‘Two hours maximum. Think you can hold out that long?’
‘Sure I can.’ Saul paused before his next question. ‘How long before you and Jeff set out for Inuvik?’
‘I . . . Saul, we’re already on the way there. We boarded a sub-orbital just a few minutes ago. We’ll be landing in the North-west Territories in another hour or so.’
Saul felt something lurch deep inside him. He pictured the sub-orbital arcing high over the northern wastes of Canada, before dipping down towards a settlement spread out along the shores of an Alaskan lake. It was a journey he’d made many times before, for the Inuvik Array had been one of the first of its kind, located in the remote north when the technology had still been experimental. It was still the only way to get to the Jupiter Research Platform.
‘About that enquiry you asked me to make,’ she continued. ‘I’m still not sure just what it is I’m supposed to be looking for, but I’ve set up a couple of automated queries. Assuming they aren’t discovered, they’ll return any correlations between Mitchell and the shipment. I don’t know how I’ll get anything back to you, once we’re out there, but if there’s a way, I’ll find it.’
Saul felt his throat tighten. ‘Thanks.’
‘One other thing,’ she added. ‘Once you’re on your way to the Moon with Mitchell, we want you to send the contents of the Tau Ceti database to this network location.’ Saul received a string of data even as she spoke. ‘We’ll share those files with any survivors on Mars ad the other research platforms, see what we can find out. After that, it’s up to you to get your own copy through to at least one of the colonies.’
‘I’ll miss you,’ he said.
He could hear the catch in her throat as she replied. ‘Goodbye, Saul – from both of us. Take care.’
And with that she was gone.
He sat down hard in the dirt and dust, suddenly light-headed. After a minute he heard something like gunfire from the direction of the hotel. Three shots in rapid succession, then, after a brief pause, one last shot that affected him like a hammer blow.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Florida Array, 8 February 2235
The hopper dropped from the sky later that afternoon, a bright fleck of silver resolving gradually into a brightly coloured tourist bus, descending on VTOL jets. Random detritus erupted from the car park as Saul watched from a short distance away. The bus rotated a few times before folding its wings away and landing, its turbines diminishing from a high-pitched whine to a low rumble.
He then jogged forward and climbed through the hatch as soon as it opened. He spotted Mitchell sitting in a cramped acceleration chair – just behind the pilot, who raised one hand in greeting before reaching back for his controls.
‘Saul.’ Mitchell smiled a greeting hesitantly, almost shyly. ‘It’s been a while.’
Saul stared back at him, his mind full of all the things he’d learned about Mitchell.
‘For Christ’s sake, man, at least sit down.’ Mitchell then glanced at the pilot. ‘Hey Sam? I think we can—’
The aircraft lurched immediately with an escalating howl, and Saul stumbled as he quickly pulled himself into the seat next to Mitchell’s. A light blinked on, and a computerized voice urged him to strap in.
‘Sorry,’ Sam called over one shoulder. ‘Figured it was best not to stick around here. We got shot at during our approach.’
While Saul strapped himself in, the sun went sliding past the window, as the hopper rotated in mid-air.
‘Olivia told me you were aiming to head for the Moon,’ he began.
Mitchell nodded. ‘And she explained what you’re planning to do. I mean about shutting down the whole Array.’
‘What else did she say?’
‘That you’d done a pretty good job of digging up a lt of classified information.’
‘I know about the Founder Network and the recovered artefacts, if that’s what you mean. And I also know what happened to
The hopper quivered as its wings realigned themselves in preparation for boosting it into the high atmosphere. Somewhere beneath their feet, the engines built up to a noisy rumble, and Saul gripped his armrests as the acceleration pushed them back deep into their seats.
‘What gave you the idea of using the EDP codes?’ Mitchell yelled over the roar.
‘It was the obvious thing to do,’ Saul yelled back. ‘I mean, Jesus, think about what will happen if we don’t shut those gates down.’
‘That depends,’ said Mitchell, ‘on what you think really is happening.’
Saul frowned at him. ‘What?’
Mitchell waved a hand dismissively. ‘Forget it.’
‘Mitchell, I’ve argued this through with two other people, one of them Olivia. In the end, they both decided to help me. So if you want to know how I’m sure it’s the right course of action, then know that I am very,
‘Even if it means having the blood of countless innocents on your hands, once you slam the door shut on all of them?’
Saul felt his face grow hot. ‘I know what the goddamned consequences are. But doing nothing would be a hell of a lot worse, don’t you think?’
Somehow, that had seemed to be the end of any further discussion for the remainder of their journey. Once
