longing for a shower and shave and considered whether it would be safest to do a complete circuit of the hydroponics dome, following the curve of the dome around to the closest point to the location of the shaft or to make a run immediately for the maintenance shaft. The biggest factor to be considered with either option was time and his allocated time must already be near expired. There was no doubt that Barker and Carter would set out immediately for the reservoirs. His number one priority, his reason for even being on this planet was Merquise. He had been sent here to find Merquise and then to ensure his safety. He had been charged with bodyguarding the man and even though Merquise was ignorant of that fact it still remained his duty. Raydon was his commanding officer and had more than personal reasons for wanting to keep the man safe. He had been given a task, a mission that Raydon had informed him in plain terms impacted on the safety of Station One, though clarification of that claim had not been forthcoming. It was enough though. He had accepted that mission and he would fulfil the task to the best of his abilities. //Haydon may have found Merquise. He alerted me to trouble soon after returning to the dome and from what I understood of the warning he would have sought out the man as quickly as possible. He's good and his Gift would come in handy in getting people to talk if he had the opportunity to question or influence them. I have heard nothing from him since that contact hours ago, nor have I heard from Station One. I expected to have heard something by the time I left the Leo. I wish I had received a response but Barker seemed to be my best shot at accessing the dome and finding Merquise. Waiting was no longer an option. The two arranged a rendezvous and I fully intend to keep that meeting and then stick to that man like glue. With time pressing and what I know of him suggesting that Merquise will push on to deal with the problem himself I can't afford the time to play safe. Alright, then. Straight for the maintenance shaft and hope to hell I was right about what he meant. If I'm lucky Barker and Carter will be there.// A final look around at the foliage and a straining of his senses to detect the slightest sight or sound of movement and he skirted the clearing. Angling away from the wall of the dome and taking as direct a line for the centre of the structure as the planting beds permitted he slipped deeper into the plantings. The rainforest that filled the dome was grown around a series of water features that, while aesthetically pleasing to the eye, were in fact designed to filter and purify the dome's water supply. The largest of these water features was the disguised main reservoir. He knew its approximate location within the dome from every angle of the featured walks and if he was wrong in his direction it would not be too far from the general area he needed. A degree or two in this space amounted to only the odd few meters. Somewhere near that pool he would find the maintenance shaft and, provided the lower reservoirs was drained dry, their entry into the sub base. Within minutes of finding their goal they could be down in the deeper levels and he only hoped that by the time he found the shaft Barker and Carter would have joined him. //I don't know if I should be pleased by this mass of greenery or not. For the life of me I could not tell if anyone was lurking even a metre into this jungle. It's all very pretty and all but in a situation like this … It works against you just as well as it works for you.// He paused, studying a thinning of the foliage ahead and he could hear the sound of running water which seemed a little louder in the oppressive silence of the dome than it had mere moments ago. A clearing up ahead? He knew roughly where he was in the overall design of the dome and there should be a substantial clearing in the area. Finding it now meant that he needed to incline a little to the east to bring him closer to the main reservoirs. He would have to go around it. He was not inclined to give anyone an easy shot at his back so every caution would need to be maintained. He slipped through the foliage as silently as possible, alert for the faintest movement in the undergrowth that would mean he had company. Hopefully any such company would be desired company, as in the two men he was looking for and whom he felt that he could trust. At this stage of the exercise any survivor must be looked on with distrust in the current situation and in his view avoiding survivors was preferable to having to watch them for signs of betrayal. He hissed softly and crouched low as he glimpsed the clearing through the trees. Another killing ground. Three bodies, two in the now familiar position of one kill used as bait and a second person in position to be taken down as he checked on the victim. This instance however differed in that a third body lay within the clearing. Separated from the two bodies near the stream that his position allowed him to hear but not to see, there was something about that blood soaked tangle of limbs that suggested there had been a lot of anger in the kill. He shuddered. There were dead all around him and he desperately wanted to find the living. // I have to find the way down. // He would not take the time to investigate the scene. They were very obviously dead and nothing he could do would change that. Later, all going well, there would be time for investigating and for honouring the dead with some kind of