Megalodon City, Tundra, Standard Year 403 after founding

  Commander Hodgins came by a few hours later, flanked by two drones and two additional members of the Black Hawk crew. Alanna watched them walk up warily. She knew neither of the two crew members, a man and a woman. The man nodded to her, seeming friendly enough. The look in the woman’s eyes however, was ice cold. A reminder that while she had the support of many Black Hawk crew members, even here not everyone was on her side. And it was going to get much, much worse when she reached the planet. Many on the Black Hawk knew there was at least a chance they would be wounded or dead if she hadn’t surrendered. They had good reasons to be on her side. She would have no such protection on Tundra.

  Commander Hodgins held out a pair of heavy looking metal manacles, threading them between the bars of the cell. “Please put these on.” He said.

  The fun part of good faith cooperation was just getting started, Alanna could certainly see that. She placed the metal cuffs around her wrists and awkwardly closed the locks on each side. As she had suspected, they were heavy.

  “Give us a minute.” Henry motioned to the two guards.

  Alanna watched as they stepped back. The drones pulled back as well, outside of hearing distance.

  “James can’t be here.” Henry said, stepping closer to the cell bars. “He says be patient, stay calm, and don’t do anything stupid. He also said don’t be afraid of the cameras. He says, if asylum doesn’t work out, he has a plan B.”

  “The cameras?” Alanna hissed, horrified. She was having a hard time focusing on anything past Henry’s mention of cameras.

  “That’s what he said. Follow your damn orders.” He stepped back from the cell and motioned Alanna’s security detail to return. “Step back from the bars, lieutenant. We’re going to unlock the cell and escort you to your destination. The shuttle to take you to Tundra is in the docking bay.”

  “What about the rest of my crew?” Alanna asked, not bothering to keep her voice down. She had a right to know.

  “They’ve already been transferred. They’re on their way home.”

  Alanna breathed a sigh of relief. There were no guarantees but Tundrans typically honored prisoner exchange promises. The benefits of killing forty civilians in cold blood had to be limited. She walked down the now somewhat familiar corridors of the Black Hawk, back to the docking bay. The shuttle was waiting. Alanna took a deep breath. While she had traveled across the solar system and been on a number of space stations, she had never actually visited another planet. She would not be breathing the same recycled station air. For the first time in her life, she was about to breathe the air of an alien planet.

  The trip down took about two hours. The shuttle layout was similar to that of a passenger plane, but more spacious, to make room for equipment typically carried by the troops. Henry gave her one of the window seats and sat on the other side, with the two other crew members sitting behind them. Ignoring the shackles and her neon green clothing, Alanna pressed her face against the window. They were already deep within the minefield of nuclear warheads surrounding Tundra. Death in their skies, blocking out the stars. She swallowed, trying not to flinch as the shuttle flew so very close to one of the nuclear warheads floating in orbit. A Sarayan ship would have been evaporated before it ever got this close. The minefield obstructed some of the view but beyond, Tundra could be seen, glowing in the weak light of the distant star at the heart of their solar system. Most of the planet was iced over already, but a thin blue strip of what must be liquid ocean could still be seen around the equator, where temperatures were at their warmest. Unlike Saraya, Tundra was a geologically active planet whose surface was covered with islands, rather than large, stable continents. Some of the island chains could be glimpsed against the deep blue of what must be the Tundran ocean. Alanna was surprised to see the intense blue. Saraya’s oceans were green. Beyond the equator, the entire planet was snow covered ice, with land being indistinguishable from the frozen ocean below.

  The pilot was good at his job and they hit the planet’s atmosphere at just the right angle, evening the trajectory of their descent to fly more gently along the curvature of the planet below. It might have been a pleasant flight if it wasn’t for the unavoidable pressure of Tundra’s gravity smashing into her. Tundra’s gravity was about five percent higher than old earth’s and nearly ten percent higher than Saraya’s. The gravity settings aboard the Black Hawk had been earth standard at most, perhaps even less. Worse, artificial gravity wasn’t quite the same as the real thing. It had been years since Alanna experienced the gravity of a real planet and it hit her like a wall. The metal around her wrists pressed into her skin and for a minute she thought she would not be able to raise her hands at all. Carefully, she tested her ability to lift the manacles from her lap. It was uncomfortable, but doable. She tried to ignore the worried glance Commander Hodgins cast her way.

