The way back was quieter now, no stories shared, just a shared sense of dread that was all too palpable for Francis. Nothing seemed right about any of this. He had considered giving the order to kill the miners and bury them out in the barren plains of Mars, chalk it up as a lost cause, much to the likely reprimand of Security Chief Cain, but as Melina said, they showed no signs of Mortalis infection. Except for the one that Charles said he had killed.
“The miner you killed. How did he look and how did you kill him?”
“Like any newly converted, he showed the early signs of the infection. As for how I killed him, well, I encountered one of those True Eye obelisks. You know, big monolith-type thing shaped like an open eye at the top.”
“You used the obelisk?”
“I had to pull it on top of him, took some effort. It did the trick, though.”
Francis’ eyebrows twitched as he ruminated on this. “Melina, can those structures induce infection?”
“It’s not unheard of. A big enough one would definitely have a stronger degradation signal. You think we’re being deceived?” she asked.
Francis leaned forward and looked at the others of Black Knight, except for Eva, who had elected to drive the miner transport. “One thing is clear: it let us go. When we get back, I want everyone on guard and ready for anything. One thing’s for sure: we aren’t out of the woods yet.”
“And what about me?” Pyotr asked suddenly. His sternness brought Francis back to the next issue he would have to handle. Honestly, the man was already quiet enough as it is, so his silence here didn’t surprise Francis, but his possession by an alien, he didn’t know what to make of it.
“That’ll be up to Cain.”
“The Chief of Security… And if he deems me a threat?”
“I can’t protect you from him. You’ll just have to make yourself valuable to him.”
“I am an alien mind. Why wouldn’t I be valuable?”
“We humans aren’t exactly the definition of rational, Savin. I’ll vouch for you, but no funny business.”
“I had no plans. I’m curious to see what you’ve made of yourselves in our long absence.”
“It’ll probably not even compare,” said Charles, laughing. “We barely understand your technology as it is.”
“Well, isn’t it fortunate your friend found me?”
The question is then, Savin. What are you hoping to gain from controlling Pyotr? If you somehow survive this, where will you go I wonder?
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
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The Processing Sector of the Medical Dome had never been on this high an alert as most of their patients were often injured miners or those prone to more easily treated illnesses. A quarantine had been ordered to be established to welcome back the lost miners and the team that had been sent to recover them. Those involved knew it was serious since the Chief of Security himself had shown up to oversee the return.
“We have both airlocks prepped and are ready to receive the new arrivals.”
“Good,” said Cain. “I want the miners sectioned off in Ward B and the other group in C.”
“Both Wards are set up for the handling of a certain kind of infection. Do you suspect they may be infected with the Mortalis?” the Doctor asked.
“Not necessarily, but you can never be too careful.”
Cain watched the airlock cycle as the first group entered; the miners and plus one. He cocked his head. She hadn’t been all that noticeable when she arrived, but there was no doubt in his mind the woman with the miners was one of the new arrivals. Cain swallowed back his apprehension and approached the communication console. He pressed a button on it that engaged the intercom system.
“You there. You’re supposed to be processed with your people.”
The miners look confused at first, except for the woman who, after taking her helmet off, turned to face the viewscreen. He saw an uncanny lifelessness in those eyes.
Cain looked back at the Doctor. “Any signs?” he asked after he lifted his finger off the button.
“Could just be exposure, remember they’ve been active for longer than the average. It could just be tiredness.”
“Hmm, tiredness - you really think that’s tiredness,” he said before pressing the button again. “Explain yourself.”
She managed a weak smile. “The Crawler wasn’t big enough for us all, so the miners acquired a spare transport. I drove them here.”
“Since you’re with them, you’ll be processed separately from your team, do you understand?”
“I’m sure Frank won’t miss me that much, Chief.”
Cain lifted his finger. “I bet once they are in their Wards, run a full scan. We’ve already had one Mortan we had to put down, rather not have there be any more.”
“Understand, Chief. Once each of them has been treated. I’ll send you the results.”
“Excellent, and if anything happens, don’t hesitate to raise the alert. A single Mortan is no laughing matter, Doctor.”
“We all know that, sir. We’ll keep you in the loop.”
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The Security Dome was a buzz of activity now that Chief Cain was preoccupied with events taking place elsewhere on the Mars base. Logistics Officer Derrick Cutler had been monitoring the progress of the new arrivals and feeding it back to his real boss back home, Edmund Grey of the Grey Watch. They weren't the only ones tacitly aware of events developing on the Moon. As Derrick understood, it was all getting pretty dire, like a powder keg ready to explode any moment.
“LT765 was their callsign. Full name, Logitek. They are headquartered in the Sov, they work largely as a contractor. They have personnel on the Moon and now, here,” said Derrick.
The picture of Edmund was on his screen, and they were talking through Aether intercommunication. The audio band elevated as the man spoke. Derrick made sure to have his headset on and cubicle sealed. He didn't want any sound leaking out. “Anything out of the ordinary with them?” Edmund asked.
“They have a lot of active contracts back home, and here’s the really interesting part: they only got the Soteria job a couple of months back.”
“Private Security and -”
“Whatever you need them for, they offer a wide range of services with personnel of varying qualifications. The thing is, Edmund. On the surface, they are above board.”
“So go deeper, Cutler. I have my leads to chase.”
“I’ll do what I can, but it won’t be easy while having Cain and Overseer Raine breathing down my neck.”
“Just don’t get caught.”
Derrick gave him a sly smile. “You don’t need to worry about me, boss.”
The man gave a long sigh. “Grey out. Keep us updated if things change.”
Once disconnected, Derrick looked at his screen and the report, showing what he had found out about Logitek. Now I just need to figure out who is behind you, and then it will all become clear.