memorial service but for now it was more important that he do what he had come here to do. He continued on, skirting the clearing and scanning the foliage not so much to seek a possible killer but for any sign that might indicate Barker and Carter had passed here recently. There were broken fronds amid the foliage but the breaks seemed old to him, certainly not as fresh as the breaks he made in the plants and those older breaks were few and far between. Someone had moved through this section of the forest with a great deal of skill and he hoped he did not meet that somebody. There would only be time to react if he met someone face to face unexpectedly and he did not want to have to make an instant decision as to whether they might be friend or foe. Until he knew for certain they would certainly be treated as a foe. //Too many dead. Is no one alive in here? Six dead so far but I can't recall just how many people were supposed to be in HD Three today. The majority of the work force was drafted for the maintenance work outside of the dome. Everyone who had the necessary skills and who was not involved with any vital work or projects within the Base Dome were slated to work the generator fields. The day's roster worked in the Sleepers favour. The perfect day to go on a killing spree. A simple matter of locking the exterior workers out to perform an effortless mass kill and then pick off the remainder in isolated pockets. Yes, they chose their time well. Coincidence or planning? Bastards.// He paused, looking around him. He had left the clearing a goodly distance behind him and now to judge his direction he needed to catch a glimpse of the arch of the dome. Peering up through the plant canopy he sought a good view of the angle of the overhead support struts to place his position. It was all too easy to get turned around in the thick foliage and the winding paths and he needed to catch a glimpse of the angle of the support struts to accurately place his position within the dome and alter his course if he needed to. Beyond the odd clearing there was little in the way of clearly identifiable land marks within the dome and he was not inclined to wander around any longer than he needed to. While HD Three was not the biggest dome on Mars it was still of a substantial size. He grunted softly as he surveyed the overhead rigging of metal, wire and plastiglass. Yes, he realized, he had shifted his course a little and gone further than he had intended in this direction. Though he probably had not gone far enough to the east side of the dome to cause him to miss that larger body of water he nevertheless corrected his course as the straightest path would save him precious seconds and set off again. //Come on, come on. Where are you? Why have I not found a sign of Barker? I am near the centre of the dome now and the pool isn't too far ahead of me. I expected to have found him by now. Or Carter at least. // He moved in careful silence for a few minutes before slipping into a thicket and pausing to catch his breath. He had become aware that he had begun to increase his pace beyond what could be considered safe considering the circumstances as the silence in the dome weighed more heavily on his nerves. That mistake was simply begging for trouble and he had to be nearing his goal. He listened for any indication of someone moving through the foliage and considering how close he was to his destination if he heard sounds of movement he was going to have to investigate. He wanted no unknown potential for disaster at his back when he went for the maintenance access. Hopefully any sound he detected would herald the arrival of his team mates and together they could find the shaft quickly and get out of this death trap. // I never considered myself the nervous type before but this is just too much. I've been in action before and never reacted like this. Is it because I'm no longer on Earth? The environment is so different, so limited. I … I can not stay on Mars. Not after this. I hope Merquise won't give me any trouble about removing him from the colony.// He winced as he considered the big blonde and his reputation. // He won't like leaving his wife I suppose, or the twins. Necessity demands that we get him away from here with all speed, regardless of his objections. All we will have to do is get him off of Mars and safely to Station One. Not a big ask at all. // He rolled his eyes at the very thought of it. // Hopefully Raydon will be able to smooth his ruffled feathers and anyway, he wasn't officially married to Noin. There's a thought. She's not actually his wife. He could have asked at any time over the past year or so to be married to her. I wonder why he never? Especially after the kids were born. He always struck me as being that old-fashioned honourable type. Get a girl in the club and take the responsibility for the fall out and do the right thing. He seems pretty old school to me, at least from a distance.// He scrubbed at his face again, eyeing the foliage around him with distrust. // Anyway, its none of my concern. All I have to do is get him to Station One in one piece and then Raydon can sort him out.