Amber Opposition: Amber Opposition, #1

By Stephen Zimmerman

Darin Enwall is a college freshman about to make his first trip into outer space. His destination, the Moon, is the seat of power from which the militaristic Space Confederation rules with absolute authority. Darin shares a connection with the Confederation that threatens to warp both his future and theirs. What awaits him on the Moon? After his arrival, will things ever be the same?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stephen Zimmerman
• Release date: Feb 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781497704398

Book preview

AMBER OPPOSITION

By Stephen Zimmerman

Copyright 2013,2014,2020,2021 Stephen Zimmerman. All rights reserved.

Cover image credit: Apollo 17, NASA

Special thanks:

Lisa B.

Brian S.

Larry V.

Amy Z.

Chapter One - Powers?

The professor’s voice boomed. So you see, in a way we can thank cholera for our status in the world today. For without the 2078 outbreak and what it set in motion, the UCA would likely not have been victorious in the last world war.

A few students chuckled, while a few of the more studious threw less amused glares at the grey-maned man at the podium. A skinny boy with short, light-brown hair sat in the far corner, his distinctive yellow eyes counting the wrinkles on the old man’s face. The electronic notebook in his lap showed a blank page: his writing stylus had gotten little use but for its time spent balanced atop his ruler-straight nose. It was not that the material was inherently boring, or that the professor was a subpar teacher. But it was an abnormally cool August day outside, and the first week of the university year. It was also this freshman’s third day of classes. His arms wore a fading tan, a reminder of the summer days that had just ended.

And that finishes our lecture. Have a good three-day weekend. I’m off. Without another word, the lovably ancient old man at the front of the room grabbed his books and scurried stage left out the door. Students chuckled and murmured, and even the surly first-year in the back cracked a smile. Maybe this university thing would work out after all.

The boy’s name was Darin Enwall, a not too unique name for a boy in a not too unique place. Nestled between corn fields and animal farms, the university city stood as a holdover from a bygone era. While the world went vertical, with skyscrapers and walkways and cars soaring above glowing streets, the college town spurned such niceties, choosing instead to preserve a time when development was much more subdued, brick-face was in style, and plots of grass with nothing on them were commonplace. On the occasional unlucky day, a foul wind from the south would send the student population running inside from the stench of pig farms. The smell was not an ascetic choice: the pigs simply proved, time and again, that no technology could mask their lovely aroma.

Generally this sort of inane train of thought would draw a smile from the boy, but today it was not enough to spoil his sour mood. For everyone else, today was just another day to get acclimated. But Darin found himself in a markedly different situation. Today, he would be heading into outer space on his own, without friends or family.

It was a sort of rite of initiation for a single selected freshman at the start of the year — a product of the university’s renowned engineering program and, presumably, good relations with people in high places. Darin was not the most deserving freshmen, or did not consider himself so in any case. In his own mind, he had received the trip due to his foster father and biological grandfather, Doctor Robert Enwall. Beyond well respected, Dr Enwall was a brilliant professor of robotics and biochemistry, in addition to his medical expertise in the respective fields. It was no shock that the man’s only living relative was awarded one of the highest honors a freshman could receive. What’s more, despite Darin’s quiet protestations, many truly felt the boy was a worthy choice. He was two years younger than a typical freshman, and a top student in the incoming class. A true prodigy, they called him.

Trudging home from his final class, the boy’s weary amber eyes scanned the grey street as he passed by. He didn’t feel too prodigious. The reality he would never admit to was that he simply feared going out on his own — and to outer space, no less! He considered the fear well-founded. The Confederation called the shots in outer space.

Now then, are you packed? a dry voice called from the adjacent room. Darin groaned,

I already said: yes!

I’m getting old, I can’t hear anymore!

Darin shook his head, fighting off the mental image of his grandfather’s smiling face. While it was sometimes frustrating having a revered genius as his legal guardian, the old man’s company was irreplaceable.

I’ll be ready to leave in three minutes, Darin added.

What?!

Darin gazed blankly out the passenger window as his grandfather drove him to the spaceport. As the corn and bean fields of central Illinois whisked by, his mind was lost in thoughts of his imminent trip. And as the time came ever closer, his apprehension grew. Why should he have to go, anyway?

Being selected didn’t mean he had to go — others had declined the trip in the past. Granted, they had valid excuses for doing so, but as far as he was concerned that was a technicality. In fact, from Darin’s perspective, he wasn’t sure why anyone would want to go. Certainly, the moon base was supposed to be a fantastic visit, and a few of the colonies were every bit as amazing as even the most impressive earthbound cities. Yet the foul stench of military institution loomed over the entire trip.

They called themselves the Confederation for Space Exploration, or the Confederation for simplicity’s sake. The organization had a military foundation, but it served a dual political purpose. Half a century before, the scattered space colonies had only the appearance of order, a fragile authority each colony delicately held over its citizens. Situated at the Lagrangian points in the Earth-Moon gravitational system, the colonies were too far from the Earth to be governed effectively by their distant home countries, and either too far apart from each other to form alliances, or too close to remain friendly. Resources were scarce, and the demand for them grew every day as new groups of immigrants came up from Earth below to pursue a new future. It was out of this delicate situation that the Confederation was born. In contrast to its noble guise as arbiter of humanity’s future, the organization served one real purpose: to impose order on the people of the colonies through military might and political force.

Darin did not much care for the Confederation, yet this trip he was about to make was through them — as with all others going to the colonies or the Confederation-controlled moon base.

Is this okay, Grampa?

Doctor Enwall looked startled by the broken silence.

Is what okay?

Moseying around with the Confederation.

Oh, that, the man thoughtfully scratched his wispy beard. Yes, it’s okay.

Darin studied him for a long time. But when his grandfather lied, he gave no sign of it.

The main terminal of the spaceport was a spacious corridor, plated on one side with windows and on the other with a multitude of vacant countertops. This was once an airport, and the sense of emptiness made it obvious. Where there had once been dozens of flights coming in every hour, there were now no more than ten on even the busiest day.

