The Cage of Zeus (28 page)

After what seemed like an eternity, Kline responded, “It’s no good. There’s a problem with the mainframe.”

“Was it sabotaged? Blown up like the medical labs?”

“No, this time it’s fungi and bacteria.”

“Fungi?”

“A fungus called
Cladosporium resinae
and the bacterium
Desulfovibrio
, both of which corrode metal and circuit boards. They were found growing all over the circuit boards in the server room.”

“But the mainframe should be made of bacteria-resistant materials. How did the stuff work its way into the circuitry?”

“The antibacterial coating must have been peeled off somehow. The server room is usually kept in dry environment conditions, but the air-conditioning settings were tampered with so the humidity and temperature have been rising steadily. What is considered a comfortable humidity and temperature for humans is also an ideal breeding ground for fungi and bacteria. At 20 degrees Celsius, they’ll multiply at an alarming rate and will grow only more rapidly as the humidity rises.”

“That takes some planning. Someone must have planted this surprise in advance.”

“Barry Wolfren,” Kline said. “He must have sabotaged the mainframe well before he was captured. Then all he had to do was hack into the air conditioning system at the right time.”

Shirosaki recalled belatedly that Karina’s area of expertise was microbiology. No doubt she had genetically manipulated the fungi and bacteria so they could not be easily exterminated.

“Check the other facilities immediately. If Wolfren got to the electrical systems, there’s a good chance he tampered with the rest. If the station’s life support goes down, especially the atmospheric controls, none of us will survive.”

“The station’s Environmental Control and Life Support System can’t be so easily tampered with. We’ll check, of course, but I don’t think we have anything to worry about. First, we’ll lower the temperature and humidity in the station. That should stop the fungus and bacteria from spreading. We’ll be able to restore electricity quickly by replacing the damaged parts.”

“Understood,” Shirosaki said and ended the transmission.

“Why the electrical systems?” asked Arino.

“I don’t know. With the power generator down, the high-velocity elevators will be inoperable, and the various security locks will be harder to disengage. I don’t see how Karina stands to gain an advantage.”

“The surveillance cameras,” said Harding. “With the electrical systems down, we won’t be able to get a visual lock on the terrorists’ location with the surveillance cameras. And the emergency partitions won’t come down to hinder their escape.”

“Where do you think Karina is headed?”

“Either the cargo vessels from Asteroid City or the escape shuttles,” Harding answered.

“Shuttle number two’s cockpit console was destroyed in the shootout with Lobe. That leaves five. We’ll have to dispatch security teams to each of the shuttles.”

“How many to a team?”

“Excepting the casualties, I’d say about five or six to a team. Not exactly a sure bet against Karina.”

“Five or six men is plenty if they shoot on sight,” Harding said. “Listen to me, Shirosaki. We’ll be split into teams to guard the shuttles. We don’t actually know where Karina’s headed. If she shows up where you are, you apprehend her however you please. But if she finds me, I’m going to kill her. Any complaints?”

Shirosaki pulled his lips taut and nodded slowly. “All right. But if I find out Karina’s gone to you, I’m going to do everything in my power to stop you.”

“Fine,” Harding said. “By the time you get to me, Karina will already be dead.”

6

THE PLAN HAD
been for Wolfren to remain in a coma for three days. At least, that had been his intention when he crushed the capsule embedded in the base of his tongue.

He had been wafting along in a dark but pleasant and dreamless slumber, when he abruptly found himself back in reality.

Wolfren squinted at the light from above and felt an uncomfortable bed beneath him. A dull pain shot through his shoulder and the base of his neck. He remembered Harding kicking him to the floor, chair and all, during the interrogation and suddenly flushed with anger.

“Looks like it worked.”

Wolfren saw Tei and Arino standing next to the bed and swore. “What did you do?”

“We injected you with a drug-resolving molec machine and pumped you full of every psychotropic drug we could think of,” answered Arino. “We guessed at the chemical substance or ‘key’ plugging up the brain cell receptors and simply pulled the key from the keyhole.”

“You son of a bitch.”

“You didn’t think you were going to get off so easy, did you?”