  They were flying through the cloud cover now, down to the ocean below. Alanna could see when they crossed the line from frozen ocean to icebergs floating in blue water. As their descent continued, the icebergs faded into water so blue it was nearly purple and the white foam of the waves, now close enough to be seen below. She raised her hands carefully, clearing the mist from the window, which was now fogging up from the warmth inside the shuttle, contrasting with the cold temperatures outside. Somewhat blurry in the distance, she could now see the lights of the city. At first, she thought it was a wall of cliffs but as they flew closer, she realized they were manmade structures. Giant gray buildings that had to be fifty or sixty stories each, rising up like giant cliffs along the shoreline. Unlike the blue ocean below, the land was already white and covered with snow. On the outskirts of the city, there was a forest of… something. They weren’t quite trees and they were neither green or purple. The plants had no leaves but thick branches or circular crowns covering the entire surface, and came in varied shades of black, brown, orange and red. Here and there, a flash of blue or green could be seen. The surface of each plant remained clear, miraculously shedding the surrounding snow and ice and leaving every inch exposed to the dim light of the sun. Far in the distance, something that looked like a giant, reptilian bird soared into the sky. The landscape was entirely, shockingly alien.

  “Alanna.” Henry’s voice startled her out of her reverie. “We’re landing soon. Are you ready?”

  Alanna hesitated. She hated admitting weakness but her orders were to show no fear to the cameras and she was worried about her ability to stand. “I may need a minute.” She said shortly. “The gravity is – an adjustment.”

  “No problem.” Henry nodded, acknowledging the situation. “The cameras shouldn’t be there when we leave the shuttle. But they’ll be there once we exit the ground transport. You’re famous.”

  Alanna nodded. Nothing like Tundran prison greens and manacles to help one make a good first impression.

  The shuttle landed in a field of snow lit up with warm, orange lights and surrounded by at least a dozen stone towers, rising over forty feet into the sky. She waited. She vaguely recalled seeing cold winter gear. There were supposed to be bulky, puffy coats and face masks to protect one’s face and lungs from the frozen air. What everyone was wearing wasn’t it. Surely, they wouldn’t all walk out of the shuttle into the empty, snow covered field outside and go for a stroll in their uniforms? To her relief, a ground vehicle approached, stopping a short distance from the shuttle. Alanna looked over at Henry, but he seemed unperturbed. Everyone started getting out of their seats. It was only a short distance but there was no structure connecting them to the ground vehicle. There was just open air and snow covered ground. The shuttle doors lowered and ice-cold air, reminding her of the cold vacuum of space, flowed into the shuttle. Commander Hodgins got up, offering her his hand to help her up from her seat. Alanna took a deep breath and pushed herself up. The weight of the metal on her wrists threw her slightly off balance, but she recovered. It wasn’t the most graceful exit but she was standing up in the aisle of the shuttle, the blast of cold air from the opened doors cutting through the thin fabric of her clothes and biting into her skin.

  They all walked out, in her case flanked by the guards and the two drones. There was something on the surface of the snow, perhaps ice. Her feet didn’t sink in but it felt like walking on a smooth sheet of glass. She still had her magnetized space boots, perfect for walking along the metal surface of a space station. Not particularly helpful on the current surface. Everyone else’s shoes seemed to leave dents in the ice, as if they were made to dig in rather than slide. Where others had walked, the snow looked rougher, almost reminiscent of the rough diamond surface of D12. Just as Alanna moved to step into the roughened path, her foot slipped. She may have been able to recover her balance if it weren’t for the manacles dragging her down. She overbalanced, falling hands first onto the ice.