Darin, his grandfather called. The boy turned, his eyes glinting in the overhead light. I’m going to head out. Can you make it the rest of the way on your own?

Darin gave the old doctor a knowing smirk. He had expected this. Grandpa Enwall was always running around from place to place.

I can make it, he declared, sizing up his suddenly heavy suitcase.

A few minutes later, he halted, peering up at a large sign. C-47, it read in large white type. He put his suitcase and bag down, and his right arm reprimanded him for his bravado with a dull sting. He took a seat, rubbing his shoulder and tossing a sideways glance across the terminal. About thirty feet away, a dozen travelers stood in line, anxiously waiting to board a jet of their own. Darin sighed, looking out at the empty hangar on his side.

Slowly, the travelers disappeared one by one. At last the man at the counter picked up his things and left as well, leaving the scraggly-haired boy by his lonesome. He stared out the window, watching the sun inch between clouds. The clouds thickened, and darkened into rain. It did not seem like he would be leaving any time soon.

A pair of footsteps interrupted his thoughts.

Darin stood up, turning to face the sound. A figure in green walked towards him, her (Darin presumed) long blonde hair swaying in rhythm with each step. The distinctive sea-green uniform was the Confederation’s, leaving little doubt as to the newcomer’s allegiance.

As she approached — and it was she — Darin wondered at the girl’s youth. This soldier didn’t look much older than him. Her eyes were bright blue and her young face was fair. The only obvious blemish she wore was the hint of a frown playing on her lips.

If he wore a perplexed expression, she ignored it. In contrast to her blonde hair, her skin was very tan — dark enough to suggest a diverse heritage. She stood only a few inches shorter than him, and spoke in a clear, precise voice,

Darin Enwall, I presume. A pleasure to meet you.

The girl raised her arm in salute. Darin, who had held his hand out to shake, felt his perplexity giving way to outright confusion.

Sir, my name is Carina Ilaria. I apologize for the delay. The weather caused some visibility issues. I will be your pilot for your trip to the colonies, she continued.

The boy thought for a moment, then answered,

Miss Ilaria, it’s a pleasure to meet you as well. Show the way, if you would.

She turned and walked. Darin shrugged, falling into step behind her.

A minute later the pilot girl stopped in front of a pair of glass doors, reaching into a shoulder-held bag that Darin had not paid much attention to. He wondered what she was waiting for. Through the doors lay the rain soaked runway, and perhaps fifty feet past that the shuttle he had watched land moments before.

She produced an umbrella. Darin rolled his eyes, sizing up the rain outside. Without a word, he stepped past her and into the rain.

Sir! she cried.

The boy ignored her. It was a bit more than a drizzle, but certainly no springtime downpour. Darin turned and watched her hurry after him. He smiled — she took this very seriously.

What’s the problem? This doesn’t feel like acid rain to me, he quipped as they walked towards the shuttle. His act may have caught her off guard: she didn’t respond. Wordlessly, she took out a small rectangular device, and the rear hatch of the shuttle dropped open. Darin sized up the ship. Its wings looked inadequate compared to its large frame. To him it seemed less a majestic eagle and more of an overweight turkey, a specimen that had neglected its daily routine in favor of an extra helping of cookies. Its exterior was a medium shade of blue, but looked rather colorless thanks to the weather. In the distance, lightning flickered. It seemed to be a cue to stop dawdling.

There’s no one else on this plane?

A surprised young man stood in the middle of the small center aisle, five seats back from the first row. In front of the passenger rows were the pilot and copilot chairs, along with a plethora of consoles and controls. The boy’s eyes lingered for a moment as he wondered just how long it took to learn to fly one of these shuttles.

No sir, the weather’s terrible in the whole area. Other shuttles have already picked up everyone else, Carina answered, her voice carrying from the back of the vehicle. A moment later the rear hatch was closed, and she had found the pilot’s chair.

Are we going, then? asked Darin. He had a pretty good idea about the answer.

Yes, sir.

He sat down in the front row. As Carina went through the endless preflight procedures, he noted that the copilot’s seat was vacant.

Question, he said.

Yes, sir?

Isn’t there a copilot?

That isn’t necessary, sir.

Darin winced, holding back a chuckle. She took no notice of him.

Another thing, he ventured.

Yes, sir? Her voice carried an almost imperceptible hint of weariness.

Do you really have to call me ‘sir’, Miss Ilaria?

It’s standard operating procedure, sir. Also, please call me Carina.

Again, she did not give him more than a second’s glance. Darin sighed. Best leave her to her work.

Sure, but call me Darin.

The girl pursed her lips.

***

The low rumble of the onboard engines announced a return to normal flight. Darin ventured to open his eyes again. He blinked a few times to clear his vision.

Launch. Eternal minutes of guided terror. Laying on his back with a vice tightened around his stomach and each leg, he would’ve sworn he felt the blood leaving his brain as the G-forces mounted — the inevitable blackout just a blink away, his trip to space scuttled on account of his own untimely demise. Alas.

Lightheaded, and light-bodied as well (perhaps it had been a side effect of the launch: gravity had already lost much of its edge), he sat up and peered through the window as they continued what had become a very smooth ascent. A grey wall of clouds covered the distant ground below. In the distance, the horizon curved, confirming again that the earth was indeed round. He was already miles away from civilization.

Though it was bizarre to be the only passenger, he had to admit he found the solitude relaxing in its own way. He was not exactly a social person. Darin had a group of friends — he was not quite an outcast — but at heart he was an introvert. Not one to relish the spotlight, on some days the only company he wanted was his own thoughts. Currently, they kept him busy as he stared into the depths.

You can sit in the copilot’s chair if you prefer, sir— Darin.

The boy did not react immediately, then smirked as Carina’s comment registered. No longer in the midst of a complicated preflight routine, she appeared to be in better spirits now. Darin took her suggestion. It would be a painful flight if he did not get along with her, and the cushy chair looked pretty comfortable besides.

Have you ever been to space? asked Carina.

