Mission: Lights of Langrenus Read online

  “I wonder how all of this will work when the new city is finally built.”

  “St. Anthony? I do too. What I do know is scant but there will be a special base there for those of us in the network to carry out our missions. It's very preliminary, but that's what I've been told.”

  “The city for lost souls, I guess?” That was truly interesting and a great move forward for us, if true.

  “You might say that. Or maybe the city for those of us who have found our real purpose in life. Anyway, enough about that. I have something that may help you greatly in the near future! The Boss has had several proto-fighter ships built in a secret project and wishes to know how they will perform in battle. It's one of the important plans we're putting into motion.”

  “Really? New ships?”

  “Yes. If they perform well enough more will be built. We also need to know what kinds of extra equipment they should be outfitted with for a space-faring militia.”

  “Space-faring militia?”

  “Oh yes.”

  “Well now. Things really are moving along!” That sounded like grand news to me. It was about time we started building an army. “I have a new friend whom I'm sure would be more than happy to help me figure that out.”

  “I thought you might.”

  14

  I was resting in my room, after a short convalescence at Central Langrenus Medical Center. I had an odd, under-the-weather feeling that I couldn't shake. It came and went. As of now, I was feeling fine. I knew it was the genetic material that Dr. Dorn's assistants injected into me. An untied thread, there, and about as serious as the stellar being some members of our network had decided to capture and examine. Would these be advantages or not? They were unknown quantities. I was now an unknown quantity.

  I had most of my luggage packed – it wasn't very much. And I was watching construction workers some miles up in the sky over Langrenus, working on a new skyscraper, a new hospital I heard it called, Cherryh Hospital. The small medical center I was now in would eventually be moved into the new structure, once finished. I watched absently as the worker mechs along with the human workers, their little flashing lights attached to their suits, went about their tasks so high up in space. I watched the lights from the lifts and the work ships blinking at regular intervals. It calmed me in a way that I suppose one might be calmed by being in a blevdas. After an hour of this I decided to write to Peter. I pulled out my data tablet and sent off an electronic note to him:

  Dear Peter,

  I am finally back from my mission and you were absolutely right about your suspicions. I found that there is a very high incidence of corporate abuse coupled with governmental laxness in the north, in the northern mine of Hussa, specifically. That mining company is responsible for the overactive lunar light activity all over the moon. They are also responsible for the serious illnesses their employees suffer from. I found something else as well. The drug cocktail they are given at Hussa is not the same drug cocktail given to workers at the other mines. This drug is used for a very different purpose. It's a growth hormone and it's given to them to prepare their bodies for genetic experimentation.

  I would urge you not to say anything to anyone else. It's possible that someone at the conservatory where you work may know what is happening there. After all, it is hard to believe that absolutely no one knows what's going on up there without being paid to keep quiet or worse – someone there may be actively involved in the corruption. I really don't know and I could be wrong on that but say nothing. Only know that you were right all along. I can't go any further into the matter. I hope you are well and perhaps we can talk again.

  Sincerely,

  Bob

  I hoped that I would be able to call upon him again in the future. It was a long shot and I had no idea what part he could play, but I was sure he would add value to our cause if he were interested.

  It was then that I received two momentous messages. First was an electronic note from Chip. It was about the hive wire I'd asked back from Robin:

  Bob,

  I managed to install it successfully inside Will's brain. Will seems to be in full operational working order with the hive wire installed. Will has informed me that besides getting a slight buzzing sensation in his head he is not able to read or process any information from the wire right now. There is a vast amount of information there but whether he or I have the ability to access it is another matter. So far, I couldn't access anything on it either. Perhaps Will can if he is ever near an alien base. As you've said, it is probably a connection to a first level mech. I believe you on that. I have no idea what to expect at this point.

  Take care,

  Chip

  Before I could jump for joy after reading this message, I heard a beep from the audio intercom system. A call had come in from my hotel suite and had been forwarded to my hospital room. I'd thought of ignoring it for the time being and going down to the patients' dining room to eat before bed, and then call up Chip to talk with him. I'd be on my way to Earthside planetfall by tomorrow. But as always, I was curious and loathed to let a message go by for too long. I slowly rose and sat up in my bed.

  “Virtual Voice, please play the forwarded voice message from the intercom,” I commanded.

  “Message source from beyond recognized parameters. Message from unknown source.” Well, of course. At first there was silence and I thought that the message wasn't cleared to play. I made a mental note that I would play back such messages manually in the future. Then the Virtual Voice came back:

  “Message marked private. Message is being played now.”

