“Should be coming into view any second now.”

Youn lifted the pair of binoculars as Lux and Esma leaned against the back deck’s side railing to get a better look. No doubt Faust was also on the lookout from his spot on the front deck.

“And just what is it exactly we’re looking for?”

Lowering the binoculars, Youn cast a surprised look in Lux’s direction. Whom had taken to leaning a rather precarious distance over the edge of the railing. Esma hovered close behind, her sole focus keeping the blonde sharpshooter from making a premature departure.

“You’ve never been down route 26?”

“Hard to say...is 26 the one that comes after 25?”

Esma pulled Lux back by the waistband, simultaneously trying to hold off an argument.

“In her defense the route is usually circumvented. This stretch in particular sees very little traffic.”

Like many other COs Esma had studied the Expanse’s route map extensively. As such she’d become keenly aware of which routes offered the greatest advantages and disadvantages according to conventional wisdom. Unfortunately, this route fell under the latter. Though if her recollection was correct, it boasted a very unique and visually appealing terrain. Not that she’d consider the tradeoff worth it.

“Does Lamella’s Lands ring a bell at least?”

“You know what, I think I went to school with a Lamella...”

Recognizing Lux’s mordant sense of humor, Esma inserted herself again to explain further.

“Lamella Faepeur, I suppose you could say the region ahead of us was dedicated to the renowned socialite.”

Before continuing Esma cast a glance in Youn’s direction. Her way of asking if he’d like to take over from there since he’d seemed to hold a mild interest in the subject.

“All yours.”

Lux proceeded to squat down in a way reminiscent of a street urchin, a display of her intention to hunker down and listen. Esma cleared her throat awkwardly, only because she was unsure whether to join her colleague on the deck or remain standing. She settled for taking a couple steps back to avoid the perception that she was looking down on who was for all intents and purposes her superior officer.

“As officer Sigurd previously made mention of the convoy will soon be crossing into what’s known as a karst landscape. The term refers to the dissolution or chemical weathering of soluble sedimentary rocks to form features both above and below the ground. If I’m not mistaken the formations in Lamella’s Lands are comprised almost entirely of limestone, one such type of soluble rock formed over extensive periods of time due to precipitation.”

Esma paused to take a breath and check up on her audience. An audience that had grown in size as officer Katsurn had made a surprise visit onto the back deck. As a fellow CO the woman should already be familiar with the segment she’d just gone over, as well as what came next. Perhaps she’d joined for the purpose of appraising her junior’s dedication to the craft? That or she’d gotten tired of Wash’s antics on the bridge. On cue an obnoxiously loud sneeze sounded from the direction of the front deck. Esma ignored it and continued.

“If you look now you should be able to see some of these limestone outcroppings, and you’ll note that many of them resemble large towers. An appropriate comparison given that limestone has long since been a popular choice of building material due to its durable yet malleable nature. Enter one renowned architect from the peace period—”

“Jacoby James Morg.”

A bit of audience participation from Youn. She wasn’t opposed.

“To make a long story short, James sought to win the affections of lady Lamella by using his skills to design a one of kind castle that he could offer as a dowry. Ever the perfectionist, he took advantage of the abundance of limestone formations in this region to experiment on the castle’s overall aesthetic and design. In the end carving out over fifty different iterations of the chateau over the course of a decade.”

“He made that many by himself?!”

“I believe he had a number of apprentices and contractors to assist him in the endeavor...”

“All for naught.”

Youn shook his head side to side in disapproval. Earning a snort from Jericka.

“Wouldn’t have pegged you for a romantic Youn.”

“Fuck off.”

“Pipe down you two, the presentation isn’t over yet.”

“Got any Pipe Down? I’d love to throw a canister or two in the bridge right about now.”

“Pfft, right.”

Lux looked up at Jericka in what was a rare display of solidarity between the two. Meanwhile Esma waited patiently for everyone to settle down so she could wrap the explanation up.

“...needless to say, Lamella didn’t wait around and married someone else or another. Not long after James fell victim to a sinkhole while toiling away on one of his practice runs and passed away. In the process of recovering his body the collection team discovered a fossil of unprecedented size inside the cave system he inadvertently discovered.”

