“Not in all my years of service,” Ledbetter replied, his brow furrowed with concern. “Earth must be taking the situation with the vanishing ships very seriously.”

  I looked at him sharply. “How do you know about the vanishing ships?”

  He scoffed. “This is Mars City, Sergeant. Everyone here has a big mouth.”

  I nodded. I didn’t argue, because it was true. We gazed up at the cruisers. Everyone was craning their necks and unable to look away.

  It wasn’t just Red Company grunts who were fascinated. The local inhabitants of Mars City Spaceport had all stopped walking, too. They stared upward in awe.

  Six sleek and deadly Earth cruisers had emerged from the darkness of space. Their arrival cast an ominous series of shadows over the bustling orbital facility. Like predators stalking prey, the warships approached with purposeful grace. Their streamlined hulls glinted red, reflecting the Martian surface far below.

  One by one, the cruisers closed in on the spaceport. Each big ship did a little dance, firing steering thrusters in a coordinated series of visible puffs of vapor. The cruisers bore the unmistakable markings of Earth-Gov’s military might. Blue-green globe emblems were stamped on every flat region of their hulls.

  The warships were imposing. Their silhouettes were unlike any freighter or mining rig. Instead of being built in the shape of a barrel or an oil derrick, these killers were long and lean in design.

  The first cruiser, its nose adorned with the insignia of a snarling wolf, glided smoothly into position near the spaceport. Automated docking clamps extended to form a secure connection. The airlock doors opened, and the crew of the spaceport hurried to attend to the newcomers.

  At first, everyone on the station halted and stared. I think, underneath that moment of quiet, was a deep fear. The cruisers could destroy us all with a few missiles—but they didn’t. They docked silently instead.

  When nothing awful happened, everyone became animated again. Our lives were back in motion, no longer on pause. Everyone around me buzzed with excitement.

  In quick succession, the remaining five cruisers followed the first. Each claimed a berth at the spaceport. Like a deadly squadron of birds of prey, they perched in orbit above Mars City. Their watchful automated cameras twitched and glinted. The warships ran AI that never slept. It constantly targeted citizens, structures—anything and everything in the spaceport, and the bustling settlement below.

  Now that we’d realized we were all still alive, the next question on everyone’s mind was what had brought such an overwhelming show of force to the Martian skies.

  Captain Hansen boomed over the intercom system, cutting through the anxious chatter on the ramps outside her ship. “Attention, all crewmembers of the Borag. Return to the ship immediately. We will be leaving port within hours. I repeat, all crewmembers are to report back to the ship at once.”

  “What the hell is going on?” Corporal Ledbetter asked. He was gawking as hard as the local citizens. Everyone was blaming the ships that loomed overhead.

  “I don’t know, but it doesn’t sound good,” I said. “Let’s go.”

  “Has war been declared or something?” Private Welks wondered aloud.

  Ledbetter shook his head. “I doubt it. It’s more likely they’re here because of the vanishing ships. Something big is happening, and Earth-gov is pissed.”

  We were ordered to stand guard on the ramps, allowing crewmen to board Borag. We checked every ID and reported the data back to Borag’s computers. We had to know exactly who was aboard Borag—and who wasn’t.

  The ship began preparing for a hasty departure, but the questions continued to swirl around us.

  “I heard a rumor that another ship disappeared just outside Mars orbit,” Ledbetter said. “Maybe that was the last straw for Earth.”

  “Don’t make shit up,” I told him.

  “Yeah, sure… it’s a rumor—but it makes sense!”

  “Shut up.”

  As we moved to our assigned stations, I pretended everything was normal. My troops were watching me, looking to see if I was freaking out. I couldn’t show them I was, a little.

  Chapter 15: Veiled Intentions

  Following the captain’s new orders, my squad was again posted on Borag’s primary ramp. We were tasked with helping everyone get aboard as quickly as possible. We were still marveling at the sight of the six cruiser-class warships from Earth when crewmen began to filter back aboard our ship.