Not really, Darin responded automatically. The girl tutted. He explained, I was a baby, so technically yes. But not since I’ve been conscious.

… you were born in space?

Yeah. He looked through the front window, staring off into the darkening sky with a strange expression on his face. You?

I was born on the moon, she replied.

Ah.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Carina looked straight ahead, guiding the plane on its course. Darin alternated between staring at various monitors and tossing glances at the girl. Finally, he said,

Well, I’m just a student… what about you? Anything interesting about yourself?

He wasn’t much for misdirection. For her part, the girl remained unperturbed.

I am part of the special operations military personnel for the Space Confederation Expeditionary Forces.

Interesting. From his perspective, it wasn’t. But he supposed he’d set himself up for that. How long have you been a soldier?

Officially, eleven and a half months, she answered.

And… what do you do?

I’m not permitted to answer that. She stared straight ahead as she spoke, prompting a muffled groan from the boy. He would have to be indirect after all, it seemed.

Then: do you mind if I ask how old you are? He vaguely recalled some taboo about asking that, but manners had never been one of his strong suits either. Luckily, Carina seemed unfazed by this as well, simply saying,

Seventeen.

Same as me. His eyes lingered on her face for a moment. She was attractive, but thankfully not so much as to throw him off his guard. Still, he was finding the brief silence unusually unnerving. What’s it like to live in outer space?

This time, she turned to face him,

I don’t really have anything to compare it to, but it’s nice. You get used to the gravity, if that’s what you mean.

Gravity, food, light, the whole thing. It’s gotta be weird. He couldn’t imagine it.

I’ve never really given it much thought, she admitted.

Darin shrugged. Fair enough.

Well, then, he continued, what’s being in the military like?

It’s not bad, she said, again looking him in the eye, we’re mostly left to our own means. Normally we’re not given very specific orders.

That sounds different from the UCA…

So, sir— she cracked a smile, "I’m sorry. Darin, what’s it like living on Earth?"

The boy’s hand automatically rose to his chin, contemplating. Very routine, he said. Wake up, go to school or work for most of the day, relax and have some fun, then go to sleep.

I suppose I’m wondering how you cope with the inconsistencies of life. Irregular weather, varying lengths of days, that sort of thing.

Darin paused.

Well… even if it’s not regulated like the colonies, it’s not something you think about. I guess we’ve had thousands of years to figure it out. The days blend together enough as is.

The sky had faded to black.

This was outer space. The thought rang out clearly through his mind. He had been born out here. His parents had lived out here. And now he was finally returning. Was that a good thing, he wondered?

Too philosophical, he chided himself a moment later.

When he finally returned from his thoughts, the boy had another priority in mind.

I’m going to apologize in advance for asking this, he said in a peculiarly heavy tone.

Pardon?

What do you know about the Freedom accident earlier this year?

Carina frowned. The Freedom was the name of a Confederation mining platform at the L1 Lagrange point. Rather, it was the name of the platform that had formerly been at that location — it had vanished into space, probably destroyed.

There’s not a lot to know, she responded. It’s gone.

The unspoken part of the conversation was a set of frequently repeated rumors about why the accident had occurred. Purportedly, it was not an accident at all, but a rebellion that had failed, and in the process taken the mining platform with it. The Confederation had a history of hiding accidents, and especially of covering up rebellions. Guessing that rebellion was the cause could never be considered too off the mark in any space catastrophe.

Which was, Darin supposed, the root of his problem.

***

More than forty-five years prior, a tall man glided down a small corridor of the moon base. An upstart government had demanded his presence. They had an offer he could not refuse, they said. The man’s short black hair and glasses framed an emotionless, clean-shaven face. If Robert Enwall still suffered from his family tragedies, he hid it well.

Doctor Enwall, please follow me, a well-dressed Asian man greeted him.

The doctor followed silently. His weary eyes surveyed the corridor. The construction had been done hastily — these flimsy walls would need to be rebuilt by the year’s end. The flimsy corridor gave way to a small, flimsy room.

The good doctor arrives! A gaunt, blond-haired man rose from his desk. The doctor shook his hand, extending his own words of greeting. I’m terribly sorry about the situation, Mister Enwall, the man continued.

If you’ll excuse the lack of formalities, Enwall said evenly, I’d like to get to business. He was not here for the Confederation’s pity.

Yes. I suppose we can get right to it. We would like you to work for us.

On what, exactly?

We would like you to finish your work on DNA modification, and what’s more take it to the production stage.

Enwall frowned. The man was serious, but the request was a joke. Years ago, he would have rejected this proposal without a thought.

You want me to make you a superhuman.

In a manner of speaking, yes.

The doctor sighed. He was barely forty, but already more than a little grey had crept into his hair. Requests like these tended to have that effect.

You couldn’t make this proposal over long distance communication? he finally asked. Insane or not, it was quite a question to drag him all the way to the moon for.

No, this project would be top secret.

Are you not aware of encryption? I don’t understand, why should I even—

Don’t worry so much, dad. The words suddenly echoed through his mind, and Enwall looked to the floor to hide the weakness in his eyes. His decision had been made, he realized. Years ago. He couldn’t go back on it now.

One condition, he murmured.

Pardon?

I’ll do it, but on one condition. Robert Enwall took a deep breath. It’s significant.

What is it? The blond-haired man looked unsure whether to be thrilled or concerned.

If we do this, I want total control of the project. I’ll give you what you want, but I want to control every detail of how it’s done.

That condition was a problem. Of course it was. Nonetheless, the Confederation man’s face scrunched in thought. Even with such a condition, they still needed him.

We can reach an agreement on that, I think? He turned to the man who had walked Enwall in. The shorter man shrugged. In any case, we’d like you to start as soon as possible. You’ll have to relocate, of course, but I suspect you’ll find the moon a lovely home.

Understood, Enwall said. It had been less of a problem than he’d expected.

***

Darin peered through the front window in awe. Before his eyes lay a black backdrop with a foreground of millions of dazzling white dots. Outer space, the voice in the back of his mind again declared. The weightlessness he felt only added to the conviction.