“If I’m not mistaken it’s fairly common for fossils to turn up in limestone, isn’t it. So wouldn’t calling the discovery unprecedented be a bit extreme?”

A good question from Youn. And one that helped segue into her next point.

“It’s because the types of fossils normally found in limestone include shells, corals and other small marine organisms. This one was big. We’re talking putting multiple Crusaders end to end here.”

“They found a sea monster??”

“The preferred term is leviathan, but whatever floats your boat. And it’s not that absurd when you consider the fact this entire region used to be underwater. Strictly speaking the lake in Mennarouple is all that remains of the freshwater sea that used to be here.”

“Wait, don’t tell me...”

Esma tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear and readjusted the rifle strap on her shoulder.

“Believe it, they named the complete skeleton Lamella. Because once upon a time these were Lamella’s lands...or seas, whatever.

Lux sprang up and started laughing, catching the other three off guard.

“Castles, caves, sea monsters. It’s like some story meant for brats. Bet that poor bastard is turning in his grave as we speak.”

Jericka rolled her eyes while Youn began chastising the blonde.

“Show some respect, he was a renowned architect for good reason. You’ve probably come across building exhibiting his influence without even realizing it.”

“Meh. If he’s so great, how come it took him fifty tries.”

The two officers carried on their argument as they walked away, leaving the two COs alone with each other. And yet neither seemed put off by this development. Jericka sporting a small smile and Esma trying unsuccessfully to get a read on her.

“You’re well-informed new girl.”

“If only, I didn’t know a thing about Galen Runs. That includes the fact I could be cajoled into filling a unfamiliar role so easily.”

Jericka approached the brunette until their chests were practically touching. Her smile growing as she angled her head upwards. Esma being a good five to six centimeters taller.

“You know most people would have withdrawn their name from the crew roster if presented with your current set of circumstances.”

“Um... I’ve already rather embarrassingly stated my reasons for staying on in front of the entire armory. If it’s all the same to you I’d rather not revisit it.”

Just thinking back on it made her cringe internally. Fortunately, she had excellent control over her external emotions.

“Mhm, that’s kinda gross.”

Esma didn’t know whether she was referring to her decision to participate or her refusal to reprise the earlier monologue. Either way she opted to stand pat and stay silent for the time being. Sensing this C362’s CO clasped both hands behind her back and sauntered back in the direction of the bridge.

“Just to be clear I don’t plan on leaving the bridge again until we reach Station Riga. If you should feel the need to see me for something that is. Don’t be a stranger.”

She watched the woman go before returning to her spot at the railing. As expected, the limestone formations were now visible from the deck and left quite an impression. It was almost like they were approaching a large forest of stone trees, trees with a blue hue and small accents of various vegetation. Esma didn’t even want to think about the vast cave and drainage systems hidden underneath it all, threatening to swallow them whole at the slightest misstep. After all, she had no interest in making any fossil discoveries of her own.

*

“Does everyone have their copy of the map in front of them?”

Both Jericka and Hayes answered in the affirmative, having jumped over to the main comms channel after conducting their first check-ins.

“As you’ve probably already noticed the version of the map we’re working with is a bit dated. To the extent you won’t find any of the limestone projects or cavern systems. The latter shouldn’t be an issue since the route we’re taking has been stress tested by convoys operating at much greater combined actual weights than our own. The former is where things get a bit hairy...”

“I don’t suppose we were able to source the locations of Lamella’s castles?”

“It’s a work in progress. I’m told that we’ll have a more comprehensive list at the next check-in. The problem I alluded to is gathering intel on the structures encroaching on the route.”

“The idea being that they’d serve as effective camp sites and approach points for Cloud Nine.”

“I find it hard to believe the CoTC caught wind of this issue and opted to leave the castles standing.”

“Seems they’re being stymied by local legaters who insist on leaving the area untouched until they can conduct a proper archaeological survey.”

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Untouched?! Do they realize how much damage was already done by that obsessive fool and his team? To say nothing of the countless raiding parties who have scoured each location for anything of value.”

“The irony is not being lost on anyone Hayes, trust me. And we’ll more or less be relying on that team of his for information on each structure’s location and general layout. As soon as we’re able to track some of them down that is...”

“You can just call them castles; we won’t think any less of you for it.”

