2521
Phoenix and its occupants reached the Opposition headquarters successfully. Strangely, it was built into a large canyon wall. On the inside, it resembled the rough grey of Alpha India more than the oppressive white of the Arksent, and Stowik found it comforting.
“Why is headquarters not built inside a crater like every other structure?” asked Stowik.
“Too easy to spot from the air. The Arksent used to do some testing of small satellites on ballistic trajectories. Building into an ice wall is much harder, but it ensures that we’re harder to spot,” replied Imbria.
The Opposition people were accommodating, and his fellow colony members were given plenty of food and a large area to rest. The presence of the newcomers excited the members of the Opposition, as word had not reached them that they had successfully made contact with Alpha India. They were fascinated by the large pupils of the Alpha Indianites.
Stowik sat in a chair next to Imbria, and faced Nektaria, the leader of the Opposition. One of the rescued Alpha Indianites sat in the corner while the rest of the Alpha Indianites were getting their strength back in the mess hall.
“What did they want with Alpha India? What happened down in the West room?” Nektaria asked Imbria.
“They were doing biologic experiments on us. They want Alpha eyes, as far as I could tell,” Imbria replied.
Everyone in the room turned to the Alpha Indianite in the corner, who was nodding slowly, his eyes focused on something only he could see.
“Did they succeed?” asked Nektaria.
Imbria shrugged, “They tried to harness the virus in a form that was not contagious so they could contain its dispersal. A year ago, the Arksent workers appeared unusually excited. It’s possible they succeeded.”
Imbria stepped out of the chair and walked behind Stowik, “They kept us sedated the whole time. Thank you for—” she stopped in her tracks. “Have you always had that scar on your neck?” she asked.
“What?” Stowik asked. His hand involuntarily shot up to feel the back of his neck, where he felt a small scar that ran lengthwise down his neck. Under it was an unobtrusive bump. “No, I never even noticed this until now,” he said.
Imbria walked over and stared intently an inch away from the scar, “I’ve seen something like this before. It’s Arksent technology.”
Stowik glanced at Imbria and Nekteria nervously, “What is it?”
Imbria’s voice came out low, “A tracking device.”
Could Dalrin have wanted me to escape? To lead them here?
The color drained from Stowik’s cheeks, “That’s why the escape was so easy. Don’t you think it was strange how we encountered no resistance whatsoever? Even with the explosion of Hollowbone, I expected more trouble.”
“I don’t know, Stowik, I was still pretty drugged up. Are you suggesting they intended you to escape?” she replied.
Stowik nodded, “If I was being tracked when I discovered level HT last year, Dalrin would have known about it immediately and suspected I was up to something. The thing is, the earpiece radio that I was given also had a tracker in it,” Stowik mused, “Dalrin must have counted on me finding that one.”
“So Dalrin knew that you found the Alpha Indianites and Imbria a year ago and let it play out? Sounds like a big risk to me,” speculated Nektaria.
“Not if he thought I would lead him to Opposition headquarters,” countered Imbria.
“Can we cut it out?” asked Stowik.
“Too close to the nerves, you’re more likely to be paralyzed,” replied Nektaria.
“I can take a rover,” suggested Stowik.
Nektaria shook her head, “Not fast enough. They will be on their way right now. I hate to do this, but you need to take Phoenix and move as far away as possible. The Arksent cannot find this base. If they do, it’s all over.” Nektaria cursed. “In your hopper you have about a twenty-four hour head start on them, but you’ve got to move now.”
“Will one day be enough lead?” Stowik asked, distressed.
“It will have to be,” said Nektaria gravely.
Stowik nodded, “Take care of Alpha India.” He stood up to go.
“But you’ll be imprisoned by the Arksent!” Imbria protested.
Stowik shrugged, “What’s the alternative?” Imbria looked down at her feet; she knew there was none.
Nektaria paused, “What do you think of all of this?” she directed at the Alpha Indianite who had been sitting quietly in the corner. All eyes turned to him. He started to open his mouth when Nektaria tilted her head.
“I actually haven’t been introduced to your fellow colony member,” she said to Stowik pointedly.
“Ah, apologies. This is Nektaria. Nektaria, this is—” Stowik froze.
Nektaria bent forward slightly with an open mouth, prompting Stowik to continue, “Yes?”
The Alpha Indianite spoke up for himself, “I’m—”
“No,” Imbria grated out as she raised a threatening finger, “Stowik. What is his name?” she asked suspiciously.