Are we clear of the atmosphere? his voice called out.

That’s a tricky question to answer, Carina responded. Darin gave her a puzzled glance. The line we use is about 120 kilometers above sea level. We’re about there.

Why 120? he asked with genuine interest.

It’s a practical matter. 120 is when the atmospheric drag starts to become relevant.

So, the boy pieced it together, 120 is when you start burning up if you’re going too fast?

That’s about right.

Well, okay. This is good enough. We can turn around and go back now.

Carina looked towards him, bewildered.

That was a joke. He frowned. If he had to explain each one, this would be a long trip.

Darin, how old did you say you were?

Seventeen, he answered.

The girl wrinkled her forehead.

And you’re a freshman at your university? Have they changed the rules?

No, I’m just two years ahead. Well, one really… a lot of people skip the last year of prep school.

Do you find it difficult being younger than everyone else?

Darin studied her demeanor. He suspected this was small talk, but at least she seemed genuine.

I guess, he shrugged, I haven’t really found out yet, since we just started. He added, What about you?

Carina smiled. He wondered if she was usually the one asked this sort of question.

For me, it’s not much of an issue. Most of my work is done alone.

Darin peered out the window glumly. The trip was going smoothly, but something had been festering in the back of his mind since he met this girl. The last discussion had forced it to the forefront.

Why was this pilot girl so young? Youth wasn’t unprecedented, but he found it hard to believe that it was commonplace. Not only that… Not only was this pilot seventeen, she was flying solo, and what’s more with only one passenger: a seventeen-year-old boy. What could go wrong?

Snide observations did not make the question go away. Darin had found a problem. Now that he had given it a foundation, the thought would relentlessly tear at his mind until it was resolved. He could ask her directly, but he knew what the response would be. A different tactic was in order.

Carina.

Yes?

The boy took a breath, knotting his eyebrows in deep concentration.

What do you know about ‘Powers’?

She was silent, and Darin waited. It had not been much, but he’d heard an intake of breath in response to his question. Perhaps he was on the mark. Or perhaps it was just a sore subject for Confederation soldiers.

Powers? she asked innocently. I don’t know what you mean.

So that was how she’d play it.

Forty-some years ago, he recited blandly, the Confederation enlisted the most brilliant scientific minds they could gather and had them genetically modify human DNA to create superhuman children. Those who have had their genes tampered with in this way are commonly called ‘Powers’ for the abilities they gain in the process.

He did not smile. Her feigned ignorance made him all the more sure he was on the right track.

Her youth and abilities gave a hint, but in truth exceptional people could do incredible things with or without artificial genes or DNA matching. Yet she was flying solo here in the most literal sense, and the Confederation permitted it. Perhaps required it. That above all else confirmed the suspicion in Darin’s mind. Beyond all doubt, he felt that this girl was a ‘power’. He could not say why he was so sure, or if it even mattered that she might be one of those so-called superhumans. Just the same, he could not dismiss the surreal sense of certainty in his mind.

After a few hours, Earth was a thing of the past, and as far as Darin could see they were deep within the black emptiness of space. If they were to turn, the Moon or Earth might come into view and once again dominate the picture. But for now, the illusion was unbroken. Something felt genuinely weird about humans living up here. There was so little … of anything.

You still haven’t answered my question, he noted quietly.

Indeed, she had not. Carina had barely said a word since he had used the term ‘power’, and the boy was finally beginning to worry he had made a mistake. That was frustrating. He hated making mistakes.

What can I say? she mumbled wearily. Darin wondered if she had been mulling it over the entire time. If so, he was impressed. He himself had taken to imagining fictional interstellar war tactics hours ago.

I’m sorry, that’s too cryptic, he meant the apology, but realized too late that his smart-aleck remark had overshadowed it.

It’s obvious you won’t believe any answer I give, she declared.

I’ll believe the truth.

Will you?

He paused at the strange question. I try to make a habit of it, yes.

She chewed on her lip. Darin frowned, an uncomfortable feeling in his gut growing. He had forced her into this. Surely that wasn’t fair.

Forget it, he said as much, I’m not being fair. You don’t have to answer.

Darin …

However. Now he felt more confident. What he was about to do felt right. Stupid, too, but right.

As an apology, he began, I’ll answer the question instead.

Darin looked at her. Their eyes met, bright yellow against soft blue. She flinched. Oblivious, the boy took a deep breath. Where should he begin?

Well then, I guess it’d be best to start from the beginning, he decided aloud with a whimsical smile. The Confederation’s motivations for starting the project were smart, I guess. As far as I understand, the old process of modifying the already fertilized embryo had produced odd side effects, and what’s more gave the child a stigma for the rest of their life. Gene therapy and epigenetics only went so far. Blood tests would always tell the truth.

Darin sighed, continuing. He felt like a lecturer. He was sure Carina already knew this, though she remained silent and attentive.

However, as noble as that goal sounds, the reality was that the older techniques had reached their logical limits. Every powerful government in the world had an elite squad of modified humans, chemistry babies. And only so much can be done to the embryo before the child dies. The Confederation wanted to surpass that, probably.

So, around forty years ago, the first batch of the Confederation’s artificially bred humans were born. The group of scientists raised them, supervised them, and studied them. …and it worked out pretty well. Even early on, it was obvious that superhuman results could be achieved even without the previous levels of intense childhood training.

Carina still did not react.

That’s about all I know, Darin finished, not being totally truthful.

Whether because she sensed this, or for some other reason, the girl watched him with a strange, penetrating gaze.

All you know… it’s an interesting story.

It is interesting, but not a story.

And what about the past forty years? she asked quietly.

Darin paused. Her demeanor had changed quite a bit in the few hours he had known her. Perhaps this calm, calculating girl was the real Carina Ilaria.

You tell me. He smiled, sensing that she felt the sudden urge to knock some sense into him.

Once again, sound in the shuttle fell to the low hum of the engines. Frowning, the boy broke the silence by adding,

My grandpa was on that research team.