// His head snapped around and he glared into the forest, his wandering thoughts hushed and he barely breathed. Was that …? The faintest of sounds seemed horrendously loud in the unnatural stillness that had been his companion for so long. Yes, there it was again. Someone was moving out there. Just the faintest sound, the softest swish of a plant frond but it was enough to warn him that he had company. Easing further back into the foliage he nudged plant fronds in an effort to better cover the tan of this clothing and he crouched below what he considered the eye line most people would maintain if they were searching for a man moving in the forest growth. He had been doing it himself, looking for any clue in the undergrowth at between mid drift and shoulder height of an average sized male. It was a mistake that he had made often in his past and his instructors had attempted to rectify his habit which resulted in bruises he could remember to this day. He knew better than to restrict his vision to one sight line, he should have been checking above and especially below that restricted field. // What the hell is wrong with me? I'm tired and I'm irritable and I should be dead acting like an idiot as I have been. When I get back to Station One I am going to offer myself up for retraining and take every covert ops course I can. // Being in space and away from Earth was no excuse for growing lax in any field of training. The big ships that plied the deeper space lanes all had similar hydroponics units to this one and being honest with himself he knew that working for Raydon and the Station was going to be one interesting and varied career. One never knew what one might need to sneak through. //Where are you? I can hear you but I can't see you.// A frond twitched at the corner of his vision and he crouched lower, easing his frame deeper into the thicket. Inclining his head he watched for a repeat of that subtle movement and he would know then where to focus his attention. Someone was there, just beyond the thicket and he was good to blend so well into the undergrowth if he or she wore the standard tan work gear. He barely breathed, aware that that 'someone' seemed to suspect that they might possibly have a hostile watcher in the vicinity. Whether it was a Sleeper agent on the hunt or perhaps Barker or Carter, if not both, that hidden body was aware that they were not alone which spoke clearly of past experience with a hunt. Both groups, the Sleepers or his team mates were equally possible but after his discovery of the amount of dead in the dome and the time that had passed since they had been killed probably placed the odds in favour of this being his allies. He was deeply adverse to testing that theory at the cost of his life. //Stalemate. // He considered the foliage for a few minutes. No more indication of movement had been noted and an oppressive silence hung in the air. // Whoever that is has cause to be cautious and they suspect that they are not alone. If it is a Sleeper then they are patient and will wait for me to move first. If it is Barker or perhaps Carter then we are wasting precious time trying to out guess each other. // He scanned the undergrowth carefully seeking some sign that his unknown watcher was on the move and frowned at the flicker of a frond moving. There was surely no way that his watcher could have gotten that far from his location without him having noticed! Two? Not one but two? That would have made more sense. He was not that sloppy that he could have missed someone moving through heavy foliage when he already had them targeted. Someone was undoubtedly trying to work their way around him to take him from the rear or side and he narrowed his eyes in determination. Just at the corner of his eye he caught again the faint twitch of that frond at the position he knew his stalker was crouched. Just the faintest shiver as though someone had moved and lightly brushed against it. Just enough movement to draw his attention and he smirked. // Two. One holds the targets attention and the other circles and tries to take said target from the rear. // He knew it might be a fatal assumption but he was inclined to believe that he was being stalked by his own allies. //They have to be here somewhere. Now how to let them know its me without putting my life on the line if I am wrong? // “Lion.” he barked the word, immediately easing away from his position, unwilling to remain in one place long enough for them to circle him especially after so obviously giving away his position. If it was Barker and Carter out there then they should make the connection with his mobile suit and respond in kind. “Bull.” the whisper was equally sharp and just for an instant Carter stood up above the line of undergrowth that hid him, showing clearly who it was stalking him and then immediately lunged to one side, back into the foliage where he would be madly scrambling to find a new position if he had assumed wrong. Polnar grinned. // Yes! Can't blame him for being careful if he has seen as many dead in here as I have.// He stood quickly, showing himself and then copied Carters dive into the undergrowth. While he knew that Carter was there the possibility existed that the second watcher might actually be a Sleeper who now knew that he had two targets to hunt. //Come on, we don't have all day to waste. Let me know who you are.