Hellhole (11 page)

At the sight of the grayish-green powder that coated her vine stock, Sophie felt sick. She pulled the flatbed to a halt near where two crews had already arrived. “That stuff is going to kill my vines! Get out there, concentrate on the leaves and any grapes that are forming.” She didn’t want to think what the alkaline residue would do to the red wine’s taste. All the more reason to clean off the dust as quickly as possible.

Rolling water tanks followed the suited crews up and down the vineyard rows; they used a liberal spray to rinse the hard, unripe grape clusters. Fernando Neron was thoroughly entertained by his high-power blower that scoured the dust away with bursts of air. Vincent worked alongside his friend, revisiting sloppy parts with meticulous attention to detail, and between the two of them they did a thorough job.

Devon was shy and tongue-tied around Antonia Anqui at first, but he made excuses to talk with her, offering unnecessary instructions on how to use the blower; he chatted about the varieties of grape vines they had tried, telling her how long ago they’d been planted and when his mother’s vintners had bottled the first vintage; he was excited about the new Reisling rootstock that had just arrived on the stringline hauler. Sophie knew that her shy son had never met anyone on Hellhole like this girl. In her opinion, they would make an acceptable pair.

When the crews took a break for the midday meal, Devon and Antonia sat together. Deciding the two might need some encouragement, Sophie joined them. “I’m impressed with your hard work and attitude, Antonia. I can find you a position in my greenhouses, working with my son.”

Antonia seemed to withdraw. Frown lines creased her brow. “That’s very generous of you, but . . . you don’t know anything about me.”

Sophie shrugged. “I know I need workers, and I’ve watched you work. Frankly, I don’t care about your past. You’re on Hellhole now – you left everything behind when you boarded that passenger pod.” She gave an encouraging laugh. “Listen, if I refused to hire anyone unless I know everything about their past life, I wouldn’t have any employees at all.”

Sophie was a sucker for anyone who needed help. After Gregory, she had been in bad spots herself, and most Hellhole colonists had stories worse than her own. Everybody needed a second chance. Oh, some of them were rotten to the core and beyond salvation, but those sorts showed their true colors soon enough. Hellhole wasn’t the sort of place that let anyone keep up pretenses for long. And if
Sophie
could make a decent life for herself, then others could, too – including Antonia.

Sophie motioned Vincent and Fernando over. “I’ll make you the same offer. New arrivals are asked to perform a year of public service work, but the catalog of jobs is large. Want to work for me in the vineyards and greenhouse domes? It’s not exciting, but it’s stable.”

Fernando piped up before his friend could contradict him. “We were hoping for something with more . . . potential, ma’am. Maybe mapping the landscape, or working out in the mountains?”

“Ah, treasure seekers?” With so much of the land area completely uncharted, every starry-eyed newcomer thought he could find a bounty of diamonds or a vein of gold. “You’ll have to see General Adolphus in person about that. He assigns grid mappers and topographical prospectors, if you can prove you’re capable.”

“We’re capable!”

Vincent countered him in a hushed voice, “We don’t even know what she’s talking about, Fernando.”

“The General’s a busy man,” Sophie continued, “and he usually delegates hiring, but if I send him a note, he’ll see you. Convince him you’re sincere.” Fernando looked ready to bolt off to the main offices, but Sophie raised her hand. “I’ll make that happen
tomorrow
. Right now, you need to earn your lodgings for last night.”

T
he next day, as the two men approached Adolphus’s Elba estate for their appointment, Fernando talked even more than usual. “I never thought we’d get a chance to meet General Adolphus in person. This could be our big break! He can’t possibly be the holy terror that the official histories say he is.”

Tiber Maximilian Adolphus was purported to be a ruthless traitor with the blood of millions on his hands, a man who had callously tried to ruin centuries of Constellation stability and tradition. Around the Crown Jewel worlds, children were warned that the General would leap out of their closets and eat them if they were naughty.

When he had worked in the machine shop on Orsini, Vincent had heard such things, but, from every indication in Michella Town, the locals were fiercely loyal to Adolphus for what he had done. Vincent figured he was about to see a different side of the story. Still, he was a bit nervous.

