The Lost Generation: Issue #1

Thunder crashed over the roar of heavy engines. The stench of diesel and scorched earth saturated the atmosphere. The driller’s break was just about over. He savored a last drag on his Stim. He could’ve sworn he just lit the damn thing. As he ground it out on the loose black scree, his body had already started fiending for another one. He ignored it and joined the rest of his shift on the long descent into the site. He passed a fleet of HaulerVats. The massive spherical vehicles floated on a bed of AG as their vacuum tubes collected the shattered lava for processing. Further ahead, there were the Scrapers. Their blades whined like banshees as they sawed into the rock.

Reaching his own Scraper, he banged on the window. Eventually, the driver powered down and climbed out. The driller didn’t know this new guy. He wasn’t going to bother trying, not at the rate the Corp burned through employees. The driller climbed in and got to work.

Over the next hour, the driller carved another thirty feet of lava. He could barely hear his music over the screaming blades and chugging engine. There was definitely going to be another trip to the ear doctor in his future. He needed to finish his certification and get out of the pits before his ears went for good.

Suddenly, the wall ahead collapsed. The computer flashed a warning and the driller quickly cut the blades. He must have hit a pocket of what passed for air on this planet, or some other gas. He waited and hoped the tunnel’s ceiling would hold. The drizzle of pebbles eventually stopped. He grabbed his air-sensor and climbed out. Company protocol strictly stipulated that pockets had to be tested for flammable gases before the machine could resume work.

The driller moved past the Scraper’s blades, still steaming in the cold air, and started scanning in front of the machine. Seemed all clear. Not hazardous, at least. He moved forward, trying to see what could have caused the collapse.

That’s when he saw it. The sensor clattered to the ground.


* * * * *


The junkworld of Spider in Cathcart System was allegedly a neutral zone for pirates, fugitives, and others of ill repute. It was anything but safe at the moment as Tonya Oriel, rogue scientist and explorer, sprinted through the narrow warped halls. This was getting to become a habit.

The payoff from the Kherium score on Hades was even bigger than she’d hoped. Most of it immediately disappeared in the maw of creditors and loan-sharks that were banging on her proverbial door. Another chunk enabled her to trade up to a sweeter ship but the remainder was going toward a treat: a Tevarin Codex, the original text for their warrior-religion. Only a couple dozen still existed after the Purge of the Second Tevarin War. Various museums and collectors had snatched all of the known volumes up, but somehow this fixer got one. Only after Tonya showed up and paid, did he suddenly realize its value and tripled his price.

So Tonya grabbed it and ran. A laserblast zipped past her and seared the wall. Tonya glanced back. It was Nagia, the plunderer, loping after her with his bad leg, a gun, and a foul expression.

“You got nowhere to run, girl!” He screamed and snapped off another shot.

“We had a deal, Nagia!” She yelled back without slowing down.

“Deals change!” Nagia fired again as punctuation.

“That doesn’t make any sense!” Tonya burst past an arriving crew and cut down toward the hangars. They quickly obliged the lunatic with a gun.

Nagia feverishly yelled for his crew over his comm. Fortunately, they were far too intoxicated to notice. Nagia puffed away as his feet thundered on the metal floors. His head started to feel light. He hadn’t run like this for some time.

He wheeled around the corner to the hangar as engines flared to life, blasting him back through the door.

Tonya powered up the Beacon II remotely, one of her ship’s new fancy tricks. She raced up the boarding ramp. As she slid into the pilot’s seat, Nagia swung back inside the hangar and fired at the cockpit. The shields barely flashed as they absorbed his shots. It was like throwing pebbles at a Dreadnaught.

Nagia ran over to flag down the deck-guards, the ones manning the turrets. Tonya didn’t wait around to see if he got their attention. Nagia watched the flare of her engines disappear into the distance. He was going to get her; he just had to figure out how …

After a few moments, he gave up and returned to the bar.

With Spider firmly in the distance, Tonya set her course. She knew a meal of real food, a glass of wine, and her new Codex were all she needed to forget the unpleasantness of her business with Nagia.

A message popped on her screen.

She assumed it was a job. The details were written in evasive legalese but there was a payout just to hear the offer. Three days away if she left now.

It looked like real food was going to have to wait.


