Transmigrant - Chapter 1
Copyright © 2024, 2025 Stephen B. Anthony
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Mars is a paradox of quiet desolation and relentless threat. Even a single breath is a victory over the void.
—Chen “Cricket” Guowei
CHAPTER 1
Olympus Station, hosting two hundred thousand individuals, with two-thirds in transit, served as the primary transportation hub of Mars. The structure mostly existed underground, with three wings that included homes, stores, factories, and research facilities. At the heart of the city lay the central utility plant beneath the ground, containing the gravitics core, which provided the city with gravity like Earth.
The spaceport emerged onto the Martian surface, the only part of the structure to do so. Various restaurants and pubs provided their patrons with views of the Martian landscape—a breathtaking expanse of land that remained entirely inhospitable to human life.
O’Brien’s Pub, with its allegedly Irish drinks, mirrored the station’s blend of authenticity and adaptation. Fiberglass accents, crafted to mimic ancient hand-hewn wooden beams, adorned the establishment. The bar itself was a substantial slab of maple, encased in a thick layer of indestructible epoxy glass, undoubtedly imported from Earth at significant cost.
Circling the ceiling, just beneath the glass dome, a scrolling display showcased the latest news and updates. Outside, the temperature plunged to fifty degrees below zero, while the Galactic Congress debated the merits of imposing new mining restrictions in the Chara asteroid belt, with pundits criticizing the proposed legislation for various reasons.
Along the bar’s perimeter, a series of snugs were situated, reminiscent of a practice from the early nineteenth century, when Irish pubs provided private booths for women. In homage to this tradition, O’Brien’s featured several of these semi-private booths.
Kaylie Stewart nestled into a cozy snug, the doors nearly shut, affording her a view of the patrons while remaining unseen. She was, perhaps, the only authentic Irish element in the establishment. Her green eyes, heart-shaped face, delicate features, and dark hair with auburn highlights testified to her lineage. She seldom pondered her heritage unless it pertained to ales. Having earlier spied a bottle of Smithwick’s behind the bar, she had promptly made it her choice.
Estia sat in silence opposite Kaylie, having politely refused the waiter’s offer of sustenance. She was beautiful and tall, with long blonde hair that verged on platinum. Her striking blue eyes betrayed an almost childlike innocence. She sat with a silent grace, her movements precise and almost too perfect, hinting at an unusual past Kaylie had yet to fully understand.
Meanwhile, Kaylie bent forward, her head lowered, her focus shifting between the individuals visible through a gap in the snug door and the holographic display before her.
“What are you looking at?” Estia asked.
“It’s a VRD—a virtual retinal display,” Kaylie explained. “It projects a computer screen onto my retina, similar to a heads-up display.”
Estia looked curious. “I haven’t seen those before.”
“It’s pretty common. As long as I’m within range of a network, I’m connected. I also have nanocomputers if I need private resources.”
“I see.”
Kaylie doubted Estia fully understood. Her isolated upbringing left her with gaps in common knowledge.
“I’m worried that you won’t be able to make it through security,” Kaylie said.
“I saw them earlier asking for identification.”
“Yes, that’s going to be a problem,” Kaylie agreed. “Plus, there’s a full-body scan to go through, so let’s see if we can avoid that. Stay here. I’ll be back.”
“Okay.”
“And don’t talk to anyone.”
Estia grasped Kaylie’s hand. “It will be okay.”
Kaylie had checked the departures list earlier. Flights to Earth were leaving about twice an hour, and she desperately wanted to be on one of those flights and off this God-forsaken airless rock. It wouldn’t be difficult for her. It would be much harder for her companion to do. Estia didn’t have identification. She couldn’t just buy a ticket, pass through Mars security, and fly on a commercial ship.
As she left the table, the absurdity of her current situation struck Kaylie. How had her life come to this?
She had met Estia at Niruku’s research facility on Mars, not long before her life fell apart. Niruku operated unusual research projects. That was no secret. But this one was the last straw. It had pushed Kaylie past her ethical limits.
They needed to get off-planet to somewhere safe. Somewhere they were unknown. Somewhere outside of the Solar system. She hoped to find a ship headed to a jump gate. But how to get off-world? They would pass through customs and security at some point unless she could find private transport.
If a commercial flight was out of the question, what options were there for private flights? It would be a matter of finding a private ship and booking a passage. Of the various patrons in the bar, who might travel on a private ship?
Travelers filled the pub. A family of five occupied one table. The middle child couldn’t decide what to eat, and the parents were growing frustrated. It seemed like one of those vacations you need a vacation from when it ends.