Sophie Vence had arranged their transportation out to the General’s residence, and Fernando marveled at the impressive house. “Can you believe it? It’s a mansion – a
mansion
, right here on Hellhole. He must have these people under his thumb.” He bent over to sniff a thorny flower blooming in a large clay urn on the porch, then winced at the vinegary scent.

An aide ushered them inside. “Gentlemen. The General is expecting you. Madame Vence speaks highly of both of you.”

They walked along tiled floors with carpeted runners, past a paneled banquet room and a handful of staff offices. The aide ushered them into an expansive study lined with bookshelves and glass display cases. Out of habit, Vincent brushed down his hair, straightened his shirt. He swallowed hard.

The man seated at his desk, hard at work, was immediately recognizable from numerous news stories and propaganda images. General Tiber Adolphus scanned records from his factories and scattered mining installations across the continent. He used a deskscreen to assign work teams and transmitted new instructions to offices in Michella Town, open-pit excavations, and industrial complexes that stretched for kilometers around.

Looking up from his work, Adolphus gave them a formal smile. Fernando pumped the General’s hand. “Thank you for seeing us, sir. You won’t be sorry you took the time.”

Vincent added with a respectful nod. “We appreciate the opportunity, sir.” He vividly recalled the reports of widespread unrest, battles on numerous Crown Jewel worlds, Commodore Hallholme’s victorious last stand against the rebel forces, and the much-despised and vilified Adolphus facing his court-martial. Those were the things Vincent remembered about this man.

Here, though, Adolphus did not look beaten or disgraced; rather, he appeared content, strong, full of personal power. “This planet may seem to have little to offer, gentlemen, but we reap what we can. I have financed roads, shelters, factories, power plants, mines, and schools . . . though we don’t have a large population of children quite yet.” He leaned forward and shoved documents aside. “When Diadem Michella dispatched me here, she intended for Hallholme to be my prison, but I refuse to think of it in those terms. We’ve already made this into a planet that’s worth something – to us if no one else – and I’m determined to make it even better.”

“Hear, hear!” Fernando said. “And we’d like to help you make that happen, sir. You’ll find that Vincent and I are dedicated workers.”

Vincent cleared his throat nervously. “That’s the truth, sir.”

“No one comes to this planet expecting a vacation, and it is my practice to offer jobs to all newcomers. We have to make our settlements strong and viable. We have more work than we have colonists, which is why we ask for a year of community service, during which time you’ll have food and lodging. At the end of the year, you can strike out on your own, or if you enjoy your work, you can continue to act as my employee. My aides will help you find something tailored to your talents and skills.”

Fernando beamed. “We came here to make a new start.”

The General regarded them with raised eyebrows. “I’ve reviewed your files, gentlemen, and I know exactly why you’ve joined us.”

Vincent felt shame for what he had done, but Adolphus’s words carried little sting. The General continued, “Hallholme attracts many misfits. It’s a challenge to mold such fiercely independent and – let’s face it –
eccentric
people into a team that works for the good of everyone. The harsh environment forces cooperation. To tame this wild world, we need education, transportation, commerce, widespread agriculture, high-end medical facilities, industry, a functional society. In short, we have to create a reason for people to come here and the infrastructure to support them when they arrive. At the moment, given a choice of all the possible planets, only people without options choose to come here.”

“‘The place to go when you’ve got nowhere else to go,’” Fernando quipped. “My friend and I were hoping you might have something special for us? Maybe a job that’s not in the regular catalog?”

Vincent interrupted, “We’d appreciate your suggestions, sir.”

When Adolphus regarded the two men evenly, Vincent felt as if the General were running some kind of deep scan on him. The famous exile focused more on Vincent than Fernando. “Sophie rarely recommends people to me, so I am inclined to listen. Tell me what interests you, Mr Jenet.”

Vincent cleared his throat. “I’ll be grateful for anything you recommend, sir, but my friend has a greater sense of adventure.”