* * * *


The Beacon II dropped through the atmosphere into a massive electrical storm. Tonya passed over vast trenches of land excised and chopped up before landing at Shubin Interstellar’s on-site Corporate headquarters.

A pair of security escorted her to a small white room. A tall, gaunt lawyer smiled pleasantly before going over dozens of confidentiality agreements and other legal fine print. She scanned text until her eyes ached. After an hour, she interrupted him.

“Could you at least tell me what the job is?”

“I’m sorry, miss,” the lawyer said with a yellowed grin. “I am bound not to disclose any pertinent details until you have properly filled out the —“

“Fine. Fine. I get it.” She slumped against the table. The lawyer continued. She gave verbal consents, a handful of fingerprints, even signed. Finally, the lawyer seemed satisfied. She peered up at him expectantly. “No blood? Urine?”

The lawyer looked at her, puzzled.

“No miss. I don’t believe that will be necessary.”

“So what now?”

“The introductory fee is currently being transferred to your account.” The lawyer stood and led her out. They walked through pristine white halls. He stopped outside another door and placed his thumb against the lock. It slid open, revealing a larger conference room. A thick rectangular window looked out over the dig-site.

Tonya stepped inside and looked at the people inside. She recognized most of them; Deke Johnson, Squig Bentley, Arthur Morrow, these were other explorers in the loosest sense of the word. They were graverobbers, plunderers, drunks, and junkies who dabbled in history. If these were Tonya’s competition, she was mildly offended to be on a list with these degenerates.

“Well, well, well,” a voice said behind her. Tonya froze, recognizing it instantly. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Tonya turned around. Senzen Turov flashed that megawatt smile of his.

“Good to see you, Tonya.” He stepped in for a hug. Tonya stopped him with a hand to his chest and pushed him back. He feigned offense. “What gives?”

“I just showered.”

“Come on, Tonya. You aren’t still sore about …”

“About you robbing me blind?” Tonya looked out the window. “I think I’m over it.”

“I hope so, you stole my ship and sold it to pirates.”

“With those Xi’An relics, you could buy two more.”

“Three actually.” Senzen stretched and leaned against the wall beside her. He scanned the room, visibly bored. “Any idea what this is all about?”

“Nope.”

“Maybe we should team-up. Like the old days?”

“I’d rather run with Squig.” Tonya said. At that perfect moment, Squig belched and farted at the same time. He seemed quite pleased with himself.

“Yeah, well, the Tonya I knew needed a man who was her equal, someone to challenge her.” Senzen leaned a little closer. Tonya looked at him. Their eyes locked.

“Is that what you think you are?”

“A man?”

“My equal.”

The door slid open. Gavin Arlington, CEO of Shubin, strode into the room. He almost didn’t look real. Every hair, wrinkle, and crease in his suit seemed as if it had a purpose, as if he demanded the same efficiency from his body that he did from his workers. An army of stoic assistants and the site foreman flanked him. His emerald eyes quickly assessed the riff-raff in the room.

“Come with me.”

Arlington led them outside. All of the mining operations within earshot had been shut down. There was only the howling wind, the now-distant thunder, and the crunch of gravel under their feet as they moved towards the pits.

Forty-five minutes of silent march passed. Senzen glanced at Tonya, genuinely baffled. She shrugged and shook her head. This was really bizarre. They were approaching a new cutting, shrouded in darkness as the sun set ahead of them. Arlington stopped at the edge of the shadow, beside one of the Scrapers. Deke Johnson stumbled and nearly fell. Arlington turned back to the group.

“No doubt you’re wondering why I called you here.” Arlington said with a dismissive glance toward Deke. He then nodded to the foreman.

The newly cut gash flared up with light. It took everyone a second to adjust. Tonya squinted and focussed on a bright irregularity in the middle of the black mass ahead. Embedded in the wall of lava there was a smooth metallic facing, but this wasn’t ore or a mineral vein. It was molded, constructed plate. Tonya’s first instinct was that it was wreckage of some kind. That wasn’t the startling thing …

There was one faded word stenciled across its surface.

Artemis.