  People raced up the ramp to us in a steady stream, desperate for answers we didn’t have.

  “What’s going on, Sergeant?” a breathless boatswain’s mate asked as he passed me.

  “We don’t know yet,” I replied honestly, trying to project a sense of calm. “Just get aboard, and we’ll find out soon enough.”

  More and more confused crewmembers hurried up the ramp, their faces marked with concern. They chattered amongst themselves, sharing their own theories about the Earth cruisers.

  Ledbetter, however, couldn’t resist the opportunity to have some fun at their expense. He began making up wild stories to share.

  “Didn’t you hear?” he said to one wide-eyed technician. “Earth’s been invaded by aliens, and they’re sending us reinforcements—just in case we’re next!”

  The technician’s eyes widened even further, and he hurried aboard without another word. I shot Ledbetter a disapproving look, but he just shrugged, clearly enjoying himself.

  To the next girl he saw, he made a fresh, goofy claim. “It’s a top-secret mission from Earth-Gov. The sun’s going to swallow the inner planets, and they need our expertise to save their sorry asses!”

  The girl’s expression shifted from excitement to fear. She practically sprinted up the ramp, eager to be off into deep space. Ledbetter guffawed.

  I couldn’t help but shake my head at him. When the last of the crewmembers filed onto the Borag, I finally ordered him to knock it off. “I know you’re trying to lighten the mood, but you need to stop stirring the shit. You have no idea what we’re walking into.”

  Ledbetter’s grin faded, and he looked annoyed. “Yeah, okay, Sergeant buzz-kill.”

  Mentally, I marked him down for special duties—but that would have to wait. I watched as the last few straggling crewmembers hurried aboard.

  Commander Kaine and Accountant Blackwood were among the last to board. Unlike the others, they appeared unhurried. Maybe they knew something the rest of us didn’t. They walked at a leisurely pace and chatted amongst themselves.

  At last, the dock workers closed the big doors and retracted the ramp. The Earth cruisers now encircled the space station—and our ship. They were crowding close and seemed to be docked in every direction. Mars usually didn’t get this many large ships all at once.

  I couldn’t help but eavesdrop as the two officers passed me by. I was curious about their nonchalant attitude, given the circumstances.

  They were discussing the Earth cruisers—what else?

  “This is a welcome distraction,” Blackwood said, a smug smile on his narrow face. “It should keep everyone occupied and out of our business for a while.”

  Commander Kaine nodded, his expression equally pleased. “Yes, it’s certainly convenient timing. This display of Earth muscle should help to deter any further investigations into that unfortunate incident during our voyage to Proxima Centauri last year.”

  I could only think of one incident these two had been involved in—an incident they’d both prefer to be forgotten. There had been an assassination attempt on the captain’s life back then. The suspect list was too long to solve the crime, but I’d always had my suspicions about these two.

  During the investigations, they’d railroaded Commander Nichols, the ship’s navigator, claiming she was the culprit. Then, without proof or authorization from the captain—they’d spaced the woman.

  Were these two officers implying they’d played a role in that attempt to kill the captain and stage a mutiny? Was there more to the story than we’d initially thought?

  Unable to shake the feeling that something was amiss, I followed them into the ship. Keeping a safe distance, I trailed behind them as they made their way through the winding corridors, careful not to be noticed.

  I strained to catch every word of their conversation. As they moved deeper into the ship, their voices grew hushed, but I could still make out snippets.

  “It’s just as the colonel said,” Blackwood whispered, his tone conspiratorial. “The cruisers are here because he called for them.”

  Kaine nodded, his expression grim. “Obviously, he called for them—but the question is why? What does he know that we don’t?”

  Blackwood glanced around before leaning closer to Kaine. “From what I’ve heard, the mysterious new weapon that’s been destroying ships in this region is more deadly even than they’ve let on. It doesn’t just operate at close range, either. We’re talking incredible distances.”

  Kaine’s eyes widened in alarm. “Could it reach all the way to Mars?”

