Lost Sols 1: Ancient Treasure Page 12
Martino had never expected to hear from Enzo so soon. It was unusual to be contacted in such quick succession. What he asked for would be difficult if not impossible. When Enzo told him what the job was, he had refused. The operation would have to be bold and it would be very dangerous. He had reconsidered when Enzo told him what the pay was. Retirement sounded good, and he would be well taken care of after this job was completed. A personal jet quickly flew him to New Mexico.
One of his rules would be violated on this job as he was carrying a throw away phone. He was driving west on Interstate Ten just outside of Deming. His phone rang and the woman tailing his target informed him the target was now one mile away. Traffic was completely stopped due to a chemical explosion two miles further down the interstate. He pulled the classic 1969 Camaro he was driving onto the shoulder and turned on the emergency flashers. He parked next to a large semi truck which would block most of the other drivers from seeing what was going to happen. He grabbed his flask, got out of the car and raised the hood. The shoulder was blocked and an SUV stopped behind him flashing a blue light in the front window. Martino stumbled out from the front of his vehicle drinking from the flask. Two of the agents got out of their vehicle and approached him. "Sir you need to move your vehicle. Are you drunk?" This might be easier then Martino thought. The agents obviously didn’t expect any trouble. He approached their vehicle and saw there was a driver and a passenger in the back seat. "If I could move this vehicle, I wouldn't be drinking dumbass. This is a nice ride, you want to trade?" Martino said as he pulled a gun out and shot the driver in the head through the glass. The other two agents tried to duck behind the SUV but were too slow. Martino pulled out a short automatic weapon from his vest and put multiple shots into each agent. Both were down, and had stopped moving. Blood was pooling on the concrete near the bodies. To make sure none of the agents would make a miraculous recovery he shot each one in the head.
Randy couldn't believe what was happening right before his eyes. It seemed to be over in an instant. The madman who had shot the agents opened his door. “Enzo says hi, get your ass in the Camaro now." Randy did as he was told while the madman shut the hood and jumped in the car. "Where are we going?" he asked. "No questions, this won't take long. Sit back and enjoy the ride." The Camaro crossed the interstate and headed east. The driver of the Camaro took out a phone and made a call. "Five minutes." was all he said. Exactly five minutes later the Camaro pulled into a large garage on Ash Street. There was an old beat up truck and a Terrafugia TF-X flying car parked inside. A driver was waiting in the Terrafugia. "Get in that contraption over there and you'll be safe." said the madman as he walked to the old truck. He didn't know what to say except for thanks as he got in the flying car.
He entered the Terrafugia and asked the pilot where they were going. "Hang on tight, we'll be flying as low as possible. We'll be in El Paso in about twenty minutes. You'll be taken to a safe house until we can safely get you out of the country. Don’t contact anyone you know under any circumstances." The pilot made a call as the Terrafugia exited the garage, left the ground, and headed toward El Paso. "Inform the boss, the package is safe and we're on our way." he said.
Director Spencer was in the security center at Leviathan when his phone rang. It was the New Mexico State Patrol calling to say they had found three dead agents on the highway. He asked if there had been an accident and if there was a fourth body. The chief informed him his agents had all been gunned down approximately an hour ago in broad daylight. A fourth body had not been found. The director asked to be updated with any new developments and then threw his phone against the wall. A few minutes later he put together a team and sent them to investigate and look for witnesses.
Saturn was looming large and beautiful as the Constellation approached the yellow orb of Titan. "It's the second largest moon in the solar system. It's seems so large after Rhea and Dione. The rings are beautiful." Dalton said to Vincent. "Captain, we can communicate with the orbital processing facility directly now.” Sarah said. “Please locate the communications satellite and set a course for it. We don't need them broadcasting our departure when we leave." Vincent said. "I've located the satellite Captain, ETA is forty five minutes." Sarah said. "Patrick, I want you and Isabella to bring the satellite on board. Make sure you disable it. Try and make it look like it was damaged from a small meteorite." Vincent said.