. . . to be continued

Der Donner prallte über das Gebrüll schwerer Motoren. Der Gestank von Diesel und verbrannter Erde durchdrang die Atmosphäre. Die Pause des Bohrers war fast vorbei. Er genoss einen letzten Zug auf seinem Stim. Er hätte schwören können, dass er das verdammte Ding gerade angezündet hat. Als er es auf dem losen schwarzen Geröll ausgrub, hatte sein Körper bereits begonnen, sich um einen anderen zu kümmern. Er ignorierte es und schloss sich dem Rest seiner Schicht auf dem langen Abstieg in den Ort an. Er passierte eine Flotte von HaulerVats. Die massiven kugelförmigen Fahrzeuge schwebten auf einem Bett der AG, als ihre Vakuumröhren die zerbrochene Lava zur Verarbeitung aufnahmen. Weiter vorne waren die Abstreifer. Ihre Klingen jammerten wie Banshees, als sie in den Felsen sägen.

Als er seinen eigenen Schaber erreichte, schlug er gegen das Fenster. Schließlich fuhr der Fahrer herunter und kletterte hinaus. Der Bohrer kannte diesen neuen Kerl nicht. Er würde sich nicht die Mühe machen, es zu versuchen, nicht mit der Geschwindigkeit, mit der das Unternehmen seine Mitarbeiter durchbrannte. Der Bohrer stieg ein und machte sich an die Arbeit.

In der nächsten Stunde schnitzte der Bohrer weitere 30 Fuß Lava. Er konnte seine Musik kaum über die schreienden Klingen und den tuckelnden Motor hören. Es würde definitiv eine weitere Reise zum Ohrenarzt in seiner Zukunft geben. Er musste seine Zertifizierung abschließen und aus der Box steigen, bevor seine Ohren für immer verloren gingen.

Plötzlich brach die Wand vor uns zusammen. Der Computer blinkte eine Warnung und der Bohrer schnitt die Messer schnell ab. Er muss eine Tasche mit dem getroffen haben, was auf diesem Planeten für Luft oder ein anderes Gas durchging. Er wartete und hoffte, dass die Decke des Tunnels halten würde. Der Nieselregen von Kieselsteinen hörte schließlich auf. Er packte seinen Luftsensor und kletterte hinaus. Das Unternehmensprotokoll sah streng vor, dass die Taschen auf brennbare Gase geprüft werden mussten, bevor die Maschine ihre Arbeit wieder aufnehmen konnte.

Der Bohrer fuhr an den Schaufeln des Schabers vorbei, dampfte immer noch in der kalten Luft und begann vor der Maschine zu scannen. Schien alles klar zu sein. Zumindest nicht gefährlich. Er ging vorwärts und versuchte zu sehen, was den Zusammenbruch verursacht haben könnte.

Da sah er es. Der Sensor rasselte zu Boden.


* * * * *


Die Junkwelt von Spider im Cathcart System war angeblich eine neutrale Zone für Piraten, Flüchtlinge und andere von schlechtem Ruf. Es war im Moment alles andere als sicher, als Tonya Oriel, ein abtrünniger Wissenschaftler und Entdecker, durch die engen, verzerrten Hallen sprintete. Das wurde langsam zur Gewohnheit.

Der Gewinn aus dem Kherium-Score im Hades war noch größer, als sie gehofft hatte. Das meiste davon verschwand sofort im Maul der Gläubiger und Kredithaie, die an ihre sprichwörtliche Tür klopften. Ein weiterer Brocken ermöglichte es ihr, gegen ein süßeres Schiff einzutauschen, aber der Rest ging in Richtung eines Leckerbissen: ein Tevarin-Kodex, der Originaltext für ihre Kriegerreligion. Nur noch ein paar Dutzend existierten nach der Säuberung des Zweiten Tevarin-Krieges. Verschiedene Museen und Sammler hatten alle bekannten Bände zusammengetragen, aber irgendwie bekam dieser Fixer einen. Erst nachdem Tonya aufgetaucht und bezahlt war, erkannte er plötzlich den Wert und verdreifachte seinen Preis.

Also packte Tonya es und rannte. Ein Laserstrahl schoss an ihr vorbei und brannte die Mauer an. Tonya blickte zurück. Es war Nagia, der Plünderer, der mit seinem schlechten Bein, einer Waffe und einem üblen Gesichtsausdruck hinter ihr her war.

"Du kannst nirgendwo hin, Mädchen!" Er schrie und schoss einen weiteren Schuss ab.