“How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t know anything about the dispersed substance,” Wolfren said.

“Then maybe you can tell me where you dispersed the mold.”

Wolfren fell silent.

Arino grabbed Wolfren by the arm and shook him.

“Let go of me,” said Wolfren through clenched teeth, flailing in pain.

“The station’s surveillance system is down,” Arino said. “Replacing the circuit boards only partially restored the electrical systems. Many of the station’s corridors are still dark, and we can’t get a visual read on Karina’s location.” Arino tightened his grip around Wolfren’s arm. “You know which circuits are rigged.”

“What makes you think there aren’t others on this station working with me?” Wolfren forced a laugh through the pain. “Like I said, I’m not the only one who questions Round society.”

“No, it had to be you that sabotaged the system. And then you induced yourself into a coma to avoid further interrogation.”

Clamping a hand over Wolfren’s forehead, Arino slammed Wolfren’s head down against the bed and twisted the arm in his grip. Wolfren cried out. Tei looked away but made no effort to stop Arino.

“Listen to me very carefully,” Arino said, his voice full of menace. “I don’t want to see people die. I want to get Karina without any more casualties. And in order for that to happen, we need to get the surveillance system working again. I’m looking at the bastard that can tell me how.”

“I’ve got my life riding on this plan,” Wolfren said in a rasp. “Someone like you who’s just here to earn a paycheck has no idea what that means.”

“Earn a paycheck? Our job is to protect the people that require our help, Round or Monaural. If
you
were somewhere and needed saving, we would dive into harm’s way without a second thought. Only those with the unconditional desire to do good are assigned to this job. What do you think you know, anyway? You don’t know the first thing about surviving on the planets or about the hardships of living in our society.”

“Shut up, you pig.”

“Start talking or I’ll break your arm.”

“Then do it,” Wolfren said.

“Tenebrae,” Tei interjected. “You didn’t really want to aid Karina. If there were another way, you would never have gotten involved with the Vessel of Life. If you had another choice, you would have preferred it to resorting to terrorism, isn’t that right?”

“I argued with Fortia and Kline time and again,” answered Wolfren. “The Planetary Bioethics Association had engaged in serious deliberations before establishing the special district. I pleaded with them to take up a similar discussion about creating laws to address the misfits of Round society, and to change the laws that restrict people’s lifestyle choices. You want to know what they said? That would go against the principles of why the special district was established in the first place. Its creation was approved on the condition that the Rounds would never leave the Jovian system, so they refuse to compromise those principles. What choice did I have? If they won’t listen to reason, then the only alternative is force.”

“The Vessel of Life is using you, Tenebrae. They oppose the existence of the Rounds. Don’t you see that their motives don’t conform with your own?”

“Of course I know. But they were a hell of a lot more accommodating than Kline or Fortia.”

“You prefer to deal with terrorists who will tell you anything you want to hear over your friends on Jupiter-I?” Tei said.

“Friends? I don’t have any friends here, and I certainly don’t trust the terrorists or Jupiter-I. I’m alone here and everywhere else. That suits me just fine.”

Arino loosened his grip. The tension leaving his body, Wolfren lay limply on the bed, gasping for air.

“People can’t choose where they are born,” muttered Arino. “So I can appreciate your wanting to leave of your own volition. But you can’t win your freedom at the expense of the lives of others.”

“That was the only choice I had. If you can’t understand that, then go ahead and kill me, like you did Lobe in the shuttle,” said Wolfren, closing his eyes. “To hell with this damn place. Destroying Jupiter-I would put an end to this senseless killing once and for all.”

Arino drew his gun and pointed it at Wolfren. Tei instantly put eir hand on Arino’s arm. “No, you mustn’t.”

“Stay out of the way, Doctor.”

“What good will come from killing him?”

“This is what he wants.”

“Please,” Tei said. “Wolfren is a friend and colleague. There is no justice to be won by killing someone who wants to die. No atonement.”

“My orders are to eliminate the terrorists. We kept him alive this long because he may be holding some information we need. But the original order stands if he refuses to cooperate.”

