ganymede rising
by Jonathan Shepherd
EPISODE 5
Edward was sweaty and drunk. After only three cocktails, he had found
himself gyrating around with Jenna for the better part of an hour in the
decadent dance pit at the bottom of the Hive.
Mostly gas-miners inhabited Ganymede 2, and they were hard workers who
liked to play hard too. Restrictions on substances here were not very
harsh, so finding oneself surrounded by sinewy youths in clouds of pungent
hemp smoke or god knows what else was not uncommon… and the effect made
one lose sight of time, purpose, and of course one’s age.
Ever the serious one, though, finally Edward had to take his leave-
kissing Jenna on the check and brushing her by then blinking neon violet
hair, and walking carefully to one of the exits at the pit level. The
complex on Ganymede was mostly underground, and the contrast between the
nightclub and the tunnel network was immediately profound.
The metal and plexisteel door to the club closed behind him, shutting out
the thump of the dance music and leaving his head to ring in the broad
cement tunnels outside. Edward breathed deeply and tried to clear the
cotton out of his head while he walked toward the nearest tube station.
His shoes clicked on the cold floor and as his ears cleared he could hear
the sound of the gravity generators that lined the entire complex. Not a
soul in the tunnels.
He wished he was sober.
His heart leapt into his throat as the door to the Hive opened in the
distance behind him. Automatically he jerked around only to see a huge
group of young workers in the distance, laughing and kissing and stumbling
to their little electric tunnel cars or scooters. He turned back on his
way, trying to focus on his wrist watch and wishing that his Jump back to
Earth could be rescheduled.
The short stairway down into the tube station was deserted. Fading
chemical lighting made it hard to see while he navigated his way down to
catch the next train. The smell of urine and burnt paper attacked his
nostrils, and made the liquor in his stomach try to jump free.
“Deep breaths Edward… you’ll be ok once you get to your room,”
... he thought.
As he walked toward the turnstile, fumbling for his cred-card, he heard an
unmistakable electric whine behind him, like a battery charging. Turning
on his heels he looked back at the dark stairway and saw nothing.
“Hello?” He called out.
Nothing.
His breathing was almost as heavy in his head as his heartbeat… and he
picked up the pace a bit and headed for the turnstile.
A scratch on the cement.
A breath behind him.
Before he could turn all the way around, they were upon him. Two muscular
worker types- in tight black nylon jumpsuits under vinyl utility vests.
There was a moment of struggle as he jerked away and started running- but
one of them tripped him and he fell to the cement. Stars exploded into his
mind where his chin hit the ground. He tried to crawl away but one of them
grabbed his ankle and started pulling him back.
He was at the brink of unconsciousness but he was aware enough to realize
that they were looking for something in his pockets… otherwise he could
have been dead by now.
“Here!” one of them- the bald one- said- and threw something into the
other one’s waiting hand. Then he brought down his fist across Edward’s
cheek. Then with his other hand he brought out a shiny silver object… with
prongs on the end, it looked like something you would plug into a socket-
only these prongs were already dancing with electricity. He brought it
close to Edward’s face and smiled, clearly about to enjoy whatever was
going to happen.
Then suddenly the weapon went flying from his hand… landing near the
turnstiles and lighting up like a firecracker before the charge was
entirely let out.
“Ugh…” gasped the would be assailant as the next blow was landed on his
face and he went flailing backward spraying blood all around them.
Jenna was standing over them, chest heaving and fists clenched. She jumped
over Edward to face the other thug who was running at her. She seemed
calm, opening her arms slowly and bringing her leg around in a full
roundhouse that took the man in the throat. Jenna knew Tai Chi… and well.
He careened backward and fell to the cement, the object of their desire
sliding out of his hand and across the ground. The bald attacker was up
now, and as he scrambled for the item his partner had dropped Jenna was on
him like a panther- flipping him and landing on his back with her elbow-
knocking him down and out. She ran over to where he had been headed and
grabbed the object- Edward’s computer.
She rushed back to Edward, to make sure he was ok. He was barely
conscious. He needed some attention, and they needed to get out of here.
She pulled him up and draped his arm around her shoulder, and tried to get
him to run with her toward the stairs.
The whining sound.
Edward pushed on her arm to turn her around and make her see… the bald man
was coming back with the weapon- and it was charging up again.
“Dammit,” she said, “...stay down!”
He shook his head and glanced over at his buddy, who was down for the
count, if even alive.
Silent, he stalked forward with the weapon. Jenna was not sure how far it
could arc, so she kept her distance and waited for an opening.
He lunged forward, and she stepped gracefully aside, grabbing his arm, and
his weapon.
He was big, but clumsy.
She swung around full circle, and smacked him across the face with his own
weapon. It was surely not fully charged, but when it hit his face it
knocked him screaming back to the ground. He clutched at the black mark up
the left side of his face for just a moment before he quit moving.
Jenna looked at what she was holding… a shock baton. Lethal on their
highest setting, and perfect when you needed to hurt someone… quietly. She
snapped off the power and slipped it into her backpack while she rushed to
Edward and pulled him up the stairs.
“What the hell was that?” Edward said?
“I don’t know, but you’re staying with me tonight… we need to figure out
what they were after.”
“What did you do back there?”
“I told you Tai Chi wasn’t just for exercise…”
Together they rushed down the tunnel for Jenna’s scooter, and were silent
the rest of the way.
