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  Molly answered, “Yes. We have the antidote being made right now, but we need to figure out a mechanism to deploy it.” She walked over to the array of boxes and unassembled equipment. “Are you able to drop everything to jump on this?” she asked.

  Brock showed signs of relief. “Sure!”

  He waved to Crash, who shook his head smiling. “Knew you’d end up leaving all this shit with me,” he said, shuffling a box towards a storage room with his foot.

  “Baby boy, you know I’ll make it up to you!” Brock did his fairy dust wave and wiggled his fingers. Crash couldn’t help but grin, even if he did blush a little bit at his comrade’s unconventional mannerisms.

  Brock turned and walked over to the second new set of benches they’d managed to erect in the last few days. Molly and Paige followed. “So what’s the design brief?” he asked, opening his holo to take notes.

  Molly reeled off the spec. “It needs to deploy at least two kilograms of the water-soluble fluid that we create. It will need to fit into post-filtrated water channels… but I don’t know enough about the inner-construction of the waterways there.”

  Brock looked up from his notes. “You’re thinking it’s going to need to be a custom job?”

  Molly shook her head. “No. I think that is too risky. If they’ve replaced any parts from the original design specs, we’re completely screwed.”

  She pulled up a stool and sat at the bench. “I think our best bet is to get an idea of the dimensions we have to play with, or find out what the material is around that area, and see if we can breach it safely.”

  She thought for a moment. “Then create something that has a time release, semi-permeable membrane.”

  Brock stepped back half a step and bent his knees to emphasize his shock. “Shit, boss. You don’t ask for much!”

  Still, his heart was beating harder, and excitement was welling in his chest. Molly could tell he was secretly relishing the challenge.

  She smiled. “Good that I’ve got the best guy on the asteroid for the job!”

  Brock smiled and nodded in acknowledgement, and then realized that he was probably the only rocket scientist on the asteroid. “Hey!”

  Paige laughed at his delayed reaction.

  Brock scrambled to find something witty to say back, his mouth half-open. “Well…” he searched his brain some more. “Well…“ then finally, “Okay. I got nothing.”

  Paige sniggered playfully. He glared across at her in mock anger. “Girlfriend, you’re meant to be on my side!”

  She corrected him, shaking her head, her hair bouncing around her face. “Oh no, boy-o. I’m always on the boss’s side!” She laughed, “and she got you good there.”

  Molly was enjoying the conversation, but had to move things along. “So how long?” she asked.

  Brock composed himself. “To design and build?”

  “No. Just design. If we send the schematics to our new guy on the surface, then he can have it built there. We haven’t got time to physically transport something. It’s bad enough we can only send downloadable data pockets.”

  “New guy?” he asked.

  Molly nodded. “Yeah, Joel just hired a computer guy.” She got up from the stool.

  Brock had a rare look of confusion on his face. “Why do we need another computer guy? I thought you and Oz were da business?”

  She smiled. “We are! Well, kinda. But there are limitations. Plus, as you can see, there are instances where having computing ability in another body is a useful thing. Like when we need boots on another planet.” She winked, content that their hiring decision was already panning out nicely.

  “Ahh, yes,” Brock agreed. “That makes sense.” He paused a moment, contemplating the task at hand. Flicking through his holo he arrived at a conclusion. “I think if I can get the schematics of the water plant fairly fast, I can have something for you in a few hours.”

  Paige raised her eyebrows. She would have expected it to take much longer. Molly looked happy, too. “Excellent, thank you,” she said, and started walking away. “Oz has already downloaded the schematics for the three plants onto your holo. Should save you an hour.”

  Brock looked like the carpet had just been pulled from under him. “Does that mean I have one hour less to complete this task?” he called anxiously after her.

  He looked down at the download hitting his holo.

  Molly didn’t answer, just kept walking.

  “Okay. Got the download. On it, boss!” he called after her.

  She turned, gave him a thumbs up and a wink, taking a couple of steps backwards, and then turned around again, and disappeared out of the door.

  Paige walked after her, her high heels clicking away.

  Unknown Laboratory, Undisclosed location, somewhere around Spire

  The clinical, dimly-lit lab buzzed with artificial light and gently humming machines. A small team of three scientists in lab coats and protective masks worked steadily and methodically, despite the late hour.