“It’s—” again he froze up. Why can’t I just say his name?
Silence filled the room as Nektaria and Imbria’s eyes bored down on Stowik. The Alpha Indianite wiped sweat from his brow.
“You don’t know his name, Stowik?” Nektaria asked slowly.
A shot rang out. Nektaria went down. Stowik looked up to see the Alpha Indianite holding a gun, his aim shifting to Stowik. A flash of movement—Imbria dove and the Alpha Indianite went down. Imbria pinned him to the ground while the Alpha Indianite struggled fiercely. Stowik backed against the wall, breathing quickly. What’s happening? A moment later Imbria gracefully rolled off of the Alpha Indianite. Stowik’s eyes darted from the crouching Imbria to the thin red line decorating the neck of the Alpha Indianite. He lay splayed out on the floor. Imbria shifted her predatory gaze from Nektaria slumped against the far wall to Stowik.
“What have you brought to this place?” Imbria accused Stowik. If he could have shrunk into oblivion, he would have. But he just stood there, too in shock to say anything. Too in shock to do anything.
Before anything more could be said, the domino effect invaded Opposition headquarters. The loud unmistakable report of a rifle being fired within the complex rang out. Two more followed in quick succession. Stowik and Imbria remained motionless listening in confusion until there was a continuous barrage. Moments later, two soldiers burst through the room they were in.
Out of breath, the first soldier made his report, “The Alpha Indianites,” he stopped and took another breath as he surveyed the scene: Imbria crouched over a dead Alpha Indianite, Stowik trying to blend in to the wall, and Nektaria slumped on the ground, blood trickling out of her mouth.
Impatiently, Stowik cut in, “The Alpha Indianites what? Are they okay?” A shooting in the Opposition could be fatal when occupied by such a large concentration of people. And in their drugged state, the Alpha Indianites couldn’t possibly defend themselves against an attack.
Imbria cast Stowik a venomous glance and shook her head in exasperation. The soldier cast Stowik a grave look, “They have opened fire on the Opposition.”
What? Stowik started to speak, but Imbria was already on the radio, “Security breach inside headquarters, all soldiers gear up. Enemy is Alpha India. They are armed and dangerous, proceed with caution. Route out the intruders.”
Imbria walked away with speed and purpose followed by the two soldiers. Stowik followed. As they turned the corner, more Opposition soldiers could be seen rushing to the battle zone. The sound of gunfire filled the air. Two opposition soldiers walked past Imbria and grabbed Stowik.
“Hey, get off me. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m not the enemy!” he yelled over the continuous pounding of gunfire. The soldiers didn’t respond as they dragged him away from Imbria.
“Imbria!” Stowik yelled out, “Tell them off, you know I had nothing to do with this!”
Imbria stopped. She turned around and stared blankly at
the thrashing Stowik as the soldiers dragged him away.
“Do I?” her voice incising into the thick air could have ionized it into plasma.
“Where are you taking me?” Stowik addressed the two soldiers again. No response.
“Hey, I recognize you Tharsis, answer me!” No response.
Several minutes of walking through the icy passages of Opposition headquarters led to a whole row of cells. Stowik’s spirits plummeted at the sight of those dismal cells, suddenly imagining endless days shouting his innocence at guards who would never respond. The other soldier opened a cell and Tharsis threw Stowik in roughly. He stumbled into his cell, righted himself, and grabbed the bars.
“You’re making a mistake. I can help you. Let me talk to them,” yelled Stowik. Tharsis stood guard by the door. The other soldier ran back to the battle.
“So you don’t talk? You just follow orders blindly? Fuck! I can help!” Stowik yelled at his guard.
Tharsis shifted slightly, “As far as I’m concerned, your buddies opened fire on Opposition stomping grounds after we gave you safe haven. It was you that led them here. If you’re looking for sympathy, I have nothing for you.”
Stowik grasped the cold bars with his hands and shook them violently. They didn’t budge, not even a rattle. Stowik fumed inside his cell. He started running his hands along the seams where the bars connected with the ice. Solid. He looked around the cell. A tool, anything. There was nothing.
Stowik leaned against the wall and let his back slide down the cold wall of ice. He sat helplessly in his cell and listened to the yelling soldiers, the continuous gunfire, and the occasional explosion.