Three women dressed in business attire, most likely attendees of the sales conference at the Hilton, shared a bottle of riesling at another table. Four young men at a stand-up table wore team colors for a sporting event they had attended. A fleet officer, a pair of flight attendants, a barfly doing his best not to look like a barfly, two off-duty Martian police officers, and a businessman sat gathered at the bar like cape buffalo lingering around a watering hole.
She noticed another man sitting alone in a booth near the back of the bar. He was a spacer. She was certain he had spent time near Saturn’s ice rings. He sported greasy black hair, slicked back, neck tattoos, and a face that had not seen a razor in at least a week. Kaylie suspected the man was uncomfortable in the artificial gravity. He had the thin, stretched look of a man who had spent too much time in low gravity. He must already feel the effects, and probably would not be staying long. His destination mattered little if it meant getting off Mars. She would figure out the rest later.
The direct approach seemed best, so she plopped herself in his booth, facing him. He looked up from his hamburger in surprise.
“I’m Ginger,” she said. “I’m looking for a ship.”
He said nothing, picked up his napkin, and dabbed the corners of his mouth like he was at a dinner party in Manhattan. Then he took a long drink of his beer, swished it, and swallowed.
“Well,” he said, “You’re in a spaceport. I bet you can find one. You can probably find lots of them.”
“I’m looking for privacy.”
“Pretty girl like you claims to be looking for privacy. I got no money for a red light special. Go away.”
“Red light? I’m not a prostitute! I’m looking for a way off this planet. I am looking for someone with a ship who will not ask me questions.”
“You got trouble with the law, then?” He indicated the two off-duty police officers at the bar. “Perhaps you should introduce yourself to them. Maybe I should call them over?”
“Nevermind!”
She got up from the table and crossed back to the bar. Two empty stools sat between a fleet officer and a businessman. The red-headed fleet officer’s freckled face said he was about thirty. He wore a crisp, white uniform with the double silver collar bar showing his rank of lieutenant. Kaylie didn’t think he would be helpful to her since his flight would be on a commercial or fleet ship.
The businessman was a neatly groomed man in his forties. He wore a serviceable suit that looked ten years out of style, and although his shoes were a bit worn out, he had polished them well.
She picked the chair closest to the businessman and ordered a glass of chardonnay. Focused on something on his VRD, he nursed an expensive whiskey. He turned to look at her when she sat down, and he had an almost surprised look on his face. He turned his attention to her. “Hello,” he said.
She turned to look at him, nodded, and sipped her wine.
Best to play aloof.
“I’m Jim,” he said, offering his hand.
She didn’t take it. “Ginger,” she said as she brushed her hair back with one hand to reveal her neck.
“Done anything fun here on Mars?” he asked.
“Honestly, it’s been quite boring. How many times can you look at red dirt before you realize it’s just like all the other red dirt?”
He nodded. “So, where are you headed then?”
“Trying to find a flight to Earth. Mine was overbooked. I’m still on standby.”
“Didn’t you have a friend with you? Blonde? I think I saw you on the train.”
“Yeah. Are you on a private ship?” Kaylie asked. He had noticed them before. She knew men were more interested in Estia anyway, but if it helped them get off the planet, it might be a good thing.
“Yes,” he said. “I can’t stand flying commercial anymore.”
“So, you’re a pilot? Or you have a pilot?”
“I’m not a pilot. But I can fly a shuttle—say, if you’re looking for a flight and can’t find one, I can probably accommodate you and your friend.”
It was the second time he’d mentioned Estia, which made her slightly nervous. Something must have given away her hesitation because he raised his left hand and showed her his wedding ring.
“Hey, I’m married, okay? Just offering a ride, nothing more. I’m looking forward to getting back to my wife. We live in New York. If you’re looking to get to Earth, I’ve got two spaces.”
“How much?”
“How’s a hundred credits per seat?”
He had offered a deal, which meant he wasn’t trying to take unfair advantage of her. She would be more suspicious if he’d offered the ride for free.
“Sounds good,” she said. “When are you leaving?”
“I was just about to go. Just finishing this whiskey.”
“Let me get my friend and my suitcase, and I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll be waiting,” he said with a smile.
Kaylie stood and hesitated. Something was off, but she struggled to put her finger on it. Was it the smile or something else? Why did it seem like a shark smiling?
“Everything okay?” he asked, sensing her misgiving.
“It’s nothing. Everything’s fine.”
“Bring your friend, and we’ll go,” he said, returning to his whiskey.
The third mention of Estia unnerved Kaylie. Instinct told her not to be alone with him. She turned on her heel and walked away. Jim was saying something, but she ignored him and returned to her snug.
Kaylie touched Estia’s elbow and whispered, “Let’s go.” She grabbed her bag and wheeled it in front of her.
“I guess that did not go well?” Estia asked.
