2521
Stowik walked briskly around the various parts and equipment that littered his workshop.
“Where did you want this, Stowik?” asked one of his workers.
Stowik pointed to the second hopper, “Put it next to Hollowbone for now, Thom, by the main hatch. We can’t integrate that until Bennett’s team finishes the hydraulics assembly.”
The man walked away and relayed Stowik’s message to his team. For the past year, Stowik had overseen close to three hundred Arksent workers constructing the two hoppers. Bigger plans needed bigger manpower. For the first time in fifteen hours, he had a few minutes to himself. He gazed up at the two hoppers side by side. They were massive: the same general shape as his original design, but scaled up to accommodate a crew of fifty. Designed to be a transport for crew or cargo, heavy lift was their objective. The result of meticulous planning and non-stop work, with almost three hundred engineers. I almost regret needing to destroy one. Almost. The Arksent were excited to employ the behemoths in their war against the Opposition. Stowik had other plans. His mind wandered back to Taylor West hall, where he knew his fellow Alpha Indianites were held captive, if they were still alive. He had begun paying attention to the food deliveries in the mess hall, and he was unsurprised at what he saw: a sizeable chunk of food and supplies were being regularily diverted to the elevator, below which Stowik knew sprawled Taylor West hall. The Alpha Indiantes had to still be alive. But what are they being held captive for?
Stowik was pulled out of his thoughts by another worker saying, “Stowik, the hydraulic system is completed and installed.”
Stowik nodded. “Good work, Bennett,” he addressed the man. “Let Thom know he’s clear.”
Stowik directed his workers in their finals hours of assembling Hollowbone and Phoenix. Several team leaders approached Stowik. “We are all clear,” one spoke.
“Clear for test flight one?” asked Stowik.
“Yes,” the woman said with a smile.
Right on schedule. This is it. I am one of fifty.
Stowik walked over to Hollowbone, and the massive hatch descended to his feet. He walked up the ramp that led to the hopper’s entrance and examined the spacious interior. It’s a mobile command center.
Thom followed Stowik up the ramp and stood behind him, “A motivated crew could live in one of these crafts indefinitely. These hoppers are truly incredible machines. Nothing like the Arksent has ever witnessed.”
Or ever will witness. Stowik agreed on the outside, “You should be proud of yourself. It was an easy decision to assign you as pilot of Hollowbone.” In truth, it was a hard decision: Stowik had come to know and like Thom, but Thom was the most qualified, and people would whisper and wonder if Stowik assigned anyone else as Hollowbone’s pilot.
Stowik continued up the second floor to the crew quarters and on to the third floor. He made his way to the cockpit and sat down in the seat, where his eyes took in the controls. His hand rested on the throttle. Familiar. Stowik breathed in and felt the throttle resist his arm. He pushed harder and heard the engine roar to life. But way more powerful. Flames shot out beneath the hopper. Stowik pushed the throttle up more and kept his hands steady on the controls. The enormous hopper eased off the ground. After a moment, its spider-like legs cleared the ground. Stowik’s workers stared in awe as the massive flying machine hovered in the workshop. He couldn’t hear them through the roar of the engines, but he could see them hitting their hands together. Strange custom. Stowik increased thrust and felt the hopper rise to a height of ten meters. Hollowbone is powerful. It was one thing to design it, but to actually fly it…wow. He let the thrust dwindle until the hopper clanked loudly onto the workshop floor. Stowik repeated the procedure with Phoenix with equal success. He stepped out of the cockpit and lowered the ramp, joining his workers on the ground floor.
Stowik forced himself to lie, “This day marks the beginning of Arksent’s aerial dominance over Titan. No longer will lands remain unseen by human eyes, and no more will we be hindered by the terrain. The future of the Arksent,” Stowik pointed to the hoppers behind him, “lies in the air.” The crowd erupted in cheers and laughter as the team celebrated their success.
Stowik spoke into his earpiece, “Link Dalrin. Send in the first crew.” Stowik had gotten into the habit of being friendly with Dalrin, so as not to arouse any suspicion, and had left the tracker in his earpiece intact for the same reason; Dalrin would notice otherwise.
“You got it,” came his response back.
The workers cleared the room as soldiers filed into the workshop to participate in the first testing and training exercise above the Cortex. The soldiers soon began boarding Hollowbone, along with Thom, who had trained on Stowik’s hopper to be Hollowbone’s pilot. Fifteen minutes later, the workshop’s ceiling parted to reveal the Titan sky.