An hour later the satellite had been disabled and Sarah contacted the processing facility explaining they were having a problem with the communication systems. The station reported it was having difficulty visually locating the Constellation. Vincent told Sarah to reply the Constellation was designed for stealth due to the Martian terrorists destroying the other ship recently. With no further questions the Constellation was directed to dock and receive the methane shipment. "Let's do this as fast as possible. I want Patrick and Dominic to come aboard the station with me. Patrick you're familiar with the process, let me know if anything seems out of place. Dominic I want you to go to the communications center. Nose around and see if you can find any information about other ships in the area. Try to find out if there has been any information relayed to the station about us."
"I've lost communication with the station on Titan." Captain Samuels heard the report and knew there were occasional communication glitches. "Keep trying to contact the station. Let me know when you’ve reestablished communication." Soon the Lexington would be able to communicate with the station directly anyway. He was anxious to find the elusive ship and had considered bypassing Titan altogether and heading straight for Mars. The last report from Titan didn't indicate anything out of the ordinary.
After the docking procedure was complete Vincent, Patrick, and Dominic proceeded through the airlock and into the station. Vincent immediately found the Station Commander. "We need to complete the loading process as quickly as possible. Repairs are required with our communication system and we need to get to Mars Station." The Commander looked annoyed. "It takes as long as it takes. We won’t jeopardize the safety of the operation. In case you needed reminding we are dealing with an explosive product around here. What's the deal with your ship anyway? It's completely black except for the strange discoloration on the back." the Commander asked. Vincent knew he would have some explaining to do. "The insurance companies don't like paying out claims. They are now requiring all ships to have stealth capabilities in order to avoid the Martian terrorists. The ground personnel didn't do a very good job with our ship. The paint wasn't applied correctly and that's the reason why the back looks discolored. You get what you pay for I guess. I'm surprised nobody informed you about the new stealth requirements.” he said. "It looks horrible. You should've let us know ahead of time. If you'll excuse me, I need to go monitor the progress of the methane transfer." The Commander was a very detail oriented person and he checked all the latest news and reports. He had not seen any information about this supposed new stealth requirement. Anything which was out of place or unusual was to be reported. This black ship was unusual. The methane transfer looked like it was normal. The safety indicators were in the green and the proper safety protocols were being followed. The Commander decided he had time to go to the communications center.
Once onboard the station Patrick told Dominic where to find the communications center. As Dominic approached the center he heard loud voices. "It's like the damn thing isn't even there. I'm not getting any response at all from the Lexington." "Did you run diagnostics?" "Of course I did, there's been no response. We're going to need to send a team up to physically inspect the satellite." Dominic knew when an opportunity presented itself. "I don't mean to interrupt, but we will be leaving soon and I'm sure my Captain wouldn't mind checking out your satellite.” he said. We would have to clear that through our Commander. Who are you anyway?" One of the communications officers inquired. "My name is Dominic. I work on the Constellation and we're here to pick up some methane. My Captain said I could come aboard the station. I was going stir crazy
on the ship." Dominic was about to say more when the Station Commander walked in. "Prepare to send a message to the Lexington." he said. "Commander, we were just about to call you. We’ve lost all communication with the satellite. We've tried diagnostics without success. This man from the Constellation has offered the services of their ship to check it out when they leave. He thinks his boss would approve." The Commander didn't believe in coincidences. First the strange black ship shows up and then the communications satellite stops functioning at the same time. "No, we don't need any help. We will take care of it." the Commander said as he walked away. Dominic made sure he was out of earshot. "What's the Lexington? I've never heard of it." he asked. "It's an Air Force ship. It will be docking here in a couple of hours." Dominic left to find Vincent.
Vincent was talking with Patrick when Dominic suddenly ran up. "An Air Force ship will be arriving soon. It’s the Lexington. The dude in communications said it will be here in a couple of hours." Vincent knew the ship would have direct communication with the station at any time. "Patrick, how much of the methane do we have?" he asked. "It's at fifty one percent and climbing. It will take about another forty minutes to load the rest." he said.