I don’t get it. Why are Alpha attacking Opposition? How do they even know how to use the rifles? And this tracker is still in my neck. The Arksent will be here in a matter of hours. My escape to save them was all for nothing.
Another explosion rocked Opposition headquarters. Closer this time. Stowik was nervous. Will the Alpha Indianites try to break me out if they find me? The sounds of war flooded the passageways as Stowik continued to listen for signs of the non-stop violence.
After what seemed like hours, Stowik was alert. No sound of moving troops. No sound of gunfire. Is it over?
“Hey, what’s going on out there?” Stowik asked his guard.
Stowik heard a loud thump. Stowik could see the torso of the crumpled body of Tharsis sprawled out in front of his cell. So Alpha India came to free me. About time. But if they’re firing on Opposition, will they see me as the enemy too? Stowik heard a footstep. And then the sound of clinking keys as someone fumbled with the guard’s cell keys. A man Stowik recognized stepped in front of the cell. He was brandishing the cell key. He began working the lock. Dalrin Taylor. Stowik froze. Dalrin walked in the cell and closed it behind him. He was spinning the keys on his index finger.
“Hello, Stowik,” said Dalrin calmly. Stowik scrambled to his feet but didn’t respond.
“The fighting is over,” started Dalrin, “Opposition headquarters is now in Arksent hands. I can imagine what this looks like from your perspective. Evil, manipulative, deceitful. But I assure you, to view it as such would be a mistake,” said Dalrin.
Stowik didn’t respond. Dalrin sighed.
For several minutes, Stowik continued his silence. Then, “You installed a tracker device in my neck,” stated Stowik in a dead monotone.
“That’s right,” said Dalrin.
“The tracker device led you here,” said Stowik.
Dalrin shook his head, “Yes and no,” said Dalrin.
“You intended me to escape the Arksent to lead you to Opposition headquarters,” said Stowik.
“An astute observation,” said Dalrin.
“You removed my brother’s hopper from the crash site so I would think I was crazy,” said Stowik.
“Not quite,” said Dalrin.
“So I’m not crazy, then?” asked Stowik. The answer disturbed him.
“Again, not quite,” said Dalrin. Stowik could detect a faint hissing sound.
“But the hopper on level HT in the East room was my brother’s hopper,” said Stowik. He was getting louder and louder with each question.
“No,” said Dalrin.
“You did genetic experiments on the Alpha Indianites,” yelled Stowik, now exceedingly frustrated.
“False, but we led Imbria to believe we did,” said Dalrin.
“How did you know I would escape from the Arksent?” asked Stowik.
Dalrin wondered if Stowik was going to yell loud enough to burst his own eardrums. Dalrin began, “We created the hopper in the East room hoping you would find it precisely so you would believe you weren’t crazy. We figured that when you found it, you would think that we were responsible for capturing Alpha India, and that we took the hopper from your brother’s crash site to make you question your sanity. And then you’d begin your escape plan. Of course, we also had Imbria in custody. After you lost your trust in the Arksent, we assumed you would think of the Opposition as ‘the good guys’. It would only be natural for you to follow her to the Opposition. After all, Alpha India lost the last of its fuel over a year ago. The whole plan rested on you making the Arksent out to be the enemy, when in fact, we have done nothing to harm you or your colony. I’m here to offer you a way out.” The hissing sound grew in volume.
“How could you guarantee that I’d find East and West?” asked Stowik as he stared into empty space, his tone softening with genuine curiosity.
“There are no guarantees, but it doesn’t hurt the stack the deck—”
Stowik raised his head, “Stack the deck?”
Dalrin shrugged, “It’s an ancient expression; meaningless, really. We housed you next to the only elevator in the building that had access to East and West and routed food carts from the mess hall to Taylor West hall hourly until you noticed. Then we switched to weekly.”
“You were waiting next to my hopper the day I discovered the Taylor East and West. You knew the whole time,” said Stowik with a hint of bitterness.
“Your neck-tracker alerted me when you ‘crossed the threshold,’ so to speak.” Dalrin looked out of the cell and listened as if he was waiting for something.
“What about the earpiece tracker?” asked Stowik.