  It was Genevieve. Genevieve! I hadn't heard from her in nearly a year. I was keenly interested now, but a growing sense of dread came over me as I listened to her message:

  “I know it's been a long time since we've last communicated. My team and I and the other members of the Martian Allied Powers have been spying out the alien base near Jupiter. There are several. The largest and most significant one is on Europa. We've gathered a lot of information and have finally devised a plan to strike and destroy the one on Europa.” She paused. “I know it may be a long-shot Robert, but. . . if you can help us in any way with fire power, or any resources, I would forever be in your debt. We plan to attack the big base in six months. I don't know if you've forgotten about us. I hope you haven't. If you can help us in any way, please help us.”

  . . .

  I listened anxiously as the engines of the Phoenix roared to life. I switched on the intercom channel on my new headset. I'd called my wife and had a tense discussion with her about my new and third mission. The second personal one for me. I couldn't quite shake the stress and tension I felt and the fear and anguish in her voice I could still hear now. I turned in my seat and strapped myself down, trying in vain to forget it.

  “All systems on board the Phoenix are go,” said a familiar voice. He was actually right beside me. Will, finally in android form, once again. But he wasn't quite finished. Half his face was still a skeleton of wires and bio-metallic parts. I could still see the veining tubes of fluid suctioning in and out of his cheeks and chin. But he was here and fully operational with the alien hive wire built into his brain and that was a small victory. I punched the intercom channel on the board in the cockpit.

  “All systems go on the Phoenix,” I said.

  “Good. All systems go on the Ghost Train!” Said my second new partner on this mission, his voice merry and filled with excitement. Diamond Dog was part of the network now and when I'd asked him to come with me after receiving Genevieve's message, and after he was paid a fat commission by The Boss, he was game.

  We would be discussing a possible pay raise from The Boss when I returned. If I returned. That was always a caveat.

  The Ghost was Diamond Dog's smuggling ship and it was a powerful if small ship, outfitted with the latest weapons technology and a few “unique” and less than legal equipment enhancements of his own. Behind him, we were bringing up along a train of th
e new, secret fighter ships sent by Robin and The Boss. We were en-route to Mars via La Luna. I also felt like a lunatic right now. Fitting.

  Genevieve had given me the coordinates of where to land and I told her I was bringing in new fighter ships with me. She sounded ecstatic if someone as serious and single-minded as her could ever be ecstatic. I tried to think of myself as the Great Hero coming to the rescue of the ragtag group of humans and alien rebels on Mars, fighting against the Great Evil Empire that was hurtling toward us through space. With a line of untested ships in my wake. Rebel Alliance anyone?

  I caught the blue aura surrounding us as we made the jump to near light speed, feeling the air around me morph and twist as the gravity dampeners were activated. I thought about how long it would take to actually get to Europa from Mars. Depending on where the ice moon was situated in its orbit around Jupiter, it might take a week or a few months. Luckily, the ships the aliens and humans on Mars used were a lot faster than my little Phoenix. These thoughts of the distances between planetary and lunar cities reminded me of the numerous meals of food pellets and warm, distilled water awaiting me. I stifled my gag reflex at the thought.

  “You still there, Diamond?” I turned the intercom on again and contacted him to take my mind off of the long, dull stretches of time I would have to face for the next few weeks to Mars. Let alone, what we'd have to face once we arrived there.

  “Right behind ya captain!” He said cheerily. I could hear mischief in his voice. Where we were headed, he might turn out to be a very good asset. I just hoped we wouldn't drive each other nuts on the way there. I turned to my co-pilot.

  “Will, I wonder what wonders we'll see out there this time?”

  “So do I, captain. So do I.” I turned to him, giving him a surprised look. He smiled at me innocently. Then I eventually smiled back. I suppose I was a captain. We would be in planetfall in twenty-eight days. I started to feel a little better about the whole ordeal, even though I longed to see my family again. I had to keep remembering that this was for them.

  I settled in for the long ride out, with the train of ships and the Ghost pulling up the rear, behind the intrepid little Phoenix.

  On our way to Mars, once again.

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  Also, check out the short story prequel to this series:

  The Prototype

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  Look for the upcoming third novel

  in the Mission space opera series Winter, 2015:

  Attack On Europa

  Pick up the first novel in the series:

  Mission: Flight To Mars

  Mission: Lights of Langrenus

  By V. A. Jeffrey

  Artwork by

  Streetlight Graphics

  An Epistle Publishing book

  Copyright © 2014

  All rights reserved.

  Also by V. A. Jeffrey:

  The Red World series:

  Edge of Darkness

  Schisms

  Cryptic Tongues

  Rise of the Red King

  Short stories:

  The Prototype

  Keeping Strange Time (collection)

  Rainfall

  Dust and Bones

  The Candy Shop

  Edge of Darkness

  3 Fables

  Fairy Tales and Fables

  Memory Lane

  Poetry:

  When The Sky Is Gray

  Half Light

  City Life

  October Fog