“It didn’t,” Kaylie said. She engaged her VRD, searching for a listing of private ships. Did they need to file flight plans somewhere? Were those public records? It took only a few seconds to find that Concourse J held all the private ships.
“Come on,” she urged Estia.
They left O’Brien’s heading away from Jim, and stopped in the corridor, where Kaylie consulted the map. She scanned it and brought it up on her VRD display as a reference while she walked. An icon showing her current position made it easy to navigate. She found a place where people posted private flights online and did a search, finding two postings for individual crew positions today. No options were available for a passenger.
“Kaylie?” Estia prompted.
“Just a minute, Estia. I’m trying to think.”
“Kaylie?” Estia repeated.
“Yes, hold on. I’m just trying to figure out what to do next.”
“I thought you might want to know that a man is following us.”
Kaylie stopped and whipped her head around to see that Jim followed them. She quickened her pace, and Estia matched her.
“Why do you say he is following us?”
“When you stopped to read the departures board, he stopped to read the arrivals board, but then he followed us toward departures. That doesn’t make any sense,” Estia said.
Kaylie glanced over her shoulder. Jim made no pains to hide that he was coming her way. She felt her heart thumping in her chest. “Come on,” she said, taking Estia’s hand. They hurried through the terminal, nearly running, but their pursuer gained ground.
“What does he want?” Estia asked.
“I don’t know, but he mentioned you three times,” Kaylie said. She felt an agonizing fear. She’d felt that something wasn’t right, but this wasn’t just an infatuation with Estia. Jim wanted something. She had thought he might be a hard-working salesman, but now she knew she had misjudged him.
It became clearer in her mind. The worn shoes meant the man did a lot of walking. The old-fashioned suit meant he wanted to look like a businessman but couldn’t quite pull it off. It added up to either security or a police detective. Neither option was good, but he hadn’t called out for them to stop. He hadn’t pulled a weapon and given them any lawful orders. That ruled out cop as his vocation. That meant he was security, which was worse news.
Kaylie turned to look. Jim kept coming straight at them. She caught his eye and kept moving. Estia kept pace with her. They moved around slow-moving travelers and had to sidestep to avoid colliding with people crossing in front of them.
In a moment of luck, a motorized transport came between them and their pursuer, unloading passengers from another terminal. It gave them a few seconds to increase their lead. Kaylie pulled Estia around a corner and out of his sight. She ran to a clothing store across the corridor. Estia came with her. They stood behind a rack of clothing and waited.
Seconds later, Jim came around the corner and stopped, looking in both directions. He touched his ear and said something, then walked in a circle, looking at each shop. He stopped, speaking again to an unseen listener. Kaylie thought he looked right at them for a moment, but then he turned and sped down the corridor in the direction they had first turned.
She waited for him to get lost in the crowd and then purchased a pair of sweaters and two hats. She pulled Estia into a changing room and helped her hide her hair under the hat. Kaylie did the same. The disguise was minimal, but it offered some semblance of concealment.
They made their way toward Concourse J. Kaylie darted her gaze in front and behind her, trying to spot the man before he saw them. They passed through a section of the mall with shops on each side and then several restaurants. Beyond the restaurants were restrooms.
She took Estia’s hand and pulled her into the restroom. Their pursuer almost certainly wouldn’t come into the ladies’ room, so she took the time to catch her breath and adjust their outfits, hair, and hats while a near-constant stream of women entered and exited.
Once they were back out in the main corridor, Estia asked, “What are we planning to do?”
“We’re going to stow away,” Kaylie replied.
Estia took it in stride.
Kaylie looked in both directions and then continued toward Concourse J, riding a horizontal moving walkway to catch her breath.
They reached a four-way intersection. A doorway to the right led into Concourse J. But when they turned the corner, they saw Jim standing next to the door leading out into the flight gates.
Kaylie stopped and pulled Estia back with her toward the corner so that they could peer at the man without being seen.
“I think he’s Niruku security,” Kaylie said.
“He’s talking to someone,” Estia replied.
They watched as he engaged in a VRD conversation with unknown persons, and then he abruptly turned toward them and walked in their direction.
Kaylie backed up around the corner, turned on her heel, and found herself next to a jewelry store. She stepped inside, and Estia joined her as they made their way to the back of the display counters, where wedding ring sets and graded diamonds were showcased. They feigned interest in some rings until Jim arrived at the four-way intersection. He looked around, did not see them, and then turned to his right, disappearing toward Concourse I.
When he disappeared out of sight, they returned to Concourse J and went through the door to the private gates, closing it behind them. The empty hallway went for a long way. To their right were docking bay doors, numbered one through forty-six. The left side of the hallway had fewer doors, and none of them provided access to gates. She checked three doors. They were all locked. A digital board on the left wall showed that thirty-six of forty-six gates held ships. Each gate showed the name of the ship.