"Wir hatten eine Abmachung, Nagia!" Sie schrie zurück, ohne langsamer zu werden.

"Deals ändern sich!" Nagia feuerte erneut als Interpunktion.

"Das ergibt keinen Sinn!" Tonya brach an einer ankommenden Besatzung vorbei und schnitt zu den Hangars hinunter. Sie zwangen den Verrückten schnell mit einer Waffe.

Nagia schrie fieberhaft nach seiner Crew über seine Kommunikation. Glücklicherweise waren sie viel zu berauscht, um es zu bemerken. Nagia schnaubte weg, als seine Füße auf den Metallböden donnerten. Sein Kopf begann sich leicht zu fühlen. Er war schon lange nicht mehr so gelaufen.

Er fuhr um die Ecke zum Hangar, als die Motoren zum Leben erwachten und ihn zurück durch die Tür schossen.

Tonya hat die Beacon II ferngesteuert eingeschaltet, einer der neuen ausgefallenen Tricks ihres Schiffes. Sie raste die Einstiegsrampe hinauf. Als sie auf den Pilotenplatz rutschte, schwang Nagia zurück in den Hangar und feuerte auf das Cockpit. Die Schilde blinkten kaum, als sie seine Schüsse absorbierten. Es war, als würde man Kieselsteine auf einen Dreadnaught werfen.

Nagia rannte hinüber, um die Deckswächter zu markieren, die die Türme bemannten. Tonya wartete nicht lange, um zu sehen, ob er ihre Aufmerksamkeit erregte. Nagia beobachtete, wie das Aufflackern ihrer Motoren in der Ferne verschwand. Er wollte sie holen; er musste nur herausfinden, wie....

Nach ein paar Augenblicken gab er auf und kehrte in die Bar zurück.

Mit Spider fest in der Ferne, setzte Tonya ihren Kurs. Sie kannte eine Mahlzeit mit echtem Essen, ein Glas Wein, und ihr neuer Kodex war alles, was sie brauchte, um die Unannehmlichkeiten ihres Geschäfts mit Nagia zu vergessen.

Eine Nachricht erschien auf ihrem Bildschirm.

Sie nahm an, dass es ein Job war. Die Details wurden in ausweichendem Juristendeutsch geschrieben, aber es gab eine Auszahlung, nur um das Angebot zu hören. Drei Tage weg, wenn sie jetzt geht.

Es sah aus, als müsste echtes Essen warten.


* * * *


Das Leuchtfeuer II fiel durch die Atmosphäre in einen heftigen Gewittersturm. Tonya passierte riesige Landgraben, die entfernt und zerstückelt wurden, bevor er in der Unternehmenszentrale von Shubin Interstellar landete.

Ein paar Sicherheitsleute begleiteten sie in einen kleinen weißen Raum. Ein großer, hagerer Anwalt lächelte angenehm, bevor er über Dutzende von Vertraulichkeitsvereinbarungen und andere rechtliche Kleingedruckte ging. Sie scannte den Text, bis ihre Augen schmerzten. Nach einer Stunde unterbrach sie ihn.

"Könntest du mir wenigstens sagen, was der Job ist?"

"Es tut mir leid, Miss", sagte der Anwalt mit einem vergilbten Grinsen. "Ich bin verpflichtet, keine relevanten Details offenzulegen, bis Sie das -"

"Gut. Gut. Ich verstehe schon." Sie stürzte gegen den Tisch. Der Anwalt fuhr fort. Sie gab mündliche Zustimmungen, eine Handvoll Fingerabdrücke, sogar unterschrieben. Schließlich schien der Anwalt zufrieden zu sein. Sie sah ihn erwartungsvoll an. "Kein Blut? Urin?"

Der Anwalt sah sie verwirrt an.

"Nicht verfehlen. Ich glaube nicht, dass das notwendig sein wird."

"Und was jetzt?"

"Die Einführungsgebühr wird derzeit auf Ihr Konto überwiesen." Der Anwalt stand auf und führte sie hinaus. Sie gingen durch unberührte weiße Hallen. Er blieb vor einer anderen Tür stehen und legte seinen Daumen gegen das Schloss. Sie rutschte auf und enthüllte einen größeren Konferenzraum. Ein dickes rechteckiges Fenster blickte über die Baustelle hinaus.