He did not need to meet her eyes to know her reaction.

***

That wasn’t fair, Darin.

That’s why I said it wasn’t, he noted.

Carina sighed. He had said that, hadn’t he?

Okay, I give up. Powers exist. She rolled her eyes, but appeared to be serious.

Good!

What?

Well, I was getting sort of worried it was a big fairy tale the old man put together.

She laughed.

Convince yourself. It’s no fairy tale, Darin. Neither is that. With an elegant motion of her hand, she motioned to a massive white sphere creeping out of the Earth’s black shadow.

Oh. It was breathtaking. Thousands of the Moon’s craters were visible, but not large enough to break the illusion of beauty. From here, it truly looked otherworldly.

So, are we almost there? he eventually asked.

Not for a couple hours, came the answer.

The boy stifled a groan. Close enough to touch the moon, yet still it was far away.

An hour and a half later, he spotted a forest of surreal, orderly points of light on the tip of the Moon’s white southern surface. This, clearly, was the moon base.

I assume that’s where we’re going? He pointed.

Carina nodded, We’ll land in thirty minutes. Darin absentmindedly took out a palm-sized rectangular device to make note of the time. The girl rolled her eyes.

So, he said, putting it away, do you have any family members up here, Carina?

No, she responded abruptly. He did not pry. What about you?

Just the old man.

Kindred spirits, then. The shuttle again drowned in the quiet hum of its engine.

Darin, could I help you with anything when we land?

The boy did not answer immediately. His thoughts were scattered at the moment, fascinated with the ever larger structure before him. The moon’s surface shone brightly in the reflected sun, and against this backdrop the lunar base looked majestic. It shined a brilliant white — those lights he had seen earlier were not lights, but rather places where sunlight reflected from the glass and metal of the enormous construction.

Uh… Not really, I don’t have much to carry. He gestured to his two bags. But, Carina…

Yes?

Will you be giving me a ride back? He could not have explained why, but it was a suddenly important question.

As far as I know, yes.

Darin felt a twinge of relief. Why was that, he wondered?

It’s amazing, he muttered aloud. A mixture of metal, glass, and presumably moon rock, the moon base had been the first large community in space. It had served as the construction bay for the colonies, and still stood at the center of affairs in outer space.

As they flew in ever lower, the structure loomed ever larger. Darin laughed in disbelief. How much bigger could it get? It looked to be at least fifty stories tall, and that estimate was prone to increase at any moment. But he had to admit that there was something appropriate about building an extremely huge building in reduced gravity. At the very least it seemed easy enough to hold together, barring an unfortunate piece of space debris.

In accord with the thought, a shadowy circular poof of grey powder popped into sight about a quarter-way down the length of the still-growing, glistening roof. Leisurely, the cloud settled — and in its center sat the scattered remains of what had once been a small asteroid. Apparently it would take more than a bit of space debris.

So what was the idea of making this thing so huge? he asked.

There’s a lot inside the moon base, she explained.

Yeah, I know, but…

"I understand your skepticism. But keep in mind, there is a city in there."

The scale made sense when she put it that way.

***

Before long, Darin found himself stepping off the spaceship. It was unnerving: the moon’s gravity felt almost nonexistent, more reminiscent of his recent hours in zero-G than the real deal back on Earth. After what felt like ages, his feet landed on a smooth rock floor.

The hangar bay proved every bit as massive on the inside as it had appeared on the outside. The arching metal and glass ceiling rose four stories overhead, its supports painted in a pleasant shade of medium, sky blue. He smiled at the strange appeal to familiarity in such an unfamiliar place.

Carina had explained most of the details he needed to know. The typical procedure was to send the group of young minds to the moon base, where they would tour the facilities and see some of the more interesting experiments carried out by the Confederation’s stock of scientists. In addition to this academic purpose, there were three or four parties that would be held over the five-day trip, the majority of which used the guests as an excuse for general merrymaking.

She did not phrase the final part of her explanation quite that way, but he understood nonetheless.

Slowly he walked — or rather, bounded — down the long, flat rift in the center of the room. The hangar gave the impression of a boat dock. Only instead of in water, the ships sat on lower ground. An ornate, unnecessarily vast, and wide open double door stood at the far end of the room. He checked his nearly weightless bag to make sure he still had it, then hopped onwards. His movements were not particularly graceful, but he’d manage.

It took longer than he expected to reach the doors. They were somehow even larger than they had looked, stretching inexorably upwards towards the blue ceiling. Sizing up one of the nearby ships, Darin decided there was enough room to squeeze it through these massive monoliths. Before heading through, he paused for a final look at the hangar bay. A small procession of ships hovered slowly, nose to tail, towards the exit. One by one, they crossed into the vacuum and disappeared from sight. It called to mind a parking garage.

After watching Carina off, he turned on his heel and walked through Goliath’s doors.

***

The boy did not make it two steps on the other side before he was hailed.

Hello, Enwall!? Darin Enwall?

The man doing the shouting was about 6‘2 — a fraction taller than Darin — and had a head full of unnecessarily spiky, short black hair. Below the hair was a pair of broad shoulders and a square jaw guarded by a thin beard. He wore the muted green garb of a Confederation officer, and seemed to be eyeing the newcomer with suspicion.

Yes? answered Darin.

Ah, good! the man smiled, taking a few steps to close the distance between them. He was not overweight, but there was a certain largeness about his presence that made the boy uncomfortable. Frank, I found him! He shouted to someone Darin could not see. Perhaps his ‘large presence’ was simply his loudness.

A second man appeared, this one the short, gaunt sort. He gave a curt nod,

Greetings, Mr Darin Enwall. Pleased to meet you, we’ll be your guides.

The second man’s demeanor was jarringly professional, and he wore a dark blue uniform. Darin wondered what the distinction between the two was.

Hi, nice to meet you, he answered automatically.

‘Frank’ nodded again, then turned to the loud man. Markus, what was the plan?

Markus was the loud one, a silent voice in Darin’s mind noted.