  The two round devices were on one of the side benches, just waiting to be charged with their deadly fluid. The scientist nearest the humming machine checked the settings and signaled to the other two that it was nearly ready.

  The other two started clearing up the numerous samples and materials they had been using that night. The shorter one pulled up his holo and sent a message, then nodded to the one watching him.

  Without any words necessary for communication, they worked like a hive mind. A couple of minutes went past, and the humming machine stopped. The scientists gathered around the oven-like device, as the one who had been monitoring it opened the door.

  Inside was a circular rack of test tubes on a carousel, each one filled with a deep green liquid. The first scientist carefully pulled out the array, backed up slowly and then placed it on the bench. Then one of the others took one side of it, and helped the first scientist carry it over to the bench with the two devices on it.

  They placed the rack down gently, then the three scientists started delicately and slowly taking the test tubes, one-by-one, and pouring the liquid into the first device.

  When they had gone through a requisite number, they switched, and filled the second device before cleaning up.

  It wasn’t long before they heard footsteps down the corridor.

  Heavy footsteps.

  From feet wearing combat boots.

  The footsteps grew louder. The scientists had stopped what they were doing to watch the double doors to their lab.

  A figure emerged. He was wearing a black atmos suit with reinforced armor plating, and a helmet used in biking or pod racing. From his height and build, he must have been Estarian.

  The lead scientist stepped over to the devices and waved his hand at the stranger. The helmeted figure stepped over to them, swinging a bag from his back, and picked up each device in turn and placed it in the carrier. The scientist couldn’t help but notice that the bag was a hazardous materials container, with a foam interior that would hold and protect the two devices.

  Once the figure had sealed up the bag, he turned and left.

  The scientists continued their clean up, now with more gusto and less caution.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Gaitune-67, Safe house, Molly’s lab

  The machine in Molly’s lab stopped humming. Paige looked up from her holo. She had been waiting in the lab while Molly took a rest. Amusing herself with the last three months’ of Vanity Magazine, she couldn’t help but daydream about a full-page spread of beautiful photography for her new line of nail varnish.

  Now, alone in the lab, with the machine that was humming having stopped, she looked at the door. She wanted to yell for Molly, but she could be anywhere.

  She started to get down from her stool, when Molly practically ran into the lab.

  “I think your -” Paige started.

  “I know. Oz told me.” Molly walked past the device to a drawer. Pulling out two masks, she threw one to Paige and took one herself. T
hen she pulled out a pair of lab gloves and put them on, too.

  Paige quickly put the mask on herself. She really wasn’t keen to be exposed to anything, but her curiosity stopped her from leaving.

  Molly walked over to the oven-like device, flicked a couple of switches, and then opened it up to haul out her test tubes.

  “What is it?” Paige asked, watching as Molly carefully moved the rack over to the bench where her microscope was.

  “One of these is the antidote,” Molly reported. “Now I need to discover which one.”

  Paige continued watching, her holo now forgotten. “How will you know?” she asked.

  “By combining each one with the toxin in turn, and seeing which one reacts. Then I’ll have Oz analyze the chemical make-up, and send the result to Eugene.”

  “Sounds like we’re almost there, then.” Paige looked genuinely relieved.

  “Yeah. There’s a little work still to do, but barring any disasters, we should be okay.” Molly hadn’t looked up. She was busy making up the first combination to look at.

  Paige remembered her holo and was about to close it down when something caught her eye.

  It was Molly’s name. On a downloaded news report. Paige clicked into it. She read a few lines and then called over to Molly. “Hey, I know you’re busy and all… saving the world.”

  She hesitated, trying to read what the report was saying about Molly. “But you’re in the news again. Something about being associated with the two scientists that have gone AWOL with a toxin…”

  Molly looked up. “Let me finish this,” she said, using all her willpower to stay focused, and not march over to the holo and find out what was being said about her.

  Molly got to a stopping place, and then ripped off her rubber gloves as she marched across the lab to where Paige was sitting, reading. “Show me,” she demanded.

  Paige turned the holo screen to her. “Says you’ve been consorting with a faction within Ventus. They’re saying you’re the cause of the toxin, and they’ve related the violent incidents to the use of the toxin. They’re calling them ‘acts of terrorism’.”