  “Hold.” Henry shouted, stopping the drones just in time. Sudden movements would have typically resulted in stunners being used to neutralize the prisoner.

  Gritting her teeth, Alanna got back up. The palms of her hands were scraped and very, very cold. The ice cold eyes of the female guard followed her suspiciously, but no one said anything. She straightened up and finished walking to the ground transport vehicle.

  “Brin, can you help get her ready?” Henry asked, a worried frown on his face.

  The female guard nodded once, sharply, and motioned for Alanna to precede her to the back of the vehicle.

  Alanna followed. Good faith cooperation, she reminded herself for the hundredth time. She was led to a small bathroom in the back of the vehicle.

  “I’m going to wash your face and brush your hair. You won’t be able to do it with the cuffs.” Brin said shortly, taking out a hairbrush from her pack.

  If she was concerned about any escape attempts or other misconduct, she did not show it. In fact, if Alanna’s goal had been to allay suspicion and lull everyone into a false sense of complacency, that fall would have been a stroke of genius. Unfortunately, they had every reason to be complacent. Alanna waited patiently while the guard washed her face. Whatever her personal feelings, Brin did her job with quiet competence.

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  “Moisturizer and lip gloss.” Brin said shortly, taking out each and proceeding with her task. “Do you want makeup?” She asked.

  “No.” Alanna responded immediately.

  “Well, I don’t suppose you need it.” Brin shrugged. “You are as camera ready as you’re going to get. Let’s go.”

  “Do you have a problem with me?” Alanna asked, genuinely curious.

  Brin hesitated. “No problem.”

  “Fine.” Alanna shrugged.

  “You’ve killed our people.” Brin said flatly. “Or at least you’ve tried. Can you swear that you haven’t?”

  “No. I can’t swear to that.”

  “I know you stopped. I know you probably saved some of our lives. And I’m glad you did, I am. It’s why I’m here, helping you. That and because the captain ordered it. But you killed our own. I have family that died. My sister… it doesn’t matter. It’s done. You’re presentable. Let’s go.”

  Alanna walked back to her seat on the ground transport shuttle, staring out the window at the empty, snow covered field and the ring of towers beyond. There were only two other shuttles remaining on the empty field. Alanna looked up as they drove past one of the towers, which seemed to serve as security checkpoints, containing several armed guards. Other than the towers rising up towards the sky, all around them was a flat, empty field of snow. Oddly, it reminded her of Phoenix Penn. Instead of snow, the Sarayan prison was surrounded by an empty field of concrete, at least ten feet thick to prevent the Sarayan plantlife from penetrating the surface, stretching out towards the towers surrounding the outer perimeter. It was, as she had reason to know, a very effective way to secure the area.

  The security team clearly knew the Black Hawk crew by sight, waving Henry through after only a cursory glance, although at least one of the guards noticed her, even in the very back of the transport. His cold, security trained glance lingered over her briefly, pausing on her chained wrists before nodding and waving them through. Once past the checkpoint, they flew over the ice and snow, soon joined by other transport vehicles on the way to the city. It was early afternoon and the weak sunlight was shining down through wispy clouds in a blue gray sky. While the sunlight was weak, the glare as it hit the snow was surprisingly bright, creating a sparkling haze over the scene. In the distance, the giant gray skyscrapers of the city loomed closer. They didn’t head into the city itself but rather went around, towards the outer perimeter of the city. Their destination was an isolated structure, shorter than the other buildings, and with far less windows. The prison, Alanna guessed. A long standing Summers family tradition.

  “Alanna.” Henry said quietly. “We’re here. There will be press.” He hesitated. “You’re gonna do great, all right? James and I are making arrangements. You’re not on your own, there will be people to watch your back on the inside. Just give us a bit of time to set it all up.”

  Alanna nodded. She had nothing particularly useful to say, and so remained silent. The ground transport came to a stop in front of the short, windowless structure. No one got up, waiting as additional guards came out of the building, lining their path.

  She wasn’t going to say anything. She had nothing helpful to say… “Excellent use or resources.” Alanna murmured. “I was just about to blow up the planet but those six extra guards are just the thing to foil my evil plan.”

