The 28th Gate: Volume 5

Episode 1-2

As much as it must have frustrated Quatra that The Observer refused to discuss any important matters until he’d seen the situation for himself, she channeled her frustration well. We hadn’t even been in orbit around Selma III for half a chron before she, Katherine, and I were in a shuttle heading to the surface with The Observer.

We landed at the small port at the base of her tower to meet Curdloe and Kyrshaw. Then the five of us took the shuttle out to the closest of the refugee camps.

“Many of the residents here walk to CUMA,” Curdloe explained along the way. “But it is a rather long walk for those unaccustomed.”

The camp itself was a sprawling maze of ramshackle construction and temporary textile structures. It was one of the oldest of the camps, set up just after Maunhouser made its move against Oversight, yet it was still painfully temporary despite most of its residents having lived there for many subrevs.

As we left the shuttle and approached the edge of the camp, a voice rose from the distance. “You!” the voice roared from behind us in the shuttle port. “What are you doing here?”

I spun and found myself facing a figure I hadn’t expected to meet again—a figure with six limbs. He had the normal ones plus two massive mechanical arms. Gerrard Gonsmerry.

“Me?” I countered. “What are you doing here?” The last time I’d seen him was when I dropped him back at his home on Selma VII after cashing in the bounty he’d placed on his own head. It didn’t help that he’d nearly killed me while trying to escape. Again.

“I brought a crew of others from Selma VII to help the refugees.”

I gave him a scowl. “Never figured you for the humanitarian type.”

Gonsmerry threw his shoulders back, straightening to his full and considerable height as he gestured with one of his mechanical arms to the structures around us. “These poor souls have lost everything! Even if we haven’t much on Selma VII, we can still offer aid.”

“And we appreciate all the support you’ve provided,” Quatra added, moving to stand beside me.

Gonsmerry paused, as though finally realizing that I was with a group.

“Perhaps you would care to join us for the tour of the camp?” Curdloe suggested. He threw a glance to The Observer. “Gerrard and his people have helped a great deal here and in the other camps.”

Gonsmerry offered a quick shake of his head. “I’ve no interest in distracting you. I was just surprised to see him here,” he added with a gesture toward me. “Besides, I’ve work to finish. But let me know if you need anything later, Frank.”

Curdloe gave Gonsmerry a wave as the man turned and started back toward a pile of large crates he had been moving.

“Do you employ many workers in these camps?” The Observer asked.

Curdloe shook his head and our group returned to our goal. “Very few, actually. Gerrard there is a volunteer, as are most of the people you’ll see working in the camps.”

We continued and soon were surrounded by the buildings of the largest camp on Selma III. Within a few moments, Quatra and Curdloe each wore the haggard but determined expressions I’d come to expect when they visited the camps, while Katherine and Kyrshaw each looked around with similar airs of sadness.

The Observer, though, seemed appalled. “Why haven’t these people established dwellings?” he asked with a hint of anger in his tone.

“We haven’t the resources,” Quatra replied. “The planet’s energy generation is already beyond safe capacity, and we’re barely keeping up with food and water demands. If we accept many more refugees, we’ll have to start shipping in goods to support them.”

The Observer’s face twisted in disbelief. “Then you shouldn’t have accepted so many. Clearly, you have done these people a grave disservice.”

“That is a blind simplification,” Kyrshaw retorted, passion kindling in his voice. “These poor souls have fled dire circumstances. Most arrive here with nothing more than what they are able to carry. Plenty spent all they owned just to arrange safe transportation—to say nothing of those so desperate they willingly place themselves at risk in the misguided hope a rogue smuggler or outlaw will see them through.”

The Observer’s disbelief continued. “Then they should not have left their homes at all. Food, housing, safety—if all these things were present where they were, they were fools to abandon it.”

“And when such things were lacking?” Kyrshaw challenged. “What then? What of the threat of war? What of the risk of raiders? What of the fears about enslavement at the hands of a hostile corporation? These people did not brave the horrors they faced or the challenges they continue to endure because of a flippant desire to leech off the good fortunes of others. They fled because they feared for their lives and the safety of their families. And I have seen plenty of the atrocities from which they flee. Whatever the sorry state we can offer them,” he added, nodding to the pitiable structures around us, “they are better here than there.”

“And we receive more every rotation,” Quatra added. “Sometimes in pairs, sometimes by the hundreds. There are other safe cities around the ring, but Selma III has had the longest standing reputation. The bulk of the refugees come here.”

The Observer nodded, as though finally accepting what he was seeing. “Then these people need more than you can give them.” A flash of indignation crossed Quatra’s face as she started to respond, but The Observer continued before she could voice her objection. “I’ve seen enough here. I am authorized to render aid, and these people clearly need it. I only apologize for not understanding properly just how dire that need was. We should begin at once, starting with greater energy generation and conversion facilities.” He turned back to Quatra. “We should return to your office. I will create a list of necessary materials to begin.”

By the time we made it back to Quatra’s headquarters, The Observer had completed his list. And it was quite a list.

Katherine, Curdloe, and Kyrshaw poured over the details for a few chrons after The Observer showed it to them. Much of it, they assured us, would be easy to gather, if a little strange. There were, of course, a few components we’d have difficulty gathering, but Quatra didn’t hesitate before declaring it our top priority and assigning crews to tear the necessary materials from wherever they could be found.

Even so, that still left one piece of equipment we knew wasn’t on Selma III, a phase ion shifter. In fact, we weren’t sure where to find one. And The Observer’s list called for three.

“We might try inquiring with friendly corporations,” Curdloe suggested. “Though I’m not sure that any of them will be able to help with this.”