  Molly’s eyes flicked back and forth as she read the details. Eventually, she looked up. “At least they’ve made the connection between the toxin and the violent outbreaks. Seems they haven’t linked the deaths to the violence yet. But that won’t take much time.”

  Molly turned and went back to the other side of the room to continue her work.

  Paige watched her, mouth open. “Aren’t you concerned that they’re saying you’re involved?”

  Molly answered flatly, “I am involved.”

  Paige protested, “Yeah, but you’re trying to save their sorry asses. You’re not a terrorist.”

  Molly didn’t even look up. “Yeah, they’ll figure that out, or they won’t.”

  Paige’s chest was flushing deep red. “But… aren’t you worried? Or pissed?”

  Molly looked up, confused. “Why would I be?”

  Paige’s eyes were wide with outrage. “But they’re getting it all wrong. They think you’re the bad guy.”

  Molly sighed. “Maybe I am,” she said flippantly without any emotion. Then as if needing to indulge her friend, she explained. “Paige. It’s the media. No one expects them to get it right. And anyway, we’re here on Gaitune. What are they going to do?”

  Paige’s face seemed to process one hundred emotions as she tried to churn through the reasoning. Unable to come up with an answer, she sighed. “It’s just… so unfair.” Her voice was a little weak.

  Molly looked up. “You okay, pet?” she asked, humorously.

  Paige laughed a little as she exhaled, through her frustration and mixed emotions. “Yeah. Yeah. I’m fine.” She paused, closing down the holo report. “Need me to do anything?” she asked.

  “Ah, yes. Can you go find out how Brock is getting on with the device? If he’s ready, we can send both items in the same data package.”

  Paige nodded. “Right you are, boss.” She clip-clopped out of the room, leaving Molly to work through the twenty something combinations as fast as she safely could.

  Anther Patron Club, downtown Spire

  Jessica was already installed in their booth in the Anther Patron Club. Since it was the middle of the day, she was the only customer in the joint. Two members of the bar staff flitted around, restocking. Cleaning. Organizing. Then there was the lady on the reception desk upstairs to redirect non-members to the official bar.

  As she sat nursing her martini, Jessica churned through holoscreens of documents needing her authorization. This was the part of the job she had never liked. Her normally pretty eyebrows furrowed crossly at the documents as she turned through each, approving or denying as she saw fit. Every now and again, she would humph, or sigh, or take a medicinal taste of the motivating martini.

  Eventually, after goodness knows how many damn approvals, footsteps in the corridor enticed her to look up. They were sharp and decisive, traveling somewhere rather than flitting.

  Andus. Finally.

  She closed her holo as he appeared and approached their booth.

  “Not like you to keep a lady waiting,” she said, getting up to greet him with an exchange of air kisses on each side of a distant embrace. “I thought I was going to be subjected to death by paperwork,” she complained.

  He nodded with a degree of deference, even though they both knew he was the one with the power. “Apologies. I was detained unexpectedly,” he explained as he slid into the booth.

  Jessica visually scanned him for signs of blood or violence. She knew the kind of business that would detain him, and paperwork wasn’t one of them.

  The waiter arrived promptly to take his drink order.

  “Scotch, on the rocks,” he told the waiter, an Ogg, who nodded and disappeared.

  Jessica eyed him, still curious about what he’d been up to, but Andus was straight down to business.

  “Everything is in order,” he told her. “You should have the support you need to get the contract. Between the erm… crisis, and the support in the Senate, it should be enough to get you a majority.”

  Jessica gave him a half smile. “Thank you. This is good to hear.”

  He continued, glancing quickly over his shoulder just to make sure they were alone. “I’m concerned about your plans for affecting the crisis, though. You’re leaving yourself a little… exposed… by handling it directly.”

  She tilted her chin upwards. “I know I can trust myself to get it done.” Her voice was proud. “And I’ll make sure there are no loose ends left over.”

  Andus nodded, “I have every confidence you will”. His drink arrived, and he raised a glass to her. “To getting the job done,” he toasted before taking a sip.

  Jessica did the same with what remained of her martini.

  The bar was quiet.

  They could hear the hum of traffic outside, but inside, all was still. Calm. It reminded Jessica of her childhood - inside a quiet house, when everything noteworthy was happening outside.