  To her surprise, Henry looked a shade guilty. “There’s protocol, ok? I’m not James. I have to follow the protocol. Just be patient. Are you ready?”

  “The sooner the better.” Alanna said without hesitation. “And please stomp the ice extra hard as you go. I don’t have the right tread on my shoes and not falling on my face in front of the cameras was strongly implied in the orders I was given.”

  Henry nodded. “You got it. Let’s go.”

  Alanna straightened her spine, ignoring the pressure she was still feeling on her chest from the unaccustomed weight of the planet’s gravity, and walked out of the ground transport. They were not kidding about the cameras. Beyond the guards, at least a dozen reporters were vying for the perfect shot of the Sarayan traitor. Alanna had her orders. Her calm, clear eyed gaze met the cameras without hesitation as she walked into the Tundran prison, without so much as a stumble.

  The doors to the prison structure were heavy, solid metal. Once they were all inside, the doors closed with a muted thump, shutting out the press on the outside. They now stood inside of a relatively small room, the walls made of the same familiar smooth metal.

  “We can take it from here.” One of the prison guards said.

  “This prisoner comes with specific instructions.” Henry said firmly.

  The guard nodded. “That’s fine. We can discuss it afterwards. We’re not going to do it with her here.”

  “Fine.” Henry said shortly. “Should we uncuff her now or…”

  “In her cell.” The same guard responded immediately. “Prisoners are to remain cuffed in all public areas.”

  “Fine.” Henry repeated. “You might just want to take the keys.” He handed them over to one of the other guards.

  Alanna started when the entire room vibrated slightly, as if it were moving. After a moment, she realized they were all in a large elevator. Once the elevator stopped, a door in the rear opened onto a long, low ceilinged hallway. The prison guards flanked her on all sides, gesturing for her to proceed. All members of the Black Hawk crew remained behind.

  The first thing she noticed was the cold. Alanna knew it would be cold, but the icy air of the hallway was a shock when it hit her. The ground transport had been heated, and so was the elevator. This hallway must be heated, she thought. An unheated space in the deep Tundran winter was a death sentence within minutes, certainly within hours. The planet was not suitable for human habitation without environmental controls. She breathed out, watching the steam from her breath form in front of her. Good faith cooperation…

  She followed the guards, who moved ahead at a fast clip. Based on her understanding of the size of the structure, her cell was at the very far end of the building, farthest from the elevator. Once again, the Tundrans went for the old-fashioned approach. The floors, walls and ceilings were rough concrete. The doors were made of solid, heavy metal with a barred window in each door, about face level. She assumed each cell had the same layout, although no one gave her a chance to glance into the others as they walked down the hallway, at speed. One of the guards opened her door with a hollow, scraping sound as the lock was undone. The guards stood aside, waiting for her to enter. No one said a word. She went in, looking down at her manacles pointedly and hoping someone would notice. The cell door slammed shut. To ask or not to ask? The weight of the metal was digging into her flesh, leaving welts that would worsen if the metal bands weren’t removed.

  Alanna gritted her teeth. “Hey. You guys maybe want to take these off?”

  The footsteps paused, then continued down the hallway. Right. She stepped back from the door when she heard another set of footsteps returning in her direction. A hand with a key came through the barred window embedded into the door of her cell. “Here you go, lieutenant. Please pass the cuffs back once you’ve got them off.”

  Alanna then learned it was quite awkward to remove your own handcuffs. She dropped the key twice before finally managing it. Thankfully, the guard said nothing, waiting patiently. Finally, she got the damn things off and handed them through the window along with the key. “Thank you.” She said, and very much meant it.

