Crisis Memes - 9 - Thu 07 Aug 2256 12:10

From a darkened terrace on Deck Twenty-one, Bruce and Lance Corporal Madras had a clear view over the vast storage areas and the line of active Planet Harvesters spread out across the lowest level of the ship.

Rising clouds of vapour were illuminated by the powerful headlamps and flashing red and amber warning lights of the vehicles. Teams of Taurs armed with clubs and whips stood around shouting and laughing over the steady roar of the engines, whilst ragged lines of captive settlers passed along a steady stream of rubbish, broken furniture and an occasional bucket of evil looking slops. At the end of each line all the material was being tossed into the Harvesters front hoppers.

“Dante’s Inferno,” Madras said.

The Harvesters moved forward at snails pace leaving behind a covering of moist dark soil. Bruce had seen them at work on new planets and knew the principle. You put any sort of raw organic material in at the front and a layer of nutritious growth compound came out of the back. The surplus energy from the transformation process provided the machine with enough energy to move forward. Once in motion the machines were virtually unstoppable.

“Looks like they’re using the waste from the decks above to get their machines moved into some sort of assault formation,” Bruce said over the suits intercom.

“Yes sir, perhaps they are,” answered Madras.

Bruce gave the hand signal for them to go back, and they cautiously retreated through the dark communal meeting area and into the central corridor. The sensor on Bruce’s bio-suit helmet picked up the sound of voices from a room to their left.

“I like to see who’s in there,” Bruce whispered. He led them into the room opposite, and pushed the door to, leaving a thin crack.

Bruce turned up his sensor. The voices were loud and seemed on the verge of disagreement. After a few minutes a door was flung open and he saw a tall red haired woman come out.

“Come back when you’re three parts starved and then we’ll see if you still call it robbery!” shouted a voice from inside the room.

“Aye, we’ll be back,” growled the woman. “And when we do maybe we’ll just take what we need and forget about the trade.”

A chorus of hoots and harsh laughter erupted from the office. With a barrage of expletives the woman strode off towards the aft sections. Bruce had recognised both voices. He also noted that the woman carried a sword strapped to her back.

The journey back to the stairs was uneventful - the Taurs were not bothering to mount guards or lookouts. They passed open lift doors and could see buckets and containers at the bottom of the shafts, collecting falling water and slops as they cascaded down from the higher decks.

Back on Deck Twenty, a team of engineering droids had arrived and were fixing the leaking pipes whilst other AI maintenance units equipped with blow torches were welding up access points into Ring B, including the air ducts and any rooms with access to the sewage systems. Strategic entry routes were being left open for the next planned advance along this deck.

Bruce left Madras in charge and made his way back up to the Marine Command centre where he dumped his fouled bio-suit. In the Major’s Ops Room he found Lieutenant Chiton giving a report on progress, which he summarised for Bruce’s benefit.

“We’ve had a message from Lord York, saying he’s safe, and his security people are in control in most of Rings G and H. They’ve handed over two dozen Marines who were trapped over there. Unfortunately our boys and girls have caused some trouble, looting some of the shops and getting into fights. There were some minor injuries on both sides.”

“I never met York,” Bruce said, “Though contractually I guess he is one of my bosses. Maybe I should go over there?”

“No,” Allason said, “You’re a Royal Marine until I say otherwise.”

“And Marines are not very popular over there at the moment,” Will said. “York has asked that we stay out of the Staff rings until things calm down.”

“To which I’ve agreed,” the Major said, “Which means we’re free to concentrate on the Taurs downstairs.”

Bruce gave his report on the situation, including his view that the Harvesters were being prepared to operate as assault vehicles.

“Can they get them up onto the higher decks?” Will asked.

Bruce shrugged. “I doubt it, but they could eat up the structural supports - then the decks above would just collapse.”

“That would be a pretty dangerous strategy,” Will said. “Something that catastrophic might damage the outer hull - in which case we’d all be finished.”

“Who knows what they are up to,” Bruce said, “They may just try to blackmail us. These guys are not famous for their rational thinking. They’ve taken scores of captive Settlers down there for some reason – something unpleasant for sure. Taurs are evil bastards.”

Will shook his head. “That’s an unfair generalisation. All the Taurs on the ship will have been screened for severe behavioural defects – the Terraformers as well as the maintenance crew."

“You might have a different view if some of them had tied you up and threatened to eat you. They’ve slipped back into savagery, I tell you.”

“We’re in desperate times,” Will said, “Some of the passengers – and some Marines apparently - aren’t behaving much better.

“All right gentlemen,” the Major said. “I’m of the opinion that the Terraformers are not to be trusted. They’ve taken hostages, and I want a fully armed force prepared to go down there on a rescue mission within twenty-four hours, any opposition to be met with deadly force. Understood?”

Both Lieutenants nodded.