Tags:
Science-Fiction,
Space Opera,
Military,
Science Fiction & Fantasy,
cyberpunk,
Hard Science Fiction,
Exploration,
Space Exploration,
Galactic Empire,
Space Fleet,
Space Marine,
Colonization,
space opera science fiction thriller
there. It was probably still in there.
If they’d left him alone this long, they would probably leave him alone a bit longer.
Fumbling in haste, he undid the seals of Fr. Lynch’s pack. Lifted aside the crucifix, and there was the tablet. As soon as he touched the screen, it automatically established a connection to the farm’s wifi network. Mendoza experienced a physical sense of relief when the familiar Shackleton City log-in screen appeared.
And boom, he was in. The tablet had automatically logged in with its own ID, which turned out to be ‘St. Ignatius Parish Council.’ Unlike wearables, tablets often belonged to places rather than people. He’d gotten lucky. That wouldn’t set off any alarms, if Fr. Lynch often came here to say Mass.
It was 9:36 local time. Susmaryosep! They had walked all through the night and into the morning. Weird that he wasn’t tireder …
In his hyper-alert state, Mendoza needed only a few seconds to set up a transparent proxy and connect to a little-known redirect service that would channel his session through a privately owned dark pool. With that in place, he logged into his comms program. He now had 42 voice and text messages from Derek Lorna. He shook as he skimmed them. In the most recent message, Lorna threatened to “fucking bury you. Quidditch on Mercury! Give me a fucking break! Who designed that kiddie shit? Who are you working for?”
Mendoza decided to check the news. That would be calming. Mercury … UNVRP …
Jesus!
Riots on Mercury ‘Under Control,’ Says UNVRP
Zazoë Heap Critically Injured in Mercury Shootout
Ringleaders Claim They Acted in Response to Genetic Discrimination
Zazoë Heap Fighting For Life
24 Hours Before Election, Violence Overshadows Campaign
Zazoë Heap Dies of Her Wounds, Was Shot During Mercury Riots
Death Toll From Mercury Riots Reaches 117
UNVRP Deputy Director Ulysses Seth Dies in Riots on Mercury; Was A Nobel Prize-Winning Scientist
Zazoë Fans Stage Grief-Fests on Earth, Luna, Ganymede, Titan, Ceres, Eros
Candidates for UNVRP Directorship Share Their Memories of Zazoë
Candidate Mork Rapp Calls for Election to be Postponed in Honor of Zazoë …
Mendoza’s mouth hung open. Clearly, a lot had happened while he was off the internet.
He frantically typed on the tablet’s screen, trying to track down any mention of Elfrida. One hundred and seventeen dead. Was she among them?
The door opened. A woman in an elegant floor-length dress walked in, followed by a 150-centimeter, chrome-skinned bot wearing a black tailcoat and pinstripes.
Caught off guard, Mendoza hurriedly stuffed Fr. Lynch’s tablet back into his pack.
“Is this the guy?” the woman said.
Fr. Lynch came in, trailed by Simon and several other laborers. “That’s him,” Fr. Lynch said. “Reyes, this is Dr. Martine Miller. She’s going to patch you up.” Mendoza caught on. They didn’t trust Dr. Miller enough to let her know who Mendoza really was.
“Not often I see anyone here complying with the dress code,” Dr. Miller joked, nodding at Mendoza’s tweeds. “If you could just lie down on this cot, Mr. Reyes … Gloves,” she added to her robot assistant. She put on the sterile gauntlets it handed her, and peeled Mendoza’s socks off. “Yowch. How did you do this to yourself?”
“Went into Wellsland to sell produce,” Mendoza improvised. His brain was still full of images of carnage from Mercury. “Missed the last train and decided to walk back. Big mistake, huh?”
“I’ll say. Well, I’m going to disinfect these abrasions and clean them, then we’ll be able to tell how much damage you’ve done to yourself. But right now I’d say you will need to put your feet up for a while. Literally.”
Mendoza nodded weakly. Removing his socks had hurt. The pain made him want to punch Dr. Miller in her freckled little face—an odd reaction, unlike him.
She went to work with disinfectant and swabs. “Let me know if you’d like a painkiller,
Stephanie Julian
Sasha Kay Riley
Scarlet Pierce
Kailin Gow
Lilith Saintcrow
Chelsea M. Cameron
Stephen King
Alexander Kent
L. Alison Heller
Laura Driscoll