We’re giving the kid a tour, then making sure he makes it to the shindig, then you can go back to your police duty.

Frank turned to Darin, forcing a smile to his face. The boy got the sense that this man was troubled by something, but returned an innocent smile of his own.

I don’t believe I’ve formally introduced myself, the man said. My name is Frank Jefferson. This man next to me, who I’m sure hasn’t introduced himself,

Markus snorted.

…is Markus Wolfe. Despite his appearance, you won’t find a better man.

…and despite his appearance, you won’t find a better liar than Frank.

Darin grinned. These two were quite the pair.

Wolfe addressed him, In any case, it’s interesting they sent such a young guy this year. The boy made a confused face. What was that supposed to mean? The man continued, You see, it’s sort of a special occasion up here. We get tourists all the time, but most of them are families or old folks. The best of the best only gather here a few times a year — and this is one of them.

Darin wondered what the explanation had to do with the earlier comment. Frank apparently noticed as well, adding,

I think what Markus was getting at, Darin, is that you look young for a university student. Do you mind if I ask your age?

No, I’m 17.

Wolfe whistled in response.

A child prodigy, then.

Not really, answered the boy.

And modest, too!

Calm down, Markus, Frank interjected.

In any case, we normally hold bets on age, gender, ethnicity, the like. We always get stuck guiding a guy around, though. Wolfe’s voice trailed off, lost in thought.

That’s because they’re afraid of having you around a young woman, Frank coughed.

Hey, I work with plenty of young women, and have no problems!

Yes, but they aren’t civilians.

Darin chuckled. He liked these two already.

If you have any questions, Wolfe recovered, feel free to ask away, Darin.

The boy looked around, but nothing immediately sprung to mind. The inside of this moon base was a surreal place, full of greens and blues of various shades, and with staircases in every corner and chandeliers in every room. No expense had been spared — apparently the Confederation was not short on cash. Beside the decor, the rooms themselves were massive: each at least the size of a gymnasium, with open ceilings revealing balconies as high as the eye could see.

I can’t think of anything, so … let’s start the tour, I guess, Darin shrugged.

Righto then, Frank said, examining the area. Where to start …

Wolfe sighed.

Well, Darin, the taller man began, we call this spacious place Tranquility Bay, and if you’re going to see any of it we should probably walk as we talk.

They crossed onto a smooth, faux-marble floor.

First things first, Wolfe continued, his sharp eyes darting across the room before settling on Darin, Tranquility Bay is a bit more than a tourist attraction and a military base, although those are its two main functions. A number of permanent civilian residents live here as well.

Frank spoke up, Based on the number in permanent residence, Tranquility Bay is the 4th largest city in outer space.

It was only slightly surprising, and not really that impressive. The Confederation’s base of operations would be expected to have a massive number of military personnel on board.

Question, the boy began.

Ask away, both Frank and Wolfe responded simultaneously. They silently scowled at each other.

Are you guys in the military?

Frank answered, I’m not, he is. Which makes no sense, considering our respective levels of professionalism.

I resent that, Wolfe said with a smile. This guy’s a police officer, but it’s not uncommon for people to hold multiple jobs here. For instance, I know a few guys in the military who also do stuff like run shoe shops and hold music lessons. I myself am an illegal drug trader in the offseason.

In spite of his best efforts, Darin felt an incredulous look take hold of his face.

Frank spoke, He tries that one out whenever we end up on tour duty together—

No, I do it every time I’m on duty, not just when you’re around—

—but don’t worry. The crime rate is extremely low up here, because the security is top notch and the folks on duty are extremely well trained.

Oh, give me a break. ‘Well trained.’ I remember you during your Academy days, you went out and partied every night.

Anyway… Frank’s face had turned a slight shade of pink. He addressed Darin, Anywhere in particular you want to go while we have time?

I think we have about two hours before the opening ceremony. Whatever pilot got you up here did a good job, considering the conditions.

Darin had been taken aback by the pace of the conversation, but this still caught his attention. The conditions? He noticed a dark look on Frank’s face. Deciding that answering the man’s question was more important than countering with his own, the boy replied,

I’d like to see the spot of the original landing on the moon, if that’s not too far from here.

A couple thousand miles from here, Wolfe noted, so it depends on your notion of ‘far’.

Darin shrugged.

As they walked from room to room, it began to sink in: Every part of the complex was enormous. He had expected to see small grey corridors and dull surroundings as he had so many times on television, but the moon base had none of those. Every room they entered was a vibrant color, and had a ceiling no lower than twenty feet overhead. Most of the time this was supplemented by balconies and stairways leading to floors above. It gave him the impression of giant ballrooms, glued together one after the other. The rooms were massive, and there were no obvious doors between them, but in spite of this the domed ceilings and symmetry gave the place a disjointed feel. Each archway gave way to another theme, down to the vegetation and scenery: in one room, a row of palm trees would be seen near the door, and in the next, a cluster of evergreens.

He asked about this. Looking thoughtful, Frank spoke,

The biggest reason for this expanse of space you see is pretty simple: down on Earth, and even in many of the colonies, there’s plenty of free space for people to use however they’d like. In outer space, though, you have to build every bit of that free space.

The boy nodded. That made sense.

So the planners of the second version of this moon base, the one you stand in today, decided that this massive series of … open spaces would help solve this problem, and incorporated that into the structural design. Up those staircases are mostly private residences and hotel rooms.

It was hard to imagine living up here, especially with the gravity — or lack thereof. Darin turned to the spiky-haired man,

Excuse me, um, Markus…

Call me Mark, kid.

Then, Mark, do you live here?

No. What clued you in? The man looked impressed. Darin wondered why.

You look a little uncomfortable moving around in this gravity.

Good eye, Darin, he mused quietly. I’m usually not down here, most of my time is spent on the colonies. On duty for the good old SCEF.

S-keff?

Space Confederation Expeditionary Forces.

Wolfe stopped in front of a window.

What’s up? Darin asked.