Stowik addressed Bennett, “Make sure the workshop is cleared of all personnel once Hollowbone clears the roof. Everyone watches from outside. Got it?”
“Loud and clear, boss,” replied Bennett. Good.
Stowik slowly edged his way to the door. Under Thom’s control, Hollowbone began ascending through the Cortex up into the open air. All eyes were on the majestic hopper as it slowly rose through the air and the roar of the engines seemed to vibrate the walls themselves. Stowik slid out the door and swiftly got on the elevator. He stared at another propaganda poster on the wall. The life-sized Dalrin Taylor was smiling and shaking hands with a man in a hard hat: “Because of the Turbine, The Department of Engineering and Mining’s productivity has increased by 50%. Thank an engineer today.” Stowik could feel bile rising up from this stomach in disgust. The elevator came to a stop and Stowik started to walk out, stopped himself and tore down the poster. He crumpled up the poster into a ball, tossing it to the side as he briskly walked to his room on floor seven. He reached under his mattress and blindly felt around. Gotcha. Stowik pulled his hand out, revealing the white lab coat, hair and shoe coverings he had taken from level HT a year ago. Time to pay a visit to Taylor West hall.
Stowik descended to Hangar One on the first floor. Stowik walked over to where rovers were parked. One was being readied for use.
Stowik approached the rover and asked the driver, “Where are you heading?”
“Scouting mission, fifteen kilometers due south. Reports of Opposition activity,” the soldier replied.
“Thanks,” said Stowik. He walked around the back of the rover as if making to leave. His hands reached up and pulled his earpiece out, and he tossed it into the back of the rover. Drive fast, buddy. Stowik walked back to the elevator.
The elevator descended for several minutes before it slowed to a stop. Stowik stepped out of the elevator and faced the long grey hallway he remembered from one year ago. He was in the Taylor halls now. He put on the white gear and began walking down the hallway. He let his memory guide him back to the intersection that lead to Taylor West hall. On the way, he passed one woman in white gear who said hello. Stowik responded in kind, kept his head down, and continued walking. Eventually, Stowik reached it: the green sign that pointed to Taylor East hall and Taylor West hall. He turned down Taylor West hall and walked onward. The hallway came to a dead end and Stowik walked up to a green door. White gear lined the walls. They better be ready to move. After today, both of those hoppers will be moved to the hangars. He braced his hand on the handle and dreaded what he would find inside. He turned the handle and pushed slowly, careful to make as little noise as possible. Stowik cautiously shut the door behind him and let his eyes adjust to the dim lighting of the room. The walls and floor were the same glossy white as the Arksent above, but on the far wall of the room was a massive tinted window into another room. It was too far away for Stowik to discern the shapes held inside. His eyes were drawn to the center of the room, where a bright spotlight illuminated a person in white gear standing over a large table.
Making no noise, he slowly walked up to the table, taking care to keep himself behind the worker, who
was engaged closely in his task and had not noticed Stowik enter the room. Now only ten feet away, Stowik could see what was on the table. It was a person. One he recognized. Imbria. How is she alive? I saw Dalrin shoot her. Stowik felt a rush of unexpected happiness at the familiar face. From afar, Imbria appeared to be comatose.
Stowik stepped forward once more and almost knocked into a small side table that bore several instruments. One caught Stowik’s eyes. This will work. Stowik picked up the object and closed the distance between the worker and himself. He quickly jammed the sharp end of the full syringe into the man’s neck, hoping it was the same sedative that was keeping Imbria unconcious. The man let out a gasp as Stowik used his thumb to push down the plunger of the syringe, which injected the liquid into the man’s bloodstream. The man immediately crumpled to the floor. Stowik stood over Imbria’s still body. She was asleep. She looked so peaceful in her slumber, her delicate eyelashes framing her closed eyes. I’ll keep her safe this time, Stowik vowed, as she tried to do for Alpha. Imbria was right all along. How could he have believed Dalrin Taylor’s lies? They needed to rejoin the Opposition. It was the only way to fight back.
“Imbria,” Stowik said softly. There was no response.
“Imbria,” he said again, this time louder, and jostled her arm. She stirred and slowly opened her eyes. When her large pupils focused on Stowik’s, she was immediately alert.
“Stowik! What are you doing here? How did you find us? You have to get out,” Imbria started.
Stowik noticed she was strapped to the table, so he quickly undid her binds. “No time. Be quiet, we can’t afford to be loud. I saw Dalrin kill you,” he accused.