Tonya trat ein und sah die Menschen darin an. Sie erkannte die meisten von ihnen; Deke Johnson, Squig Bentley, Arthur Morrow, das waren andere Entdecker im weitesten Sinne des Wortes. Es waren Grabräuber, Plünderer, Betrunkene und Junkies, die sich in der Geschichte beschäftigten. Wenn dies Tonyas Konkurrenz war, war sie leicht beleidigt, auf einer Liste mit diesen Degenerierten zu stehen.

"Nun, nun, nun, nun, nun", sagte eine Stimme hinter ihr. Tonya erstarrte und erkannte es sofort. "Schön, dich hier zu sehen."

Tonya drehte sich um. Senzen Turov zeigte sein Megawatt-Lächeln.

"Schön, dich zu sehen, Tonya." Er trat für eine Umarmung ein. Tonya hielt ihn mit der Hand an der Brust an und schob ihn zurück. Er hat eine Straftat vorgetäuscht. "Was ist los?"

"Ich habe gerade geduscht."

"Komm schon, Tonya. Du bist nicht mehr sauer wegen...."

"Dass du mich blind überfallen hast?" Tonya schaute aus dem Fenster. "Ich glaube, ich bin drüber weg."

"Ich hoffe es, du hast mein Schiff gestohlen und es an Piraten verkauft."

"Mit diesen Xi'An-Relikten könnte man zwei weitere kaufen."

"Eigentlich drei." Senzen streckte sich und lehnte sich an die Wand neben ihr. Er durchsuchte den Raum, sichtlich gelangweilt. "Irgendeine Idee, worum es hier geht?"

" Nein."

"Vielleicht sollten wir uns zusammenschließen. Wie in den alten Zeiten?"

"Ich würde lieber mit Squig laufen." Sagte Tonya. In diesem perfekten Moment rülpste und furzte Squig gleichzeitig. Er schien sehr zufrieden mit sich selbst zu sein.

"Ja, nun, der Tonya, den ich kannte, brauchte einen Mann, der ihr ebenbürtig war, jemanden, der sie herausforderte." Senzen lehnte sich ein wenig näher heran. Tonya sah ihn an. Ihre Augen waren verschlossen.

"Ist es das, was du denkst, was du bist?"

" Ein Mann?"

"Mein Ebenbürtiger."

Die Tür schob sich auf. Gavin Arlington, CEO von Shubin, betrat den Raum. Er sah fast nicht echt aus. Jedes Haar, jede Falte und jede Falte in seinem Anzug schien einen Zweck zu haben, als ob er von seinem Körper die gleiche Effizienz verlangte wie von seinen Arbeitern. Eine Armee von stoischen Assistenten und der Polier flankierten ihn. Seine smaragdgrünen Augen beurteilten schnell das Gesindel im Raum.

"Komm mit mir."

Arlington führte sie nach draußen. Alle Bergbauaktivitäten in Hörweite wurden eingestellt. Es gab nur den heulenden Wind, den nun entfernten Donner und das Knirschen von Kies unter ihren Füßen, als sie sich auf die Gruben zubewegten.

Fünfundvierzig Minuten Schweigemarsch vergingen. Senzen blickte Tonya an, wirklich verblüfft. Sie zuckte mit den Achseln und schüttelte den Kopf. Das war wirklich bizarr. Sie näherten sich einem neuen Schnitt, der von Dunkelheit umhüllt war, als die Sonne vor ihnen unterging. Arlington blieb am Rande des Schattens stehen, neben einem der Schaber. Deke Johnson stolperte und fiel fast. Arlington wandte sich wieder der Gruppe zu.

"Zweifellos fragst du dich, warum ich dich hierher gerufen habe." sagte Arlington mit einem abweisenden Blick auf Deke. Dann nickte er dem Polier zu.

Die neu geschnittene Wunde flackerte mit Licht auf. Es dauerte eine Sekunde, bis sich alle angepasst hatten. Tonya blinzelte und konzentrierte sich auf eine helle Unregelmäßigkeit in der Mitte der schwarzen Masse vor ihm. Eingebettet in die Lavawand befand sich eine glatte metallische Oberfläche, aber das war kein Erz oder eine Mineralader. Es war eine geformte, konstruierte Platte. Tonyas erster Instinkt war, dass es sich um eine Art Wrack handelt. Das war nicht das Aufregende daran....