“Obviously waiting around until the second check-in isn’t a sound strategy, which is why Commander Dandridge and I have been cross examining reports from previous convoys with help from Riga. Together we’ve managed to narrow down a few locations. I’ll have you mark them on your maps now to head off any surprises and to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

This was the best they could do with the resources at their disposal. Hopefully it would be enough to reach the second check-in point relatively unscathed.

“Three separate structures are located at the following coordinates—”

*

“I’ll be honest, when I heard there’d be castles, I got a little excited. But now that I’ve been staring at blue rocks for ten minutes, the prospect is losing its charm.”

Lux lowered the binoculars and squinted her eyes at the passing scenery. Esma on the other hand had been staring a hole through the front deck the entire time. Offering little by way of conversation or movement outside of the occasional fidget.

“Hey Lux...”

“Wait! I think that might be—! Nope, negative. Just another big rock...What were you saying?”

“If we get raided...”

“Oh, we’re getting raided alright. It’s more a matter of how many times it happens.”

Esma swallowed and shrunk back towards the wall of the bridge behind her.

“Yeah, getting raided during a Galen Run is about as universally accepted as getting hung over after a night of drinking. You’ll probably even swear off Galen Runs for the foreseeable future. But most of us end up grabbing that drink again anyways, for better or worse.”

“And I’m sure I’ll come to appreciate that nugget of wisdom, it’s just that...I’m not sure I’ll be able to...”

“Worried about having to shoot someone.”

It wasn’t a question. Lux didn’t even turn around to deliver what had been weighing on Esma’s mind ever since she entered the armory for the first time.

“Not so much shooting someone as much as killing them...”

For some reason Esma felt ashamed for saying such a thing out loud. As if it was arrogant of her to assume she could even kill someone by shooting them. Complete novice that she was. Keeping her head pointed down towards the deck, she flicked her eyes up to ascertain the blonde’s reaction. Only to find that her comrade seemed to be wrestling with something of her own. But not in a distressed way like she was, more like searching for the right words. A rare sight to behold when dealing with someone so brazen.

“Sorry, I’m so far removed from all that that it took me a second to remember the feeling. But I don’t have some quick fix or life hack that’s gonna make the weight of pulling that trigger any lighter. There’s a reason we don’t carry non-lethal rounds.”

A wave of nausea struck Esma out of nowhere, regret rearing its ugly head.

“And to think I talked such a big game back in the armory, Youn even warned me this would happen...”

Concern presented itself in Lux’s features as she watched the rookie lament her current circumstances. Spurred by her desire to ease the girl’s psyche, a handful of potential alternatives popped into her head. Granted most of them were wishful thinking.

“Look, in the event you do come face to face with a raider I want you to shoot at their feet. It’ll give them pause, but more importantly it should alert the next closest officer. And even if you do connect, a shot through the foot isn’t going to kill anyone.”

Esma regained some vigor at the suggestion and pressed further on the subject.

“What should I do in the event I incapacitate an enemy?”

“It’s rare, but I guess you could take them into custody. You’d have to disarm and immobilize them though.”

“I’d need something to restrain them...not to mention a place to keep them, ideally somewhere that wouldn’t create advantages or get in the way of the crew.”

And just like that the rookie was back in the saddle, good thing too. Had she stayed in such a troubled mindset the chances of her falling victim to the Galen Run would have been high. Losing someone like the brunette now would give even Lux fits, which in turn could have an adverse effect on her judgment. Such things had happened before. Fortunately her crew mates at the time had been able to shoulder her workload until she got her head on straight again. Perhaps today would be the day she returned that favor.

*

“Collins! You’re supposed to be on lunch break!”

The man’s eyes remained glued to the notepad he was scribbling on as he answered his superior, one of the departments shortwave radios receivers tucked between his neck and shoulder.

“I’m taking bites in between transmissions.”

He motioned to a half-eaten egg salad sandwich sitting atop a light blue lunch pail in front of him. One that featured several colorful stickers of rainbows and clouds.

“Should have this wrapped up by the time I finish.”

The department chief furrowed his brows and leaned in to get a better look at what the bespectacled man was doing. His confusion growing as he found a series of maps of an unfamiliar region sprawled out across the workstation.