  Blackwood shrugged. “Possibly.”

  “If that’s true, then we’re all in danger. We need to find out how to defend ourselves against it.”

  Their conversation was alarming. The colonel had hinted about this, but now it was sinking in. He’d talked about an energy release from Ganymede at 944 Hidalgo. That was pretty amazing, something like one hundred million miles at this point in their orbits. But to reach from Jupiter all the way to Mars? That was more like four hundred million miles.

  If what they were saying was true, then the situation was far more dire than any of us had realized. A new, mysterious weapon capable of destroying ships at such incredible distances was a total game-changer. It could destroy an entire fleet of ships before they could get off a shot. That kind of technology posed a threat not only to the Borag and her crew but to the entire Solar System.

  What puzzled me even more was the colonel’s involvement. Why had he called for the cruisers, but levered Borag into going out there first?

  It didn’t take but a few moments thought to answer that question: we were guinea pigs. Not the kind that served as pets for children, but the grimly abused kind. We were going to be sent toward this new threat to test its capabilities. The cruisers would stay safely behind us, observing and learning from our mistakes if we were destroyed.

  Did Kaine and Blackwood have any connection to the colonel—or the mysterious events surrounding the vanishing ships? That was another question that kept rattling around in my head as I continued to follow them.

  I knew I had to tread carefully. If Kaine and Blackwood discovered that I was listening in on their talk, they might put me on their kill-list. Not that I really cared too much. I figured I would take a few Green Company boys with me, if it came down to that.

  Maybe… more than a few.

  When we arrived at Red Company headquarters, Kaine finally noticed I was on his six. He began eyeing me with suspicion for some reason. Could he read my thoughts? Maybe he could… It was so hard to tell these days who had what mutation and what it could do.

  Shit…

  Kaine squinted at me and stopped walking. “Sergeant Starn…? You should be at your post.”

  “The docking doors are closed, sir. I’m reporting in…”

  Kaine nodded then, and he relaxed. It made perfect sense that I’d be marching up here to talk to Lt. Quinn—or Kaine himself. I didn’t even have to explain it.

  “Right, right,” he said, cutting me off. “Okay. Come on inside.”

  Blackwood wandered off toward the upper decks. He cast me a strange glance over his shoulder, then he vanished.

  I followed Kaine through the doors. Had these two realized I’d been eavesdropping on their conversation? They certainly suspected it. I tried to keep my expression neutral as we walked through the door, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I might have made a pair of dangerous enemies. At the very least, they were going to be watching me more closely than before.

  When we entered Red Company’s headquarters, we found Lt. Quinn reviewing reports at his desk. Kaine got into his face immediately.

  “Lieutenant, I need you to buckle down. I want these Red Company thugs of yours looking their best at all times.”

  Quinn looked up, clearly surprised by the sudden request. “Of course, Commander... but, um, may I ask why this is an issue right now?”

  Kaine made a face. “Because there are real Earth-Gov spacers crawling all over Mars. I don’t want our marines to be an embarrassment. We need to make a good impression—and our grunts aren’t so good at that.”

  Here, he jerked a thumb over his shoulder in my direction. It was clear that he meant I wasn’t respectable. I took no offense, as he was probably right. Men like me and Ledbetter were as likely to get into a barfight with a navy puke from Earth as we were to stand at attention when an officer showed up.

  Lt. Quinn nodded, but he didn’t look like he cared much about our parade-dress appearance. “Understood, Commander. I’ll make sure the marines are ready to represent Borag.”

  When Kaine left the room, I wondered what was really going on inside his head. Was he really concerned about the image of Red Company? Or was there something more sinister at play?

  Maybe I was just being paranoid—but I didn’t think so.

  Chapter 16: Explosive Decompression

  When I reached the upper decks, planning to talk to Captain Hansen about Kaine and Blackwood, I spotted a familiar face in the passages. It was a rock-rat I’d known a long time ago, a guy named Anderson.

  “Hey, Anderson!” I called out to him, and he turned to face me, his eyes widening in surprise.