Es gab ein verblasstes Wort, das über seine Oberfläche geschabt war.

Artemis.




. ... wird fortgesetzt

Thunder crashed over the roar of heavy engines. The stench of diesel and scorched earth saturated the atmosphere. The driller’s break was just about over. He savored a last drag on his Stim. He could’ve sworn he just lit the damn thing. As he ground it out on the loose black scree, his body had already started fiending for another one. He ignored it and joined the rest of his shift on the long descent into the site. He passed a fleet of HaulerVats. The massive spherical vehicles floated on a bed of AG as their vacuum tubes collected the shattered lava for processing. Further ahead, there were the Scrapers. Their blades whined like banshees as they sawed into the rock.

Reaching his own Scraper, he banged on the window. Eventually, the driver powered down and climbed out. The driller didn’t know this new guy. He wasn’t going to bother trying, not at the rate the Corp burned through employees. The driller climbed in and got to work.

Over the next hour, the driller carved another thirty feet of lava. He could barely hear his music over the screaming blades and chugging engine. There was definitely going to be another trip to the ear doctor in his future. He needed to finish his certification and get out of the pits before his ears went for good.

Suddenly, the wall ahead collapsed. The computer flashed a warning and the driller quickly cut the blades. He must have hit a pocket of what passed for air on this planet, or some other gas. He waited and hoped the tunnel’s ceiling would hold. The drizzle of pebbles eventually stopped. He grabbed his air-sensor and climbed out. Company protocol strictly stipulated that pockets had to be tested for flammable gases before the machine could resume work.

The driller moved past the Scraper’s blades, still steaming in the cold air, and started scanning in front of the machine. Seemed all clear. Not hazardous, at least. He moved forward, trying to see what could have caused the collapse.

That’s when he saw it. The sensor clattered to the ground.


* * * * *


The junkworld of Spider in Cathcart System was allegedly a neutral zone for pirates, fugitives, and others of ill repute. It was anything but safe at the moment as Tonya Oriel, rogue scientist and explorer, sprinted through the narrow warped halls. This was getting to become a habit.

The payoff from the Kherium score on Hades was even bigger than she’d hoped. Most of it immediately disappeared in the maw of creditors and loan-sharks that were banging on her proverbial door. Another chunk enabled her to trade up to a sweeter ship but the remainder was going toward a treat: a Tevarin Codex, the original text for their warrior-religion. Only a couple dozen still existed after the Purge of the Second Tevarin War. Various museums and collectors had snatched all of the known volumes up, but somehow this fixer got one. Only after Tonya showed up and paid, did he suddenly realize its value and tripled his price.

So Tonya grabbed it and ran. A laserblast zipped past her and seared the wall. Tonya glanced back. It was Nagia, the plunderer, loping after her with his bad leg, a gun, and a foul expression.

“You got nowhere to run, girl!” He screamed and snapped off another shot.

“We had a deal, Nagia!” She yelled back without slowing down.

“Deals change!” Nagia fired again as punctuation.

“That doesn’t make any sense!” Tonya burst past an arriving crew and cut down toward the hangars. They quickly obliged the lunatic with a gun.

Nagia feverishly yelled for his crew over his comm. Fortunately, they were far too intoxicated to notice. Nagia puffed away as his feet thundered on the metal floors. His head started to feel light. He hadn’t run like this for some time.

He wheeled around the corner to the hangar as engines flared to life, blasting him back through the door.

Tonya powered up the Beacon II remotely, one of her ship’s new fancy tricks. She raced up the boarding ramp. As she slid into the pilot’s seat, Nagia swung back inside the hangar and fired at the cockpit. The shields barely flashed as they absorbed his shots. It was like throwing pebbles at a Dreadnaught.

Nagia ran over to flag down the deck-guards, the ones manning the turrets. Tonya didn’t wait around to see if he got their attention. Nagia watched the flare of her engines disappear into the distance. He was going to get her; he just had to figure out how …

After a few moments, he gave up and returned to the bar.

With Spider firmly in the distance, Tonya set her course. She knew a meal of real food, a glass of wine, and her new Codex were all she needed to forget the unpleasantness of her business with Nagia.