Vincent knew time was running short. "Patrick, tell the technician to pause the transfer. Let him know we are having trouble with our equipment or something. Get the transfer stopped and find a reason to uncouple the hose. As soon as we are uncoupled tell them you have to check our tanks and get back on the ship. We will leave the second you're aboard. Come on Dominic let's get back on board the Constellation." Vincent and Dominic headed toward the airlock and Patrick went to find a technician.
Patrick found the technician monitoring the transfer equipment. "Our monitors on board the ship are indicating an increase in methane levels in the cargo bay. It looks like we might have a leak on our end. Stop the transfer so we can take a look." The transfer was immediately shut down. Patrick walked across the platform uncoupled the hose, and put the cap on the exterior line. "Hey buddy, why are you taking the hose off?" the technician asked. "I’m just following safety protocols. I'll be back in a couple of minutes. I'm going to go check the tank." He entered the Constellation, closed the airlock, and notified Vincent he was aboard.
"Sarah, I hope you're ready with a course." Vincent said. "I am sir." Monique was standing in as pilot until Patrick arrived from the cargo bay. "Good, Monique depart the station now and follow the course Sarah has plotted. Sarah, put the communication frequency of the station on speaker. Let's see what they have to say." he said.
The technician in charge of the methane transfer watched out the viewport as the Constellation began to drift away. He notified his Commander and the communications center.
The communications officer tried to contact the Constellation. "Constellation, what is your status? We have indicators showing you are no longer docked. What is your status?"
"Sarah, do not reply. Let's get out of here." The speaker crackled again and Vincent expected to hear the Commander next. "This is the Lexington. Do you copy Titan Station?" It was the Air Force ship. "Sarah, transmit to the station and keep it continuous. Boost our transmission signal if you can. Everybody quiet." Vincent said. Sarah boosted the signal drowning out the incoming one from the Lexington. It was quiet for a few seconds until a loud song suddenly broke the silence. "I just thought they might like to hear a little music." Dalton said in a low voice as he held his entertainment pad. "What is that song?" Vincent whispered. "It's called Alley Cat, it's a classic from the last century." Dalton said as he performed a strangely disturbing dance. "I've never heard of it. It's really an annoying song and an excellent choice. You are a weird old man with a strange sense of humor." Julia said. The signal from the Constellation effectively drowned out the weaker one from the Lexington for the next fifteen minutes.
The communications officer on the Lexington was very confused. "Captain, I'm receiving a transmission. I thought I briefly heard the station responding they had copied our message. I'm only receiving some kind of bizarre music at the moment." Captain Samuels was already cranky and didn't need any more problems. "Put it on speaker." The song didn't help his crankiness at all. "Turn that nonsense off. Keep trying and let me know when we have an intelligent communications response from the station."
The Constellation slipped away from Titan and into space. "Captain, our course takes us close to the Saturnian moon Iapetus. One side of the moon is coated with dark surface material. If you want to stop before Mars this would be the best place as we likely wouldn't be seen.” Sarah said.
"That's a good idea Sarah. We need to paint the ship again. The tratium stands out and can be seen. It's a good time to regroup and gather our thoughts anyway."
With the Lexington moving closer to Titan and the Constellation moving further away, the Lexington was finally able to communicate with the station as their signal became stronger. Captain Samuels was not happy with the Commander of the station. "What do you mean they got away? Is it your policy to let any ship just wander off during the transfer of hazardous materials? What’s the name of the ship?" Captain Samuels asked. The Commander told Captain Samuels the name of the ship but didn't have any other answers which were satisfactory. Captain Samuels had the Commander transfer all associated video of the Constellation and the crewmembers who had been on the station to the Lexington. He ordered his navigator to follow the heading the Constellation was on when it was last seen leaving the station. The communications officer was ordered to send the video to Earth for review and to request identification of the three people on the station.