  Hugging herself to retain what little heat she could, she looked around the small, narrow cell. With her back to the door as she entered, a toilet was on her left and a large sink on her right, with soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and a comb piled neatly under the faucet. Both the sink and the toilet were made out of molded metal and seemed to be growing directly out of the rough concrete floors. Next, along both the left and right sides of the cell stood what looked like concrete benches, big enough to seat a single person. Behind the two benches, resting against the back wall of the cell, was a mattress. Alanna’s mouth tightened. The mattress was on the floor, somewhat small for the space. Surrounding the mattress were four metal hoops, each embedded into the concrete floor. It would be very easy to tie a person, spread eagle, onto the mattress. And there would be space around the mattress to approach from any side. She carefully touched one of the concrete benches, then placed her hand more firmly onto the surface. It was slightly warm. The only thing heated in the space. That, of course, was where the interrogators would sit. The mattress itself was bare, and approximately in the middle was a large, reddish brown stain.

  “Good times.” Alanna murmured out loud, carefully sitting cross legged on one of the concrete benches and soaking up what little heat she could. She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes.

  ---

  A few hours later, Alanna established that with some difficultly, she could still do push-ups and sit-ups in Tundran gravity, although it left her muscles aching and trembling from the strain. She was also bored out of her mind. She considered trying to do a handstand but dismissed it as that would be bouncing off the walls in a near literal sense. There wasn’t much to do but sit and try to soak up what little warmth she could.

  As evening approached, the single overhead light embedded seamlessly into the ceiling dimmed. A few times, the faint steps of what Alanna guessed was another guard doing their patrol could be heard but so far, no one approached the door of her cell, leaving her entirely alone with her thoughts. Resolutely uninterested in any sort of introspection, Alanna felt her eyelids begin to droop. The bloodstained mattress seemed especially unpalatable so in the end, she curled up tightly on her side and just managed to fit onto the heated concrete bench behind the sink, her hair falling off the side as she slept. In retrospect, that had been a mistake.

  Alanna was sleeping lightly enough that stray noises continued to wake her. The sound of footsteps approaching woke her for the fourth time. Except this time, they didn’t recede but rather continued on towards her cell. Unsure of what to do, she remained in place until she heard the sound of fabric shifting as someone came right up against her door.

  “A new one.” An unfamiliar drunken voice slurred from behind the door. “You look good lady. You look good enough to warm right up. Let’s be friends, ok?”

  “Shit.” Alanna said under her breath. Just how far was good faith cooperation supposed to go? Probably not this far. The cell was cramped, which already put a smaller opponent at a severe disadvantage. She stood up on the bench as the guard came through the door, hoping the added height would provide some advantage. It didn’t. Surprisingly fast for a drunk, the guard took her down with one large arm, sweeping her off the bench and onto the blood stained mattress below before she had the chance to move. He practically fell on top of her, his weight crushing her and knocking the breath out of her lungs, already strained by the unaccustomed gravity. She couldn’t breathe. Her feet were trapped and completely immobile and her right arm was being held down as well. She tried punching him with her left hand and was ignored entirely, her punch apparently so weak as to be beneath his notice. In desperation, Alanna reached out with her one free hand and grabbed an ear, pulling as hard as she could.

  “Agh, you goddam bitch what the…”

  Taking advantage of his distraction, Alanna finally got her strained muscles to cooperate and twisted enough to get her knee into the right position, putting all her strength into bringing her knee up and into his groin.

  His response was an open armed slap across her face, but the strength of the blow left her reeling and dizzy. At least the weight finally came off her chest, leaving her desperately gasping for breath.

  “Fine you frigid bitch. Freeze here. I don’t need this.” The guard muttered, walking out of the cell door and slamming the door behind him.

  Dragging herself up, Alanna sat in the back corner of the cell, now mostly hidden by one of the concrete benches. It was colder but just then, she didn’t care. At least there would be no need for ice to cover the bruise she could feel developing along one side of her face. The air came pre-iced. She wanted to keep watching the door but her eyelids started to droop again from exhaustion. After a while, she allowed herself to drift off to sleep. There was no point in doing anything else. She had no illusions about her abilities. It wasn’t that she successfully fought off the drunken guard. She had just barely managed to convince him she wasn’t worth the bother. And even that had been a close call. If two guards returned, fighting would be pointless.