“Dalrin shot me with a tranquilizer.” Imbria sat up and registered the empty syringe in Stowik’s hand and the crumpled body of the worker on the ground. She looked impressed. “The same stuff you just put in his neck.” she added in reference to the crumpled lab technician on the floor.
Stowik froze as he looked around the room. “What the hell goes on down here?” Stowik asked.
“Didn’t you say ‘no time’? All of that later, we have to get out of here,” said Imbria.
“Right,” said Stowik as he started moving again, “But wait! Did they get the Opposition location out of you?” asked Stowik.
“I was never interrogated. Let’s go!” whispered Imbria urgently.
“With Alpha India,” Stowik affirmed as he walked over to the large window against the wall.
“With Alpha India,” Imbria agreed, “but hurry.”
Right. Hurrying. But what the hell is going on here? He used a tranquilizer instead of killing the second in command of the Opposition? And then didn’t interrogate her? Why would the Arksent want Imbria alive if not for information? If they’re doing experiments to harness our superior vision, wouldn’t any one of Alpha India do?
Stowik stood against the thick tinted window and saw forty nine sedentary bodies sleeping in cots, all dressed in white, full-body suits. I am one of fifty.
“Why are they all asleep?” Stowik asked Imbria.
“They drug us to keep us sedated for their experiments,” Imbria replied.
“Are my parents, Tom and Ellis okay? And Sartis?” Stowik asked.
Imbria shrugged, “They kept me isolated. I never met your colony members.” She tapped a button next to the cell and the door slid open. Stowik and Imbria walked in.
“Wake up, wake up, wake up,” Stowik yelled over and over again as he vigorously jostled the still figures out of their sleep. They slowly came to and saw Stowik.
“Stowik!” one Alpha Indianite yelled. The others looked at him in amazement, and they all began shouting his name. The prisoners began asking him questions, like “How did you find us?” and “Are you okay?” and “Get us out of here.” The noise was deafening. Where is Sartis? Mom and Dad?
Stowik silenced them all with a yell, “Quiet! Tom, Ellis, Sartis, where are you?”
A female voice rose from the croud, muffled by the sound of moving bodies, “We’re all here, Stowik! Worry about the others.” Was that Sartis’ voice? Stowik inwardly relaxed.
The group settled down and one Elder spoke up, “We’re glad to see you healthy, Stowik. Formalities later, though. I presume you have an escape plan?” Where are Aitken and Val?
As if to answer the Elder’s question, a deep rumbling shook the room, but Stowik knew it wasn’t another quake.
Good timing. Stowik nodded, “Just do as I say and keep quiet,” he replied to the group. He led the drugged up and groggy group out of the room and into Taylor West hall.
“Everyone grab a coat, and hair and shoe coverings,” Stowik directed the group. They did as he told, and Imbria went up to Stowik.
“That wasn’t a quake, Stowik, that was an explosion. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” she asked nervously.
Stowik nodded, “As sure I can be, given the circumstances. I built another hopper—a much bigger one. It was being flown directly above the Cortex. But I designed the engine to cut off when the transmitter leaves the five kilometer range.”
Confused, Imbria asked, “You rigged that explosion? But surely they aren’t piloting the hopper at an altitude of five kilometers. Where is the transmitter?”
Stowik caught himself before he let out a crooked grin, “On a scouting mission.”
Imbria gave Stowik a puzzled look, but their conversation was interrupted by the Elder. “Stowik, we’ve got a problem—we’re short one white coat” Stowik cursed; he hadn’t counted on Imbria being there. The Elder grimaced and his hand immediately shot up to cover his ear.
“What’s wrong?” asked Stowik. He took a step closer to examine the Elder’s ear.
With surprising speed, the Elder stepped back and turned away from Stowik. “It’s nothing,” the Elder replied with a contorted expression. What have the Arksent scum been doing to my colony members?
Stowik shrugged. “Wait here,” said Stowik.
He ran down Taylor West hall until the intersection and turned onto Taylor East hall. He maintained his fast running pace, and within a few minutes he came across the large green door that separated the hall from Rockhead’s destroyed hopper. Stowik quickly stuffed one of the white coats into his arms and ran back to Taylor West hall. Within minutes he was back at the door, panting in the face of forty-nine of his colony members. He tossed the coat to Imbria. Time to go.