“A red herring,” explained Dalrin. “The reality is,” continued Dalrin, “you aren’t that crazy, or this whole plan wouldn’t have worked. For our plan to work, the subject must be extremely rational. We believe that the only mental issue you do have does not originate from schizophrenia, but from some kind of repressed memory. Your brain refused to believe that you were what you thought of as the last human alive, and so you created an alternate reality to support it. I’d like to add that that’s a completely understandable reaction to knowing, for all intents and purposes, that you are the last human that will ever live—you had no way of knowing that there was another thriving civilization on Titan. When we searched Alpha India, we found no evidence of any living people inside. The reality is, you have been living there alone for some substantial period of time. There is no Alpha India. Just you, Stowik.”
“Bullshit. I rescued the Alpha India prisoners from the West room. You had them drugged out of their minds,” countered Stowik. I am one of fifty. The hissing sound grew louder and louder.
“You ‘rescued’ Arksent infiltration soldiers pretending to be drugged, and brought them right to Opposition headquarters,” stated Dalrin firmly. “Did you actually recognize any of them?” The hissing sound enveloped Stowik’s mind, threatening to consume him.
Stowik shook his head, “Impossible. They had Alpha pupils,” He managed to croak.
“Proximity to Imbria infected them,” Dalrin replied as he watched Stowik squeezing his hands.
“Then why put a tracking device in my neck, and not theirs?” asked Bushbaby.
“Too risky. What if you noticed their scars?” said Dalrin.
“You said this war was fought over Alpha India,” said Stowik throu
gh gritted teeth.
“I lied,” replied Dalrin.
“You do a lot of that. How can I trust you?” challenged Stowik.
Dalrin shrugged, “I have nothing to gain by lying to you now. You served the one purpose you had: bringing us to Opposition headquarters.”
“Did either the Opposition or the Arksent have any knowledge of the existence of Alpha India before I showed up? That’s what you told me the first day I met you,” said Stowik. He leaned forward in his sitting position, struggling to control his anger.
“No. I’m afraid when I told you another Alpha Indianite stumbled upon us years ago, I was not telling the truth. When we found you in the Opposition outpost, we were all caught off guard. The prospect of an unknown human settlement on Titan was quite exciting. Then, of course, we found Alpha India to be quite devoid of life,” said Dalrin in a sad tone. The hissing sound terminated abruptly and Stowik gasped for air.
“Why me?” inquired Stowik, breathing rapidly.
“Getting any Opposition, let alone Imbria, to trust an outsider is nigh impossible. You were in a unique position in that you are not Arksent, and you had nothing to hide,” replied Dalrin.
“But why place your bets on this elaborate plan when you could have just told me the truth and asked for my help?” asked Stowik.
“We feared, rightfully so I believe, that had we asked for your help, the Opposition surely would have detected you were hiding something. And if you knew the truth about Alpha India, you would be less inclined to comply. While arguably slightly more complicated, my way eliminated that uncertainty.”
“Does the Arksent have microorganisms that feed off of ethane?” asked Stowik.
“The ethane-eating microorganism rumor is an Opposition propaganda stunt. We do have microorganisms used for waste disposal and such—they come straight from our bodies, sometimes with a small genetic variation. Do you know of any microbes in your body that feed off of ethane? Because I do not,” replied Dalrin.
Stowik took a big breath, “Did the Opposition drain any ethane aquifers?”
“It seems unlikely, considering it is their fuel source, and they didn’t know that Alpha India existed. It is unfortunate I had to lie to you, but it was imperative that I gained your trust,” offered Dalrin. He continued, “As a result of burning ethane, the naturally occurring methane in the atmosphere is undergoing ultraviolet photolysis more rapidly. So, the methane gas is being replaced with ethane, which we then burn. As a result, atmospheric pressures are becoming too low to support stable liquid ethane, and so the aquifers being drained by human activity are not being replenished as quickly by ground-ethane. Ethane aquifers everywhere are depleting.”
“Why would atmospheric pressures decline as a result of burning ethane? Carbon dioxide and water are going back into the atmosphere, so the only loss in the reaction is the heat,” said Stowik.
“You would be right if the temperature wasn’t dropping, but the carbon dioxide and water are condensing out of the atmosphere,” said Dalrin.
Stowik scoffed, “You sound like Imbria.” A sad smile crept to Dalrin’s lips.
“So the war began over the Turbine?” asked Stowik.
“That is correct,” answered Dalrin.
“And you built the Turbine so you can be the new Imperator of the Arksent,” said Stowik.