Kaylie brought up her VRD and looked at the status board. Gate two contained a ship named Conestoga. She looked up the ship to find that it was a private sightseeing ship. This might be a ship to stow away on, but a luxury tour ship probably wouldn’t be leaving the planet.
Gate three contained a smaller ship called Buccaneer, a single-person ship. It didn’t seem likely to be big enough for passengers, except potentially in a cargo bay. That might not be awful, so she marked it as a possibility.
They walked further down the hallway to a similar board. A fleet ship named Covenant was docked at the next gate. She wondered if this one belonged to the lieutenant she had seen in the bar. Gates five and six were both vacant.
“How will you decide what ship to try?” Estia asked.
“I’m not sure. Just trying to figure it out.”
The door opened behind them, and they turned to see Jim and another man dressed in the same fashion step in and close the door behind them. Jim’s smile was devoid of any pleasantness.
“You have something that does not belong to you,” Jim said, his voice edged with a cold firmness. “It’s time to come with us.”
He unbuttoned his suit jacket and opened it up just enough to show a holstered firearm.
Kaylie could feel bile from her stomach trying to rise into her throat. It made her want to vomit. She said, “I have nothing belonging to Niruku.”
“Lying will not help you,” he said.
“We’re not going back,” Kaylie said, hoping she sounded more convincing than she felt.
“I would rather not shoot a pretty, young thing like you, but I will if I have to. Either way, Niruku is taking back what is theirs. Your choice, Kaylie.”
He knew her name. He knew what she had done. The game was up, and she knew it. They had caught her, and her career was over for nothing. There would be prison time. How long, she didn’t know. But that wasn’t the worst. They would take Estia back to the lab and experiment with her. No one would ever know that it had even happened. Niruku would get away with it. They always got away with it.
But they were going to have to come through her first. She stepped in front of Estia. “Run!” she hissed to her friend.
But Estia didn’t run. Instead, she touched Kaylie’s shoulder. “It will be okay,” she said, nodding her head.
The second man pulled on a set of thin gloves. He produced a taser and zip ties from his coat—thick ones, like the ones used by police officers to restrain people.
“Go!” Kaylie whispered. “Just run!”
But Estia stepped in front of Kaylie, putting herself between the men and her more petite friend. “Good afternoon,” she said, her hands spread in a message intending to show goodwill.
“Get on the ground!” the man with the taser said, pointing his weapon at her. It started as a growl, becoming a shout. “Hands behind your back! On the ground now!”
“No, I don’t think I will,” Estia said.
She took two steps before the taser probes struck her. But instead of convulsing and falling prone, Estia scarcely flinched.
The man stared at the weapon in disbelief and then pulled the trigger again, but it did not have the desired effect on Estia, who pulled the probes from her clothing. Jim reached to unbutton the strap on his shoulder holster.
With one more quick step, Estia reached them. Like water flowing downhill, she spun on the ball of her left foot, her right leg sweeping in a wide arc to plant a roundhouse to Jim’s neck. Continuing the spin, she delivered a wheel kick with her left leg, striking the second man’s jaw.
It was as if she had flicked off a pair of light switches. Both men slumped. Before Kaylie could react, Estia stood back at her side. She had somehow taken Jim’s firearm. She ejected the magazine, then extracted the chambered round, snapped it into place in the magazine, replaced the magazine, and placed the pistol in her waistband as if she had done this a million times.
Neither man moved. They were both unconscious.
Kaylie turned to look at Estia, slack-jawed, eyes wide. She had moved faster than Kaylie thought possible. Time had slowed down. She had been an outsider watching events that had happened to completely different people. Somehow, there had been a strange sense of calm and acceptance as she watched it unfold. But now that time had caught back up, she realized she had been holding her breath.
She turned to Estia. “How did you—?”
Then she thought better of it. They could have that conversation later. If there were two of them, more would be coming. It wasn’t safe in the spaceport now. They would need to move below, into the underbelly of Olympus Station, some place where there were fewer cameras capturing her likeness.
“I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy,” Kaylie said. “We’ve got to find a place to hide so I can think through how to get us out of here. Come on,” she said.
Estia followed along as they moved back through the terminal, leaving the unconscious men behind.
When they arrived at the spaceport exit, Kaylie pulled Estia to the side into a restroom and peered back around the corner to check the exit. She watched for about a minute and then grabbed Estia’s hand, almost running as they left the spaceport, returning to the bustling streets of Olympus Station. They made their way to the primary hub of the station and took the elevator down into the bowels of Mars.
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Transmigrant is available at Amazon & Audible.