Amplitude Night Owls 6: A Moon Colony Sci-fi Adventure by Stephen Gay

Author:Stephen Gay [Gay, Stephen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-09-03T00:00:00+00:00

13

EARTH

The next two days are quiet—too quiet for my liking. I don’t need the Bulge or any other Martian Navy ship after us, but this waiting is just as painful and almost as killer.

I almost say that to Nico’s back, but he’s hunched over his station, swearing under his breath at the maneuvering systems. He told me earlier that something got fried as we were leaving Phobos’s orbit, and as of yet, it is not quite restored to 100 percent. I offered to help, but he knows how minimal my technical skills are. At least we don’t have to worry about being chased—the Martians don’t know where we’re headed, and even if they hazarded a guess, it would be Luna, not Earth. Space might be lonely most of the time in all its empty vastness, but right now I’m beyond grateful for its blanketing effect. If only it could dull my worries over Aysha too.

I unwrap my PAD and turn it sideways to scroll through the feeds with greater ease, nodding along to “Run” by Alison Wonderland. This was the second single off her debut album of the same name.

My back, finally starting to return to normal after two days of relative relaxation, sinks into the chair’s cushion with no complaint, but the same can’t be said for my clenching stomach. One finger types in Mars to the LBC’s search bar. It’s been my hourly routine ever since we left.

Still nothing. The latest major headline is about the original bombs, and there’s barely anything about the shipyard and nothing about what occurred in Phobos’s orbit. Not a shock. I wouldn’t want to broadcast that to the solar system either if I was General Mattis. Ignoring the prick of guilt stabbing my fingers, I tap out of the Mars filter and return to LBC’s homepage. A familiar curvy silhouette stands amidst a dark background in the headline article. Sade. Title: International pop star turned resistance leader?

Frak ya, she is.

I jump to her feed and click through the swarm of protest images that seem to be from all over the world. Has she been traveling? Sean must be mighty confident in his ability to tap the underground networks, and Taylor could be helping them, but a deep swell of fear knots my abs as the pictures flick through. She’s wanted by the EA; she can’t be off gallivanting through every country on Earth and getting her picture taken. Even with Desi’s protection on her PAD, it’s no guarantee.

My finger navigates to the side where thumbnails from the latest protests sit patiently. London, Tokyo, Berlin: each with dozens of vids. They’re not all hers, but she’s been tagged in hundreds upon hundreds. I tap the second most recent one: New York.

The thumbnail expands and opens to a couple dozen protestors marching down the crowded streets of the city, all covered in balaclavas or physical masks. They’d look menacing save for the fact that all the masks sport a wash of color—a streak of purple, a dash of pink, even stripes and polka dots.

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