“Ah, responding to a CFS.”

A CFS, or call for service, being when a station requests third-party assistance in information gathering over the LCF’s designated collaborative channel. Third-party referring to stations not directly involved in the convoy in question. The channel itself being highly secure thanks to a coding algorithm meant to ensure only approved members of a communications department could tune in at any given time.

The comms worker reached forward and took another bite of the sandwich before answering. Jotting down a list of what appeared to be dimensions for a building or some other large structure.

“There was a request for data collection on a series of limestone builds to the west. Castles according to the last fellow I spoke with, a structural engineer in training who contributed to several foundations before leaving the project.”

“Castles eh...I’m sure your little girl would be thrilled to hear that her daddy got to meet a castle builder today.”

“A joke I assume. It’s against rules and regulations to discuss the nature of CFS requests with anyone outside the department.”

The chief sighed into his mustache as a passerby handed him something to look over. He carried on the conversation as he browsed it.

“Well, since your daughter won’t get to ask, anything noteworthy about these limestone castles?”

“Of the three I’ve collected data on so far, I’ve found they are all remarkably different in both layout and scale. Almost as if the architect was testing the absolute limits of limestone as a building material. A peculiar choice given its well-established reputation for durability and longevity.”

Handing the document back to the staff member with a nod of approval, the chief proceeded to pluck a text from the pile in front of his subordinate. He licked his finger and began flipping through some of the pages.

“Wouldn’t things like layout and scale be dependent on the initial size of the limestone deposit? And according to this excerpt on karst landscapes, the drainage systems formed from the soluble nature of carbonate rocks would place limits on the structures overall weight distribution.”

It should be known that the department chief had no prior knowledge of karst landscapes or limestone architecture prior to this conversation. Years on the job had simply made him that much of a quick study. A feat Collins would likely accomplish in a few short years.

“That’s just it. Though it might be dated, this topographical map of the region suggests the presence of some rather impressive limestone towers at or around several of the confirmed building sites of the castles.”

“They used the towers as markers then...or incorporated them into each structures design.”

Collins finished the last bite of his sandwich, wiping his face with a cloth napkin that he then proceeded to fold neatly before depositing back in the lunch pail.

“Doubtful.”

The man picked up his notepad which upon closer look also included short footnotes about each informant’s disposition and relationship with JJ Morg.

“According to the team members I’ve spoken with so far, Morg placed far more emphasis on aesthetics than he did on keeping things up to code. Somewhat understandable if one of the main focuses of the project was indeed testing the limits of limestone.”

“But not something the workers on site would have appreciated.”

“On the topic of worker safety...”

The man dug through some paperwork to find the information he was looking for.

“The first contractor I contacted mentioned something about a colleague suffering a serious injury on site.”

The chief put a hand up to stop the man.

“I’m going to stop you right there Rockwell, we’re not personal injury lawyers. Well, I’m not at least. Wouldn’t surprise me if the guy conducting time sensitive information acquisition during his lunch break had a side gig. But the main thing you should be relaying to that station is the presence of those towers.”

“I’m afraid my daughter wouldn’t allow me a second occupation. She says I work too much as is.”

He adjusted his glasses.

“But you also didn’t let me finish. I only bring up the reported injury because it relates to those towers and their potential application in a raiding scenario.”

“I assume your suggesting that they’d collapse the towers to manipulate the route. Since dropping them on the convoy itself is out of the question.”

“That presupposes Cloud Nine is cognizant of the convoys cargo holdings.”

An amused countenance played across the chief’s face.

“You really think they wouldn’t leak that information ahead of time to narrow down the range of possible responses.”

“I can assure you I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

*

“Ladies and gentlemen this is your pilot speaking, here to inform you that we’ll be approaching our first castle shortly. Neat, huh. I’d also like to take this moment to shout out our crew member of the day, Faust Warren! Thanks to everyone who submitted a vote and to those who fell short this time around, better luck next time.”

Brewer looked over at the taciturn security officer dutifully going about his patrol of the lower level. He thought about asking the man if bestowing such honors was a regular occurrence, but stopped short after realizing how ridiculous of a precedent that would be. Although his take may have been more positive if he’d been approached about submitting a vote. Not that he knew anyone onboard the Crusader, or in the convoy for that matter.