Dalrin shook his head. “I built the Turbine because I’m trying to avoid plunging the whole planet into a downward spiral of freezing conditions. We can’t live on a Titan even three degrees colder, or there won’t be enough oxygen to make the air breathable, Stowik, and if we didn’t find an alternative energy source, that’s exactly what would have happened. If we continue burning ethane at the same rate merely a year from now, we’d be doing irreparable damage to Titan’s atmospheric density. And once the temperature drops to the point at which water ice stops sublimating, our natural source of oxygen would be gone. We’d have to adapt to a whole new environment. Titan is an unforgiving home as it is. Now think about lower temperatures and less oxygen in the atmosphere . Most people wouldn’t make it,” said Dalrin sadly.
“So you chose a different evil: cryovolcanism and tectonic collapse?” countered Stowik.
“How could we have known?” asked Dalrin.
“I could feel the quakes from Alpha India,” Stowik accused. Dalrin looked away with what appeared to be real regret painted across his face.
“Why did you withhold information about the consequences of the Turbine from Arksent citizens?” asked Stowik.
“We are already in the midst of a devastating civil war. We don’t need more division,” said Dalrin.
Stowik and Dalrin turned to the sound of footsteps heading in their direction. The Elder who Stowik had supposedly rescued was restraining Imbria. She was bleeding in several places and struggling violently. She glared into the cell as she was dragged by, and then Dalrin nodded at the soldier, who placed her gently in the farthest cell.
Stowik stared into empty space, “There was a fire in Alpha India. I think I was too young to remember anything. It wiped out everything.”
“Are you sure you were too young to remember?” prodded Dalrin.
“What are you, some kind of psychologist?” asked Stowik angrily. I am one of one.
Dalrin shook his head, “No, but he is.” Stowik followed Dalrin’s finger to the Elder standing outside of their cell. The man had his right hand to his ear and was speaking out loud to someone through his earpiece.
Stowik looked up and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
“I killed hundreds of Arksent when Hollowbone crashed,” continued Stowik. And all for nothing. Stowik was disgusted with himself.
“Eighty nine dead, five hundred and eight wounded. It wasn’t your fault, Stowik. We played a cruel trick on you. Despite that, I hope it will prevent thousands of more lives being lost. We’ve infiltrated Opposition headquarters. Most of their leadership is dead, as in Nektaria’s case, or in custody, as in Imbria’s case, and we have access to all of their classified files. This is the first decisive move that will lead to the end of the war,” said Dalrin.
“So now you kill me?” guessed Stowik.
“It seems unnecessary. You’re options are limited enough as it is. You can’t join the Opposition, because they will cease to exist within a droe. You can’t go back to Alpha India, because it would be psychologically dangerous for you to live alone again, although the last time you lived alone you truly believed you were the last human. I can only imagine that feeling, but it seems terrifying. Not to mention, you’re out of fuel. ”
“So you expect me to become an Arksent?” laughed Stowik.
Dalrin looked amused, “Far from it. It’s likely that the Opposition do and will blame you for their destruction. When we assimilate the rest of them, there will be a lot of ex-Opposition who will want your head. Besides, you may have feelings of betrayal of being manipulated by the Arksent, and you’ve already demonstrated yourself fully capable of revenge.”
“I don’t see any options left for me, then,” replied Stowik in a matter-of-fact tone.
“I do. You could be completely self-sustaining on the Pheonix. You saw to that yourself when you outfitted it with a greenhouse. Take the hopper and live out the rest of your days far away,” offered Dalrin.
“The Arksent will be able to part with their precious new transport?” asked Bushababy sarcastically.
Dalrin shrugged, “With the ending of the war, the urgency is gone. We don’t need a troop transport anymore. Besides, thanks to you we have the schematics when we want to employ a transport for industrial purposes. It’s too bad you had to train Thom as pilot for Hollowbone. He was one of our best engineers.”
Stowik cast his eyes down. He did regret Thom’s death. “But as you said, it would be dangerous for me to live alone, so according to you, that idea wouldn’t work,” added Stowik.
“You won’t be alone,” Dalrin quickly added, “you’ll take Imbria with
you.”
“Imbria? With Nektaria’s death, she is the leader of the Opposition, which makes her public enemy number one. Won’t she be imprisoned? Why are you trying to help me?” questioned Stowik.
Dalrin sighed, “The Arksent want a scapegoat. If she stayed here, she wouldn’t be imprisoned—she would be publically executed. It’s true we don’t see eye to eye, but I cannot allow them to have Imbria Taylor. I’m helping you because it is the only way to save her.”