// “Eagle.” Barker slipped out of his hiding place and came forward, motioning with one hand for a meeting to take place. “I was beginning to think that we had lost you.” // Finally. Now we can get the hell out of here. // “I've been around.” He eased out from his cover though he did not move onto the path itself. One obvious target was more than enough. “Seen anyone else?” “The dead, no one alive.” Carter eased his way from between plants and visibly relaxed as he joined Barker, nodding briefly by way of greeting. There was a sombre look to him that told Polnar that he had seen more than enough of the former. “Four bodies so far.” Barker elaborated. “You?” “Six dead. None of them pretty. Ambush mostly.” his eyes scanned the foliage, unwilling to presume they were safe. “Pretty much what we found then.” Barker sighed and motioned along the line of the path. “How far to this reservoir you mentioned? The sooner we are out of here the better.” “We should be close and I don't think that we should stay in exposed ground or in one place for too long.” “Agreed. You lead. Carter, you are after him.” // Back in the lead position, huh? Well, can't say I'm not too upset by that, though I really don't like having anyone at my back just now. Still, we came here together and we are a team. At least for now. I'll lead but I sure as hell will keep an eye on the pair of you.// His certainty that they must be nearing the large pool marking the reservoir was vindicated when in only a few minutes of creeping through the undergrowth the foliage thinned sufficiently for him to glimpse the clearing ahead and beyond it the open expanse of water. He crouched seeking cover, unwilling to step immediately out into the open, scanning for any signs of occupation, both living or dead and for any hint that someone might be lurking. //More dead.// The body stretched out beside the pond was immediately noticed, as was the dried pool of blood trailing toward the pond, though it had not reached so far. Another woman. Male or female no one was safe and he wondered if that would apply to the babies on the base. He only hoped that the killing had not extended down into the sub base as yet. He sighed softly at this further proof that they were dealing with people who had no qualms about killing and turned his sight back to scanning the area. He was not going to be venturing out into the open until he was sure he would not become just another body amongst so many. //Yes, there is the grate leading to the maintenance shaft. // He glared at the open area around the raised structure not too far from the body. // Of course it had to be clearly in open ground where anyone can watch it from a dozen different places of safety. Damn. There is nothing to act as cover available on any approach to it. Looks quiet enough, but then the whole place has been quiet. The silence of the grave. // “Is that what we are after?” Carter queried, finger pointing to the concrete mound as he crouched beside him and giving the whole area a look that clearly said his was not a trusting soul. “That's a bit... Open.” //Understatement of the year, my friend. I don't want to go out there but I guess I am the best one. I've been in those before and I know what to look for.// “Can't be helped.” Barker eased forward a little, stretching out as far as he could and still retain some cover to scan the clearing . “There is no choice but to use it. We have to get down into the sub base. I'll go first, you two cover me.” “No.” He reached to grasp the Preventer agents arm. “I'll go first. It's not the same as the grate in the other two domes and I can check it is what I think it is. Don't get me wrong, I am pretty sure that would be the maintenance access. Not much else here that could be it. I have not worked in this dome, remember. It will only take me a minute or two to ascertain that it is what we want and that the pipe has been drained.” “We are out of time.” Barker swept the area with an experienced eye and motioned to an area closest to the access shaft. “That looks to be the closest point. We get to that point and you can make a run for it.” //I am not and have never wanted to be a hero. Why the hell do I volunteer for these things? // He slipped quickly into position, aware that both men were on guard on either side of him but that he was likely to be dead before they could do anything to save him if there was a sniper out there. // Stupid, Polnar. You are a stupid bloody fool. You survived the war and you lucked out and found a home for yourself despite losing everything and now you go and put it all at risk because you have to find the man Raydon wants to hump.// He knew his face flamed. // Shit. Just as well there are no telepaths around here. That was just a shade crude, Old Son. Raydon's never been like that and your fears should not make him out to be something he is not. You had the chance to turn down the mission and you never. Sitting here looking at the pretty trees …and the bloody corpses … is not going to get you into that shaft.// “I'll be fast as I can.” he nodded to Barker and slipped out of the foliage. Speed was of more important than anything in this dash for the shaft and he gave himself every ounce of speed he could muster. He was the fastest of the three and it made sense for him to be the first, particularly as he knew what they were looking for. He did not waste time or effort on crouching to present as small a target as possible, but channelled his fear into his flying feet to get him across the distance as fast as humanly possible. He figured if he made the distance without getting shot he would have won a sprint medal at the Olympics. At least silver. As he neared the mound details became clear and he resisted the urge to hesitate. //It's been opened. Maybe Merquise? God, I hope it was him and there is not trouble waiting for me inside. I'd be a sitting duck descending the ladder.