Fernando grinned. “I’d like to make the most of the wild frontier, General. I understand you occasionally commission explorers to scout the landscape?”

“Topographical prospectors.” Adolphus moved several sheets of paper out of the way and called up a display on his flatscreen. “Our satellite network maps the large-scale terrain, but nothing beats actual eyes on the ground. Much of this planet is unexplored, and everywhere you go is likely to be virgin territory. Does that appeal to you? If you take grid-survey equipment and keep careful records, I’ll provide you with food, supplies, an overland vehicle – everything you need. Just have a look around and tell me what you find.”

“And you’d pay us for that?” Fernando asked. “How much?”

“I’ll
supply
you for that. If you discover anything worthwhile, we’ll discuss a finder’s fee. I’d much rather have my own people discover fresh resources to be exploited, rather than an official Constellation inspector.”

Fernando liked the sound of that.

Vincent had heard of inspectors trying to determine how Hellhole could be made more profitable to the Constellation, but the General cooperated very little with outsiders; he was keen to have his own.

“We’ll definitely need some training, sir,” Vincent said. “We wouldn’t want to go out unprepared. Yesterday’s static storm showed us that our briefing on the hazards around here was . . . incomplete.”

“We will provide full training, communications equipment, and survival gear, everything the other topographical prospectors have. The rest is up to the two of two.”

“Thank you, General. We look forward to getting started.”

Adolphus showed them his collection of incomprehensible objects inside display cases: nested curves, flowing silvery metal that looked not melted, but cast that way. “Please keep your eyes open while you’re out there. Early settlers uncovered various artifacts of the original civilization here. I want to learn more about this planet’s former inhabitants. We know almost nothing about them.”

The seventy-four planets across the Constellation held many extraterrestrial lifeforms – strange plants, animals, and all sorts of organisms in between – but not a single technological civilization. The most advanced race was a herd-like group of subhumans on Tehila, docile vegetarians that built huts and lived in communities, but entirely ignored their human neighbors. The extinct civilization on Hallholme, however, had been highly advanced, judging by the few scraps the colonists had found.

Adolphus ran his fingers over a case. “Even after the asteroid impact and holocaust, there must be plenty of pieces left to be found.” He looked up, eyes shining. “I will pay handsomely for anything you find.”

Fernando liked that idea as well.

The discovery of alien artifacts on Hallholme had caused no furor back in the Crown Jewels, in fact, Vincent had heard little about it. “The briefing materials said that the asteroid impact was enough to kill all large lifeforms, and any artificial structure would have been obliterated. How can there be much of anything left?”

“Never underestimate a miracle of circumstance.” Adolphus tapped the cover. “These few scraps give me hope.” He turned away from the case. “It’s just a hobby for now. I hope you can help me out. Someday, I intend to put together the pieces of the puzzle.”

“If anything’s out there, we’ll find it, sir,” Fernando promised. “You did mention a handsome reward? We’ll take off as soon as we’re equipped.”

“And trained,” Vincent reminded him pointedly.

T
he woman was tall and dark-skinned, with high cheekbones, large eyes, and lush blue-black hair. Despite her feminine curves, Tanja Hu had plenty of physical strength, which she needed daily to face the challenges as administrator of the frontier planet Candela.

Many members of Tanja’s extended family were boisterous, full of laughter and bad decisions, and mystified by her lack of humor. A planetary administrator had little patience for rowdy behavior, though, and she didn’t have time for jokes. The only reason they could have their parties was because she ran the planet so well. In reality, Tanja enjoyed doing her job more than she enjoyed “relaxing.” It gave her a deep sense of satisfaction.

By the standards of the Crown Jewel worlds, Tanja had little political power, but the Deep Zone operated on different rules from the rest of the Constellation, and she was involved in more plans on her backwater world than any of the old-guard nobles could appreciate. That gave her more inner warmth than the moonshine her cousins brewed in the isolated mining towns she had set up for them. Even the man assigned to be her babysitter, Territorial Governor Goler on the planet Ridgetop, was oblivious to what Tanja, General Adolphus, and so many other planetary administrators were developing.