Arino nudged Wolfren’s head with the barrel of the gun. Wolfren scowled.

“I’ll ask you one last time. Tell me how to restore the station’s electrical systems.”

“So this is the Monaural way,” Wolfren said with a sneer. “You seek a resolution through guns and violence. Whenever anyone proposes a different idea, you people pretend to listen, going through the motions of a discussion, but in the end, you crush the new and revolutionary by brandishing morality and common sense as weapons. Looking at you, I know I’m justified in my actions.” Leaning away from the gun, Wolfren cast a pitying look up at Arino. “Shoot me if you want. If that’s what you believe to be right.”

Arino twisted his flushed face into an anguished look. The barrel of the gun shook imperceptibly as he pulled the trigger.

A shot rang out. The bullet shot a clean hole, not through Wolfren, but through the mattress. Wincing from the crack of the gun in his ear, Wolfren glared up at Arino.

Arino lowered his gun. “I’ll fix this on my own,” he told Tei, who was nearly in tears. “I’ll leave him in your hands, Doctor. Don’t let him escape.”

“Are you sure?” asked Tei.

“I’m wasting my time. I can’t stay here while the others are running into danger without me. Better to fight along with them.” A sad smile came across Arino’s face. “Looks like I’m not very good at these psychological head games. I have neither the talent for persuasion nor Harding’s fervor for violence.”

“Please be careful, and look after yourself.”

“Thank you. If we come out of this on the other side, maybe you’ll take me to the special district again.”

“Of course,” answered Tei. “Tigris and Calendula would like that.”

After returning the gun to his holster, Arino exited the room without looking back.

Wolfren lay perfectly still and stared up at the ceiling with a look of silent conviction.

7

AS SHAKEN AS
Calendula was over the darkness that had descended upon the corridors, ey had no choice but to push forward.

No doubt the security team was on eir tail.

Calendula resolved to find Karina before they caught up to em.

But first, ey had to get eir hands on a weapon. Ey should be able to find something in the warehouse in the residential district. Although the warehouse was typically kept under lock and key, this was a crisis situation. Calendula was counting on the door being unlocked in order to facilitate mobilizing supplies. At least that was the way it had been during a fire many years ago.

Calendula hadn’t a clue where Karina was being held but figured Tei would have some information.

Calendula turned the corner of the corridor and stumbled on a mass blocking eir path. Falling to the ground, ey recognized instantly upon impact that it was a human body. As Calendula searched the body, ey felt something warm coating eir hands.

Ey brought a hand closer to eir nose and nearly cried out.

The security team member was already cold. His ballistic suit had been stripped from his body. The ground around him was sticky with blood.

Calendula gagged as ey backed away on eir hands and knees.

Then ey had a flash of inspiration.

Ey reversed eir retreat and crept toward the guard. Ey patted down his entire body and found what ey was looking for in his boot.

A backup pistol.

Calendula removed the gun from the ankle holster. Though ey’d never handled a weapon before, ey pointed the barrel toward the ground and tried pulling the trigger.

The trigger did not budge. The revolver did not discharge. Calendula fumbled with the gun for a moment, wondering if there might be a safety somewhere, but found nothing.

Calendula pulled the trigger again, squeezing the grip with both hands this time.

There was a muffled bang as the revolver recoiled in eir hands and drilled a hole in the ground. The safety, a lever located on the grip itself, was automatically disengaged when ey squeezed the grip and pulled the trigger at the same time.

Calendula removed the data goggles from the guard. Slipping them on enabled em to see in the dark corridor. Calendula stood up with the gun cocked in eir hand.

Now to kill Karina Majella.

Calendula’s wearable bleeped. Ey pressed a button and Tigris’s voice blared out of the speaker. “Where are you, Calendula?”

“I couldn’t tell you. With the lights down, I’m not sure where I am.”

“Then retrace your steps back here. Karina’s escaped. There’s no telling where she might be lurking.”

“Escaped? Perfect.”

“Calendula?”

“I didn’t know how I was going to find out where they were keeping her. But if she’s escaped, there’s only one place she can be headed. The emergency escape shuttles.”