  “Starn? Is that you? Man, it’s been ages!” Anderson said, scratching his unkempt beard.

  “What are you doing up here?” I asked, my curiosity piqued. “Last I heard, you were still working down in the mining bays.”

  Anderson hesitated for a moment, then smiled sheepishly. “Oh, yeah… I got promoted. I’m part of the maintenance crew now.”

  I raised an eyebrow, because that was a surprise. It’s not like such things never happened, but… “Really? That’s quite the jump in status.”

  He nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah—but you did something even more impressive, didn’t you? Going from a D-contract all the way up to being a regular marine. The guys down low are still talking about that one.”

  I blinked, and I had to admit, he was right. “Yes, I guess I did. I had some help from the Captain, but—yeah.”

  “That’s what I heard,” he said, giving me a strange look. “Anyway, I’ve got to get back to it. Power-mopping is hard work, but it beats the shit out of playing jockey on a drill-bot.”

  I gave him a nod. “All right, well, congrats on buying out your own contract. I’ve got to run. Take care, Anderson.”

  We walked apart, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. I pulled out my datapad and did a quick search on Anderson’s work status.

  Sure enough, my gut feeling was right—there was no record of him being transferred to the maintenance crew.

  A sinking feeling settled in my guts. What could that mean? Why the hell had Anderson lied to me? What was he really doing on the upper decks?

  Being on guard duty meant you investigated surprises. I did a U-turn and retraced my steps. My suspicions grew with each stride.

  When I rounded a corner, I caught sight of him. He was hunched over, fiddling with a suspicious-looking device. My hands went to my rifle. That wasn’t any kind of cleaning gear I’d ever seen before.

  “Anderson?” I shouted, still marching toward him.

  He looked up, startled. His eyes narrowed to two dark, angry slits. “Why couldn’t you just keep your nose in your own fucking business, Starn?”

  He tried to bolt, but I was too quick. I grabbed him and his device, throwing both into a nearby airlock to keep him from getting away.

  “Let me out of here!” Anderson stammered, his fingers frantically working to dismantle the device—which I now believed was some kind of bomb. “I didn’t want to do this, Starn—they made me!”

  Just then, a group of Green Company security men appeared. I’d transmitted an emergency code, and I had to give the boys in green a nod today—they’d come running.

  They assessed the situation and tried to help, but it was too late. “Let’s back off, we can’t—” began the sergeant in charge.

  The bomb detonated then. Had Anderson set it off out of spite? Or was it triggered somehow? I didn’t know, but it was an unwelcome surprise.

  The airlock blew apart. The bomb was more powerful than I’d thought it could be. It created a gaping hole in the ship’s hull.

  Explosive decompression yanked several of the Green Company men out into the cold void of space. Not all of their spacesuits maintained integrity. The blast had punched holes in the fabric. Their screams were silenced after a few moments.

  Down below the scene, Mars lay spread out like a massive rust-red disk. Thin clouds decorated the planet at the limits of my vision. Borag was still docked to the spaceport, but the docking tubes were on the far side of the ship—too far away for the Green Company guys to seek shelter in that direction.

  With a deafening roar, the air around me rushed out into space. I fought against the powerful force, using my mutated left arm to anchor myself to a nearby railing. I clenched my teeth, my left arm’s grip was like a vise. My body strained under the immense pressure, but I refused to let go. I couldn’t let this be the end.

  Klaxons blared inside my helmet and throughout the ship. It was a cacophony of warning alarms and emergency alerts. I quickly rechecked the seal on my faceplate to ensure I wouldn’t suffocate—the indicators were all green. I wasn’t going to die. Not today, at least.

  Very quickly, the chaos subsided. Emergency bulkheads slammed shut, and I managed to get my suit sealed up. I was finally able to breathe.

  Hoping to save some of the Green Company security men, I did a little spacewalking. I wormed my way through the jagged hole in the side of the ship. I reached out with my free arm, trying to grab hold of them—but it was hopeless.