But if nothing else he’d made a few silent observations in his time hiding—err, patrolling downstairs. Such as how reliable and cordial both Faust and the broad-shouldered engineer came across as. Or how easygoing the blonde officer turned out to be despite a rocky first interaction. It all made the station dweller realize that field service personnel weren’t the ruffians much of society made them out to be. And while he hadn’t seen every side of them yet, he could tell this group was prepared to go to great lengths for one another. Whether they’d go to those same lengths for an outsider like him remained to be seen. Especially if he failed to make any worthwhile contributions.

That was when the sound of someone ascending the ladder pulled him from his thoughts. Turning to investigate, Brewer saw that Faust was indeed heading topside, which in turn would make him the sole occupant of the lower level. A daunting prospect now that they were entering the meat and potatoes of the route.

“Do we need to congregate on deck?”

Faust paused halfway up the ladder and gave the slender man a near unreadable expression.

“No. I just thought I’d get a look at the castle. Get a feel for its scale and configuration.”

He supposed that was fair. This could be their only chance to scrutinize the architectural feat without an immediate threat hindering them.

“I see...I’ll just hold down the fort here then.”

“You’re call.”

And just like that, the crew member of the day was gone. Left to his own devices the man gingerly paced back and forth across the corridor. The silent nature of Crusaders making it so he could hear the sounds of boots moving around on the deck above. He could also make out snippets of conversation between the crew. Brewer couldn’t make out the specifics but imagined it too was related to the castle they were about to pass. Curiosity quickly began taking hold and he wondered how well he’d be able to view the structure from the platform. Another place he had yet to tread for fear of falling off.

Inching his way closer to the door on reflex, it occurred to the man he didn’t know which side of the Crusader to look from. He hadn’t thought to ask, so worried something would be asked of him if he initiated. He could try to make an educated guess based on which side of the deck the footfalls were most prevalent. But as he tried to train his ears on the floor above the sound of someone coming down the stairs reached him. For reasons he couldn’t quite explain Brewer panicked and tried to assume a position against the corridor wall that made him seem nonchalant. As he wrestled with where to position his hands a figure finally appeared in the doorway.

“They’ll be other castles along the route, and I want a better idea of the storage box’s dimensions!”

The brunette who appeared seemed to be speaking with someone at the top of the stairs. She proceeded to enter the corridor, passing him by and approaching the engine room door of all places. Brewer considered the fact that she hadn’t responded outwardly to his presence to mean he’d pulled off his facade of composure. He then watched her disappear inside the cramped room, though he could hear her talking to who he presumed to be herself.

“Hmm...it’s a bit warm, but I’d consider this a humane amount of space to keep someone.”

Brewer did not think he should be hearing this and slowly pushed himself off the wall. Deciding it was time to check up on the cargo again he began taking long steady strides away from the engine room. I was right in the middle of this creep walk that the girl re-emerged.

“I’m sorry, what was your name again?”

The man righted himself to make the exchange less awkward.

“Brewer...”

“Esma. Do you think it likely you’ll remain on the lower level for the duration of this convoy?”

“That’s the plan.”

Esma clasped her hands together, causing the man to jump in a way that erased any misconceptions about him having composure.

“Well I might be able to provide you an excuse depending on how things develop later.”

Seeing how confused the older man was Esma figured she should elaborate.

“I’m concocting a strategy that involves taking a raider into custody. In such an event I’d require you to keep an eye on them alongside Cade who I imagine will be seeing to various engine related tasks.”

As he’d feared, communication had made him vulnerable to responsibilities.

“Can’t you do it?”

“No. I’ve learned a thing or two about myself over these past two weeks, one of which being I despise being idle. Besides I’d be nothing but a hinderance down here if a boarding party embarked.”

“...!?”

“Good talk, I’ll go ahead and pencil you in as our impromptu sentry.”

She gave the now pale man a thumbs up and jogged back out the doorway before he could form a proper rebuttal. Alone again, Brewer moved back against the wall and sunk down into a seated position. His head hung between his legs.

“C’mon Swipes...don’t lose heart now. Remember why you’re doing this...remember the desperation in her voice. If not you, who else is there...”