“Stay close, and stay quiet. Look like you have purpose,” Stowik instructed. Still drugged up, the prisoners could only walk at a modest pace. Finally, the group reached the elevator. Stowik frowned. We can’t fit fifty-one people inside of this thing.
Stowik turned around, “Ten at a time, I’ll guide you. The rest of you, wait here. Do not move.”
The first ten prisoners got on the elevator. Stowik pushed the button to take them to level two and the doors closed. The elevator climbed slowly for a time, and then jerked to a halt. The doors opened, exposing Stowik and the ten prisoners in disguise to the familiar engineering room. Making their way across the large room, the group was careful to avoid the large machines and people running toward the direction of the explosion. They reached the hallway at the end of the room, and Stowik guided them to his workshop. A soldier was walking by them, talking into his earpiece. Stowik looked down, but it was too late.
Stowik heard the soldier say “Hold on, I’ll call you back. Over,” and then the soldier confronted him.
“All of you white-coats coming from the labs?” he asked with an arched eyebrow.
Stowik stuttered, “Uh, yeah.” Think of something. “We’re the guys who are gonna save this damn building before it goes up. We’re cutting off all the ethane pipelines. Shouldn’t you be doing something useful?” Stowik demanded with authority.
The soldier was taken aback. He started to say something and then put his hand to his ear. A strange expression crept on his face as he eyed Stowik with something bordering on disgust. His eyes turned to the prisoners behind Stowik a
nd examined them with the blankest of expressions.
After several seconds, the soldier spoke. “Get to it,” he said curtly as he stiffly walked away. That was close.
Stowik breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at the soldier. He could see the soldier walking away shaking his head angrily and his hands balled up into fists. Could have been much worse. He found his way to the entrance of EC 212.
“Stowik,” he spoke to the door. It opened and the prisoners filed into the workshop, which was now empty of his workers.
Stowik walked over to the grounded hopper, Phoenix, and pushed a button on the side of the massive vehicle. The ramp lowered.
“Wait in here,” he said.
“Sure is a lot bigger than I remember,” commented one of the prisoners. The other Alpha Indiantes looked at him with wide eyes and alarmed expressions.
“What?” asked Stowik, clearly puzzled, “This is bigger than the hoppers you remember from Alpha India? Is that what you meant?” You could have heard a pin drop.
The Alpha Indianite looked panicked, “Ye—yes,” he stumbled with his speech.
What kind of drugs did the Arksent use on them? They are totally out of it. Stowik quickly rushed back down to level HT, where he repeated the procedure four more times to ferry the prisoners, and finally on the last trip, Imbria, to Phoenix.
This is almost too easy. Stowik hit a button on the wall which parted the ceiling, ran into the hopper, and took his seat at the controls.
Imbria joined Stowik in the cockpit, “That’s all of us.”
“Then it’s time to get out of here,” Stowik pushed the button to raise the ramp and sealed everyone inside of the hopper.
He pushed the throttle forward and powered up the engines that would lift the leviathan of a hopper. The hopper’s legs lifted off of the floor slowly. Stowik pushed harder, and in moments the hopper cleared the ceiling entirely. Now the hopper was hovering above the Cortex. Stowik began steering the hopper laterally and soon they were flying over the vast expanse of the Cortex.
Within a minute they flew over the wreckage of Hollowbone. Stowik craned his neck to see the destroyed remains of the hopper. It was surrounded by hundreds of workers trying to put out the fire and rescue the soldiers inside. The crash had punched a massive hole in a Cortex structure, and the fires had spread, consuming surrounding structures faster than the workers could put them out. The devastation was massive.
“Well, if there was any doubt in their minds, our escape should be pretty obvious now,” Stowik said as he saw Arksent workers staring at Pheonix overhead and pointing. Stowik directed the hopper away, and they cleared Arksent airspace moments later.
Imbria turned to Stowik, “Where are you planning on taking us?”
“Yes, where?” Imbria and Stowik swiveled around to see the Elder framed in the doorway of the cockpit.
“I actually hadn’t planned that far ahead. Right now I’m just trying to put as much distance between us and the Arksent,” he replied.
“I suggest we go to Opposition Headquarters. There will be food, shelter, medicine, and accommodations for everyone. It’s the only place that can support all of us,” Imbria said.
“She’s right, Stowik,” stated the Elder.
“And because they want information from me?” asked Stowik.
“You may know more than you think. We haven’t had contact with the Arksent in years,” Imbria admitted.
“Okay,” said Stowik, “show me the way.”