Frank answered with a silent motion of his hand. Beside the window sat a thin metal tripod, and mounted at eye level upon it were what looked to be a pair of binoculars. The yellow-eyed boy looked through them out onto the bright surface of the moon.

Ah.

A solitary flag stood across the untold distance, its red and white stripes motionless in the vacuum of space. Squinting to see against the painfully bright surface, Darin made out the white stars on dark blue in the upper left quarter of the flag.

Is that the original?

Wolfe laughed. The boy was taken aback. Even Frank cracked a smile when he said,

No, no, it’s a replica.

Darin frowned. How was he supposed to know?

At last looking away and coming to terms with his lack of knowledge of lunar history, Darin retreated to an unrelated question.

How does anybody live in this weird gravity?

Frank looked at him curiously. Darin stared back defiantly. A moment later, the man answered,

For maintaining bone and muscle, we have the old gravity rooms — they’re sort of little exercise gyms that use centrifugal force to simulate Earth’s gravity.

Like the colonies?

Not quite. The colonies have a consistent weightless backdrop, so the artificial gravity they create feels identical to the real thing. But here, we’ve got the moon’s gravity messing everything up, so the rooms are narrow and cramped.

Wolfe added, For the past couple years we’ve had the artificial gravity rooms to work with. Uses gravitrons or something. He shrugged.

"You’ve had the artificial gravity rooms. SCEF personnel only, you’ll recall," Frank responded sourly.

Apparently they’re figuring out the tech, it’ll be in most living quarters in a decade.

I’ve heard that story before, the guide noted skeptically.

Darin looked out the window, only half paying attention to their conversation now.

Frank, Wolfe muttered, you mentioned something earlier.

Frank cast an uneasy glance at Darin, but the boy was contentedly staring out at the lunar landscape.

Yes, it was about the mining platform…

L5-AK? The one we lost contact with?

I think it went down.

That’s ridiculous, Wolfe scoffed dismissively.

All the reports say a small object was spotted burning up in the atmosphere over Siberia last night. It’s consistent with the last location of the platform.

"I don’t care what they saw, there’s no way that thing was knocked out of its orbit all the way to Earth. It was built to be more durable than Stonehenge. What probably happened is it’s stuck in a big debris field. It’s in L5, debris grows on trees there."

The boy now turned to listen to the conversation. Wolfe continued,

Heck, maybe an asteroid hit it. I’d believe that. But even if they got knocked out of orbit, they have enough fuel to find a way to avoid a crash and burn.

Frank shrugged, conceding the point. Still, he looked uneasy.

***

So Darin, what do you think of our humble abode? Wolfe asked, ignoring the massive inrush of people behind him.

The boy rolled his eyes. The group of three stood in a room twice as large as the previous ones, complete with a massive water fountain in its center. This place was an obvious hub of activity, with a variety of shops and restaurants set up along its edges. In any case, ‘humble abode’ could not have been a more inaccurate description. The only thing humble about this room was the lack of gold-plating on the chandeliers.

It’s cool, Darin responded, his eyes drawn to the staggeringly high water fountain. But I don’t know if I could live here.

Nobody really lives here, Wolfe responded, the moon base is more than you’ve seen. There are all sorts of more experimental rooms that imitate the outdoors, gymnasiums, everything you could want.

The boy found the whole thing a little contrived.

Darin, what are your hobbies? This time it was Frank asking. He had been silent for a while, and the troubled look on his face had not faded.

Well, I played football and basketball in Prep School.

Wolfe’s interest was piqued. Oh? Are you any good?

Darin shrugged. I guess.

The taller man elbowed Frank. See? Modest.

Ignoring him, Frank turned to Darin.

Would you like to see the observatory? We’re close, and we still have an hour or so before you’re due.

Again, he wore that worried expression. This man didn’t seem very adept at hiding it.

Sure, that could be cool, the boy answered.

***

There was no advance warning to say so, but as they made their way through the bustle of the enclosed city, Darin sensed it. Something was amiss.

The hallway was actually a hallway now, its size more like a normal building’s. All along its walls were various diagrams and explanations of scientific phenomena. Darin smirked, reminded of old science exhibits back home. Wolfe noticed his expression, but seemed perplexed as to what the boy found so amusing about advanced particle physics.

Before them stood a rectangular door lined with white lights. On it in illuminated, loopy cursive writing was the word Observatory.

I can never tell what this place is from the outside, Wolfe quipped.

As they stepped forward, a Confederation officer plowed through the door. After nearly crashing into Darin, he rushed past the three and disappeared down the corridor.

What was that about?, Darin wondered.

Anyway, Frank said, speaking up again, normally this place isn’t too busy, so we should be able to get a spot pretty easily. Even as he said it, the man looked down the corridor uneasily.

You guys go on in, responded Wolfe, oblivious, I’ve never been one for sight seeing.

Shrugging, Darin followed his now-solitary guide into the observatory. His immediate impression was of a deep, calm, sonorous voice.

The sun and the earth require no guide to find, and Venus and Mars speak for themselves as well. But for everything else, you’ll find a star chart overlay when you look through your telescope. Turn it on with a crank of the side lever, or simply announce the name of the object you wish to see.

Searle’s comet, a woman murmured from a few feet away.

It was a large, dark, circular room. Dim computer screens lined the outside wall, and towards the center a number of pillars rose up to the ceiling in a tighter circular arrangement of their own. When he walked up to one, the boy realized that the pillars were in fact large optical telescopes. He put his head inside to take a look.

He was pointed at the Earth. Startled at the view at first, Darin refocused. Through the lens was central Asia, partially obscured by a large line of clouds. He paused, groping around with his free hand. Suddenly the view twitched and shook wildly, and he felt a smooth lever in his hand. The controls. Good.

Wondering if it was a good idea, Darin searched the starry skies methodically. There, finally, he saw the bright yellow orb of the sun. Clearly some filtering was in place, since he could still see. Thankful, he sized up the nearby star, zooming in. Small wisps of orange curled from the surface out into space and back down, forming erratic hoops.