Quatra eyed the list of components we needed. “I’ve never even seen one of these for sale.”

The Observer offered us a surprised expression. “Even such a simple piece as this? Perhaps your conditions have indeed been worse here than I realized.” He nodded to himself. “We could make them, of course. But it would require an entirely separate facility, and at least another three revolutions before they would be conditioned properly for our needs.”

“I think I have a lead,” Katherine said from the console she was working at along the back wall. I turned toward her, expecting to see a grin on her face. Instead, she looked concerned.

“What kind of lead?” I asked.

“It’s from A-8002, the first Actual we freed. I asked for some help tracking down the materials on the list, since we don’t always use the same terminology on ancient parts as Observer Elmshar. Well, A-8002 says it knows where we can find three phase ion shifters, but we’ll need to get them.”

“I’m not going to like this, am I?” I remarked.

She shook her head. “They’re in the same ELM facility where we first met A-8002.”

I scowled, finally understanding Katherine’s expression.

Quatra glanced between the two of us. “What does that mean?”

“The first Actual we met—”

“A-8002,” Katherine corrected.

“A-8002,” I continued, “was left as the guardian of a sealed military research facility rediscovered by ELM Corp. And the excavation was part of a joint venture with Maunhouser.”

After that, Quatra’s and Kyrshaw’s expressions matched my own.

“A-8002 has volunteered to help,” Katherine added. “If we can get in, it’ll show us where to find the ion shifters.”

Quatra nodded. “ELM holdings are all deep in Maunhouser territory now. That means we’ll either need speed or stealth, but Gloria and the Essta are currently unavailable. Besides, I think speed is more important here, because it’ll be a long flight. So, Hunter dear, I suppose this falls to you and your shuttle. Think you can manage the operation solo, so you’ll have the space to bring back everything we need?”

I nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’ll manage.”

“Good,” Quatra replied, turning to the others. “Nathaniel, Katherine, Frank. Work with A-8002 to compile a list of any other useful components they might be able to bring back as well. If Hunter is going that far, I want to make sure it’s worth the trip. Just make sure everything will fit in his shuttle.”

Kyrshaw nodded, but Katherine didn’t look pleased by the turn of events. “What if Hunter encounters resistance? I’m really not sure it’s wise to send him off alone.”

Quatra tried to hide a smile as she turned back to me.

I shrugged. “If I’m going in with an Actual at my back, I doubt I’ll have much trouble. Besides, Quatra’s right. We need this done quickly. There are more refugees pouring in every rota.”

Katherine relented, but I could tell from her expression she still didn’t like the idea. I would have tried to reassure her, but we didn’t have much time to talk about it as we each set to preparing for my mission. Besides, since the war with Maunhouser had started, we’d both had to see the other sent on missions we weren’t happy about.

As much as Katherine might have worried about it, the Dagger saw me through hostile gates swiftly and smoothly. Well, that’s the story I told her once I was back, at least. And since most of ELM had been dismantled and absorbed by Maunhouser as they moved their assets to the front lines, once I was past the front, the rest of the transit was rather uneventful.

“Katherine, I’m almost to ELM’s moon. Any word from our Actual friend?” I asked over the Q-com Penjani had managed to install in the back bay of the Dagger.

“What do you mean?” Katherine asked. “I thought A-8002 was going to meet you there.”

“Well I don’t—”

“I am already present,” the Actual interrupted.

“How did you cut into this transmission?” I growled.

“I did not. I have been present aboard this vessel since you departed the Celestial.”

“You’ve been what?” I spat.

“I have been present aboard this vessel since—”

“Yeah, I got that part. I was asking why you hitched a ride without asking.”

On the other end of the Q-com, Katherine grinned.

“I did not realize you desired to grant permission,” the Actual replied, “as my presence did not infringe upon your activities, while facilitating a safer transit for myself.”

“Besides,” Katherine added, “if it hadn’t said so, you wouldn’t have even known.”

“Fine,” I allowed. “Let’s just get this over with. Moving into orbit now.”

“Good luck,” Katherine offered with a hopeful smile. “And be careful.” Her image vanished before I could snap off a reply.

“Well, I guess this’ll be a homecoming of sorts for you,” I muttered to the Actual.

“Did you relish the opportunity to return to the Maunhouser laboratory ship where they installed your implants?”

No,” I replied with a frown. “They held me captive there for revs. I was happy enough forgetting about the place.”

“Then we have similar feelings about home.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that. It surprised me that an AI, an Actual, could be capable of experiencing the same conflicted feelings I’d had about returning to the Maunhouser ship where they’d created me. But then, this intelligence had been stuck in the ancient facility for more revs than I’d ever know. Realizing that made me feel a touch of empathy. But before I could settle on a reply, it continued.

“Attempting to establish remote connection.”

“Any luck?”

“Standby,” A-8002 replied.

A moment passed, and then a moment more. I started to grow impatient and was about to ask about its progress when A-8002 finally answered, “Transfer unsuccessful. ELM Corporation has removed all active communication links to my facility. It will be necessary for you to provide a remote access point before I can regain control.”

I groaned. That would make things harder. “Alright,” I replied. “Based on what you know about the layout, where would the best insertion be?”

A map appeared on my screen, with detailed depictions of the underground structures. “The components you need are here,” A-8002 said, a small flashing circle highlighting a remote corner of the sprawling complex. “The three nearest access points are here, here, and here.” More circles appeared, highlighted in a different color. But none of them were close, and none of them appeared to have access to the surface. That meant I’d have a long walk through the production facilities that ELM security had guided Gloria and me through on our first visit. And while those areas had been cleared of defensive measures the last time, I was willing to guess that wouldn’t be the case this time.