Chapter 8
During his time at the safe house in Tucson Randy was not allowed to leave the house or use the phone. He did receive a new identity. His appearance was altered and he was given a new drivers license and passport. After three days in Tucson Enzo called and told him he would be driven to San Francisco where he would board a cruise liner to Australia. He was told not to contact anyone, and to lay low and not draw attention to himself if he wanted to stay alive. Enzo would meet him when he arrived in Australia. Randy decided he didn't need any drama and a nice ocean cruise across the Pacific sounded pretty good. He would have no problem with staying out of the spotlight. It sounded much better then jail or death.
William Spencer received the message and the video from the Lexington. He recognized Vincent Moretti. If a Moretti was involved he had no doubt the Constellation was the ship he was looking for. He instructed his analysts to find out who the other two people were. The general location of the Constellation was now known. He wanted to launch more ships to help in the search but none were currently available. The Lexington would have to get the job done on her own. He had a meeting scheduled with President Louis to provide an update on the situation. He still would not be able to tell the President the situation was resolved. The ship and her crew would have to be destroyed before they reached Mars or it would be his ass. He continued his preparations for the meeting with the President.
The Constellation landed on Iapetus and Monique was worried. She knew the ruthless nature of the government. No expense would be spared, and no life would be safe to keep the secrets of the solar system hidden. Government by the people and for the people were honorable words, but words which had lost any truth a long time ago. Now it was all about the special interest groups and how much power over the people the government could amass. She put on her suit and left the airlock to help the rest of the crew finish painting the ship. At this point just getting to Mars might be a long shot.
Isabella was tinkering with some of the parts which had been recovered in the hanger on Rhea. She was trying to route power through what looked like a navigation display for an interceptor. After some trial and error the display lit up. Displayed was a representation of the solar system with their current position being identified by a simple purple circle. She manipulated the control pads and figured out how to zoom in on specific areas of the solar system and had even managed to set a couple of
courses. As she zoomed in close on specific areas of the solar system, she was able to tap the display and set a course from their current position. Some locations within the solar system appeared to have been preprogrammed. She had been able to program a course to the Prime Pyramid, the pyramid at Cydonia on Mars, and the hanger on Rhea with the preprogrammed commands. She summoned Vincent to engineering.
"You've figured out how to set a course on the alien navigation computer? That's impressive. What else do we know, and what about these other parts?" Vincent asked. "That's part of the reason I wanted to talk with you. We know electronic warfare was a major component of their battles. I'm concerned I might set off an EMP if I experiment with these other parts. I knew what the navigation display was, and figured it was safe to experiment with. I think experimenting with these other parts might be too risky. We simply don't know what their purpose is or how dangerous it might be. Fooling with them would be like giving a monkey a hand grenade and hoping he doesn't blow himself up trying to figure it out. I just don't think it's a good idea unless we can conclusively identify what these parts are and what purpose they were meant for." she said. "You make a good point. I don't want to die quite yet. Let's keep them in storage for now. I'll spread the word to the rest of the crew. Perhaps somebody will have an idea what some of the other parts might be for. We’ll play it safe until we know what we’re dealing with." he said.
The exterior painting of the Constellation was complete once again and the crew gathered in the command center. Their mood was grim. "We are being hunted like animals. I think we should try to get back to Earth and disappear into society. There can be no doubt the government knows who we are and where we are going. Who knows how many ships they have? We will be walking into a trap." Patrick said. "You're right Patrick. They will be waiting for us. But we have the advantage. Our enemy needs to board this vessel. We have alien technology and the artifact Maria discovered. They want it. We don't need anything they have. We have the easier task of simply destroying them. We will approach Mars slowly and identify anything in the area and in orbit. If we maintain our vigilance, keep our heads on straight, and have confidence in ourselves we will prevail. The enemy ships won’t fire on us until they get what they want.