A message popped on her screen.

She assumed it was a job. The details were written in evasive legalese but there was a payout just to hear the offer. Three days away if she left now.

It looked like real food was going to have to wait.


* * * *


The Beacon II dropped through the atmosphere into a massive electrical storm. Tonya passed over vast trenches of land excised and chopped up before landing at Shubin Interstellar’s on-site Corporate headquarters.

A pair of security escorted her to a small white room. A tall, gaunt lawyer smiled pleasantly before going over dozens of confidentiality agreements and other legal fine print. She scanned text until her eyes ached. After an hour, she interrupted him.

“Could you at least tell me what the job is?”

“I’m sorry, miss,” the lawyer said with a yellowed grin. “I am bound not to disclose any pertinent details until you have properly filled out the —“

“Fine. Fine. I get it.” She slumped against the table. The lawyer continued. She gave verbal consents, a handful of fingerprints, even signed. Finally, the lawyer seemed satisfied. She peered up at him expectantly. “No blood? Urine?”

The lawyer looked at her, puzzled.

“No miss. I don’t believe that will be necessary.”

“So what now?”

“The introductory fee is currently being transferred to your account.” The lawyer stood and led her out. They walked through pristine white halls. He stopped outside another door and placed his thumb against the lock. It slid open, revealing a larger conference room. A thick rectangular window looked out over the dig-site.

Tonya stepped inside and looked at the people inside. She recognized most of them; Deke Johnson, Squig Bentley, Arthur Morrow, these were other explorers in the loosest sense of the word. They were graverobbers, plunderers, drunks, and junkies who dabbled in history. If these were Tonya’s competition, she was mildly offended to be on a list with these degenerates.

“Well, well, well,” a voice said behind her. Tonya froze, recognizing it instantly. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Tonya turned around. Senzen Turov flashed that megawatt smile of his.

“Good to see you, Tonya.” He stepped in for a hug. Tonya stopped him with a hand to his chest and pushed him back. He feigned offense. “What gives?”

“I just showered.”

“Come on, Tonya. You aren’t still sore about …”

“About you robbing me blind?” Tonya looked out the window. “I think I’m over it.”

“I hope so, you stole my ship and sold it to pirates.”

“With those Xi’An relics, you could buy two more.”

“Three actually.” Senzen stretched and leaned against the wall beside her. He scanned the room, visibly bored. “Any idea what this is all about?”

“Nope.”

“Maybe we should team-up. Like the old days?”

“I’d rather run with Squig.” Tonya said. At that perfect moment, Squig belched and farted at the same time. He seemed quite pleased with himself.

“Yeah, well, the Tonya I knew needed a man who was her equal, someone to challenge her.” Senzen leaned a little closer. Tonya looked at him. Their eyes locked.

“Is that what you think you are?”

“A man?”

“My equal.”

The door slid open. Gavin Arlington, CEO of Shubin, strode into the room. He almost didn’t look real. Every hair, wrinkle, and crease in his suit seemed as if it had a purpose, as if he demanded the same efficiency from his body that he did from his workers. An army of stoic assistants and the site foreman flanked him. His emerald eyes quickly assessed the riff-raff in the room.

“Come with me.”

Arlington led them outside. All of the mining operations within earshot had been shut down. There was only the howling wind, the now-distant thunder, and the crunch of gravel under their feet as they moved towards the pits.

Forty-five minutes of silent march passed. Senzen glanced at Tonya, genuinely baffled. She shrugged and shook her head. This was really bizarre. They were approaching a new cutting, shrouded in darkness as the sun set ahead of them. Arlington stopped at the edge of the shadow, beside one of the Scrapers. Deke Johnson stumbled and nearly fell. Arlington turned back to the group.

“No doubt you’re wondering why I called you here.” Arlington said with a dismissive glance toward Deke. He then nodded to the foreman.

The newly cut gash flared up with light. It took everyone a second to adjust. Tonya squinted and focussed on a bright irregularity in the middle of the black mass ahead. Embedded in the wall of lava there was a smooth metallic facing, but this wasn’t ore or a mineral vein. It was molded, constructed plate. Tonya’s first instinct was that it was wreckage of some kind. That wasn’t the startling thing …

There was one faded word stenciled across its surface.

Artemis.

. . . to be continued