He was thinking back to his last physics class in an effort to remember how the phenomenon worked when a burst of orange shot from the sun, slowly at first, then continued outward at an alarming rate. Darin looked up to see if anyone else was looking at what he was, but found that his eyes could not see anything in the dark room at the moment. Deducing that he had nothing better to do, he watched the solar flare continue to grow — larger than the others — much, much larger. When its course finally began to fall back into the sun, Darin felt relief, as though some disaster had been avoided. But perhaps that was just the bad feeling in his stomach speaking for him again. He sighed, taking a step back from the telescope. Being paranoid wasn’t going to help him any.

Then a man shouted.

X class! Radiation readings are skyrocketing! Mass solar ejection!

A siren sounded. Suddenly the observatory was bathed in copious amounts of red light. Darin spun, instinctively looking for a face he knew. After a moment he saw Frank standing by the wall, looking quite befuddled.

Another voice spoke, this time in deep, calming tones.

Everyone please head to the underground residential areas immediately. This is just a precaution, but please hurry and do so in an orderly fashion. A glimpse of the man’s face showed a tinge of worry. Military personnel report to your stations.

That last line said a lot.

What’s going on? Does this sort of thing usually happen, or what? Darin asked as they hurried in an ‘orderly fashion’ down the flashing hallway. A frowning, silent Wolfe briskly walked beside him.

No, I don’t know… Frank said between breaths. It’s weird, but it’s not a drill — otherwise the alarm wouldn’t have gone off — and I would’ve known about this beforehand.

I heard somebody mention radiation levels, Darin noted darkly.

Wolfe suddenly spoke up.

Change of plans. We’re in a messy situation right now. The sun just threw a huge temper tantrum— they’re saying we’re going to get hit by one hell of a coronal mass ejection in about thirty minutes. This is about the time we run for shelter. There was a hint of breathless desperation in his voice that Darin had not heard before. Still, the man seemed incredibly calm.

Shouldn’t the magnetic deflector system take care of that? Frank asked. Darin silently wondered what constituted a ‘magnetic deflector system’.

Mostly, but part of the deflector system died last night. This is going to be a rough one.

As for where he got the information, Wolfe did not say. Neither Frank nor Darin asked, and within moments they passed a sign stating ‘PARTICLE SAFE ZONE’.

They don’t mess around with these signs, do they, mused the boy.

***

Darin, I should warn you, Frank’s voice carried over the frenzy of noise from the surrounding crowd. The room was packed with tourists, some of whom were taking the crisis rather well, and some who were not. Yawning, Darin counted himself among the first group.

Warn me about what?

This puts a serious damper on the festivities today. More importantly, it may cut short your whole trip.

The man did not mince words.

How so? asked Darin.

He means that this problem isn’t going to go away, Wolfe cut in. The deflector system being compromised means somebody has to go out and fix it. And nobody can do that with all the radiation coming at ‘em.

About 60% of the public base is off-limits right now, Frank added. We’re pretty much down to the residential areas, these big common rooms, and the hangar bay. That’s a very limited living space for all these people, and the solution may be to send some of them home.

Through the storm? That seemed odd.

It’s counterintuitive, but the shuttles have better shielding than a lot of the moon base. The shuttles are smaller, and newer.

Darin turned the information over in his mind, analyzing it as best he could.

So they’ll delay everything, and I’ll have to wait it out.

Most likely: yes. Frank’s face curved into its increasingly familiar frown.

For a little while you will, but it’s more likely they’ll send you home as well.

They wouldn’t, Markus.

"They would. I would."

Wolfe flipped a coin over in his hand, playing with it to pass the time.

It’s a problematic situation, and the fact that the shielding is down makes it one of the worst we’ve had in a few years here, he said quietly. They’ll wait until the peak burst ends, then start moving the shuttles away. You don’t mess around in space.

So, he continued, now holding the coin close to his eye for inspection, what we’ll do is wait this out for now, and if the good stuff is all canceled … that’s the kid’s cue to head out. He shrugged at Darin.

What then, the boy wondered aloud. Dragging me up here for nothing seems pretty lame. As much as he hated to say it, it was true. Whatever the reason, a ten-plus hour round trip for some sightseeing was more than a bit wasteful.

It’s unfortunate, kid, Wolfe responded, but what’s probably going to happen is they’ll send for your ride to come get you and take you back home — and reschedule this for some other time.

Darin grunted.

This isn’t unprecedented, if I recall a few years ago something similar happened, and they had to push back the whole thing. Four years ago, I think, that scary weapons malfunction.

Frank was orating again, but the yellow-eyed seventeen year old had run out of patience. For the time being, he would sit back in his own little world, waiting for the long trip home.

Chapter Two - Know your enemy.

Peering through the cascading water of a stone fountain, a lonesome figure slumped back on a cushioned bench. Wolfe had left to take care of some things, and Frank had followed this up by delicately suggesting that the boy should take advantage of the situation by doing some sightseeing on his own. He wondered if he was that much of a burden.

Maybe he was reading too much into it. There was a radiation burst on the way, and a lot of tension in the air. People here stood in clusters, moving to and fro restlessly. A constant worried murmur permeated the room. Civility was mercifully high, but beyond that, the situation was a bit of a mess. He surveyed his surroundings. When he had first seen it, the room had reminded him of an old-fashioned ballroom. Now, packed full of people, it gave off the vibe of a music concert. The band seemed to be running late. Alas, none was to come. The lights flickered, and the room fell into a worried silence. Finally, after about twenty seconds, the whispers resumed.

Darin smiled wryly. Even with all of humanity’s technological achievements, if you put them in a dark room all the primal fears returned. He found it morbidly amusing. A mischievous voice in the back of his head proposed making a snake’s hiss the next time it happened.

And he was certain the lights would go out again. Confederation officers flowed in a steady stream through the room in various directions — Darin thought he saw Wolfe at one point. In any case, even the mighty military organization seemed to be caught unawares by the situation. In a way, he could not blame people for feeling uneasy.

But he did not feel particularly uneasy. Perhaps it was because the Confederation was struggling to deal with