// The cap of the shaft was resting loosely over the access and he glanced anxiously around as he lunged for the grate, but there remained no sign of trouble. With a huff of breath, his lungs heaving after his sprint he pushed the lid high and peered down into the shaft. Emergency lights greeted him with a bloody glow and he winced at the thought. He had seen enough blood today to last him for years but the day was a long way from being over. //Ah, damn. No sign of anyone but how the hell could I tell that from up here? Here's hoping I won't be having company in there.// Long legs slipped over the rim and positioned on the ladder and with a quick glance around he let himself down the shaft. That glance had shown him no sign of company, not even a glimpse of Carter or Barker which was reassuring. At least they were well hidden, but that meant that any company also would not be seen. Not so reassuring. For the sake of speed and the small chance to surprise anyone who might be waiting within to take him down he hooked his arms around the sides of the ladder and in a controlled slide slid down the shaft to land at its foot and stare into the empty room. //Ah, God. A water cooler. I could do with a drink, but it will have to wait until I have checked out the area and made certain this is where we want to be. I hope it is because I am unsure just how much more of this I can take. I knew there was a reason I was glad to give up my old occupation. Why the hell did I agree to take up covert ops again? I know that Raydon said there could be days like this in the service of Station One, but you always hope that it will never come about. Stupid me.// He quick stepped along the narrow room and scrunched his nose up in distaste as he approached the access door to what should be the water shaft. Someone had been ill in here and it stank, but then it probably did not stink any more than he did after so long in that enviro suit and he preferred finding vomit to an ambush or yet another corpse. A quick check of the latch mechanism and the observation port and he grinned a feral grin. Oh yes, this was the way down into the sub base, no doubt of that. // Now to signal to Barker and Carter to get their butts into the shaft.// While they made the crossing to the shaft he could take the time to get himself a cool drink and even greet them with a blessed cup of cool water as they came off the ladder. His eyes swept the long narrow room and he grinned on noting the cupboards and lockers lining one side. He might even be able to speed their descent down the water shaft and cut minutes off the time usually required to make the climb if this maintenance shaft was fitted with the same gear that he had been required to use as in the shaft in HD Two. He scampered quickly up the ladder and peered cautiously out of the shaft before he popped his head up and waved for the other two to join him. He lingered just long enough to see Carter start toward him and then slid himself back down the shaft and headed for the water cooler. He had sufficient time to take a drink and pour one for Carter and Barker then he would see about the gear they would need to descend the shaft. Icy liquid trickled down his throat and he gasped. //God, that's cold! Feels great.// He tossed the empty paper cup into the waste bucket then poured and lined up two more for his team mates as he heard Carter on the ladder and nodded with satisfaction. At least Carter had made it safely. Things were looking up. That they would be late to the rendezvous was not in doubt, but they need not necessarily be as late as they might have been. He moved further from the ladder and spotted the equipment locker he thought most likely to hold the equipment he wanted, reefing it open quickly as he glanced behind him to ensure that it was indeed Carter on the ladder and not an unexpected surprise. It would be just perfect if someone else had gained the shaft and shot him for all of his trouble but it was indeed Daniel Carter who stepped off the ladder and grunted in delight at spotting the two paper cups sitting to one side of the ladder. “Barker?” he queried. “Coming in right behind me. Should be just about at the access shaft.” Carter snared one of the cups and took a half step to peer up the shaft . “Yes, he's just coming in now.” “Good. Shut the access shaft when he's in so that we don't attract any unwanted attention. The water pipe is empty and it won't take us long to get down if what I am hoping for is in this locker.” Carter arched an eyebrow and after ensuring that Barker was well into the shaft and called up the suggestion to seal the access he joined Polnar as the access shaft reverberated in a deep clang as the outer hatch was closed. “What are you looking for?” “I'm looking for the express elevator.” Polnar chuckled. “One of the duties of maintaining the water pipes requires us to clean the damn things and they average around eighty feet long and the bigger ones are a diameter of about thirty feet. That is a lot of pipe to scrub. One of the few good things about having to work in them is that we occasionally get to enjoy the thrills of absailing.” “Absailing?” Barker stepped off the ladder. “What about absailing?” “Have either of you done any before?” he grinned as he backed out of the cupboard with a selection of harnesses and ropes in hand. “It will take us a few seconds to descend with the use of this gear or it will take us considerably longer to climb down in the more conventional manner. Your choice.” Barker eyed the assortment of harness and ropes with a widening grin. “I could really get to like you, Polnar.”
|
