Chapter 15

“Should be coming into view any second.”

Youn lifted a pair of binoculars as Lux and Esma leaned against the back deck’s railing to get a better look. No doubt Faust was also on the lookout from his spot on the front deck.

“And just what is it exactly that we’re supposed to be looking for?”

Lowering the binoculars, Youn cast a surprised look in Lux’s direction. Only to see the blonde leaning rather precariously over the edge of the railing, a concerned Esma hovering close behind. Her sole focus to keep their sharpshooter from making a premature departure.

“You’ve never heard of or been down route 26?”

“Hard to say...is 26 the one that comes after 25?”

Esma pulled Lux back by the waistband, simultaneously trying to hold off an argument.

“In her defense this route is usually circumvented. This stretch in particular sees very little traffic.”

Like many other CO hopefuls Esma had studied the Expanse’s route map extensively. As such she’d become keenly aware of which routes offered the greatest advantages and disadvantages according to stockpiled data and conventional wisdom. Unfortunately, this route fell more under the latter. Though if her recollection was correct, it also boasted a unique and visually striking terrain. Not that she’d consider the tradeoff worth it.

“Does the name Lamella’s Lands ring a bell at least?”

“You know what, I think I went to school with a Lamella...”

Recognizing Lux’s mordant sense of humor, Esma inserted herself again to extrapolate further.

“Lamella Faepeur, I suppose you could say the region ahead of us was dedicated to the renowned socialite.”

Before continuing Esma cast a glance in Youn’s direction. Her way of asking if he’d like to take over from there since he’d seemed to hold a mild interest in the subject. The stern officer waved her off.

“All yours.”

It was at this point Lux decided to squat down and prop both arms on her knees, content to sit still if it meant gathering more information on the region. Esma cleared her throat awkwardly in response, unsure whether to join her colleague on the deck or remain standing. She settled for taking a couple steps back to avoid the perception that she was looking down on who was for all intents and purposes her superior officer.

“As officer Sigurd briefly alluded to this convoy will soon be crossing into what’s known as a karst landscape. The term ‘karst’ referring to the dissolution or chemical weathering of soluble sedimentary rocks. That of which form rocky features both above and below ground. If I’m not mistaken the formations in Lamella’s Lands are comprised almost entirely of limestone, one such type of soluble rock formed over extensive periods of precipitation.”

Esma paused to take a breath and check up on her audience. An audience that had grown by one as officer Katsurn had made an unexpected appearance on the back deck. As a fellow CO the woman should already be familiar with the topic of karst landscapes, as well as what it meant for the route ahead. Perhaps she’d joined for the purpose of gauging her junior’s competence? That or she’d gotten tired of Wash’s antics on the bridge. On cue an obnoxiously loud sneeze sounded from the direction of the controls. Esma ignored it and continued.

“Should you shift your attention to the horizon, you’ll be able to see some of these limestone outcroppings. Note that many of them resemble large towers. An especially apt comparison given that limestone has served as a prevalent building material throughout history due to its durable yet malleable nature. Making it easy to understand why this region drew the attention of a certain renowned architect from the peace period—”

“Jacoby James Morg.”

A bit of audience participation from Youn. She wasn’t opposed.

“To make a long story short, James sought to win the affections of the lady Lamella by using the limestone to design a one of kind castle that he could offer as a dowry. Ever the perfectionist, he took advantage of the abundance of limestone formations in this region to experiment on the castle’s overall aesthetic and design. Ultimately carving out over fifty different iterations of the chateau over the course of a decade.”

“Over fifty?! Fuck, I’m probably worth four or five castles on a good day! And you’re telling me he did it by himself?!”

“I believe he cycled through a number of apprentices in the process...many of which would go on to make names for themselves if I’m not mistaken.”

“All for naught.”

Youn shook his head in disapproval. Earning a snort from Jericka.

“Wouldn’t have pegged you for a romantic Youn.”

“Shove it red.”

Before things could devolve further Lux intervened.

“Pipe down you two, storytime isn’t over yet!”

“Got any Pipe Down? I’d love to throw a canister or two in the bridge right about now.”

“Pfft, right.”

Lux looked up at Jericka in what was a rare display of solidarity between the two. Meanwhile Esma waited patiently for everyone to settle down so she could wrap the explanation up.

“...needless to say, Lamella didn’t wait around and married someone else or another. Not long after James supposedly fell victim to a sinkhole in one of his trial runs and passed away. In the arduous process of recovering his body the collection team discovered a fossil of unprecedented size inside the cave system he’d inadvertently fallen into.”

“To my understanding it’s fairly common for fossils to turn up in limestone, isn’t it? So wouldn’t calling the discovery unprecedented be an exaggeration?”

A good question from Youn. And one that helped segue into her next point.

“It’s because this discovery was far removed from the usual types of fossils found within limestone deposits. We’re talking shells, corals and other small marine organisms. This one was big. In terms of scale, think multiple Crusaders end to end.”

“They found a sea monster?!”

“The preferred term is leviathan, but whatever floats your boat. And it’s not that absurd when you consider this entire region used to be underwater. In fact, the lake in Mennarouple is all that remains of the freshwater sea that used to be here.”

It didn’t take the blonde much longer to connect the dots.

“Wait, don’t tell me...”

Esma tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear and readjusted the rifle strap on her shoulder.

“Yep, they named the complete skeleton Lamella. Meaning that once upon a time these were Lamella’s lands...or seas, whatever.

Lux sprang up and started laughing, catching the other three off guard.

“Castles, caves, sea monsters. It’s like something out of a kid’s book. Bet that poor bastard is turning in his grave as we speak.”

Jericka rolled her eyes while Youn began chastising the blonde.

“Show some respect, he was a renowned architect for a good reason! You’ve probably come across building exhibiting his influence without even realizing it!”

“Meh. If he’s so great, how come it took him fifty tries?”

The two officers carried on their argument as they walked away, leaving the two COs alone with each other. And yet neither seemed put off by this development. Jericka sporting a small smile and Esma trying unsuccessfully to get a read on her.

“You’re well-informed new girl.”

“If only, I didn’t know a thing about Galen Runs. That includes the fact I could be cajoled into filling a unfamiliar role so casually.”

Jericka approached the brunette until their chests were practically touching. Her smile growing as she angled her head upwards. Esma being a good five to six centimeters taller.

“You know most people would have withdrawn their name from the crew roster if they were presented with your current set of circumstances.”

“Um... I’ve already rather embarrassingly stated my reasons for staying on in front of the entire armory. If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not revisit it.”

Just thinking back on it made her cringe internally. Fortunately she had above average control of her external emotions.

“Mmm, that does sound kinda gross.”

Esma didn’t know whether she was referring to her decision to participate or her refusal to reprise the earlier monologue. Either way she opted to stand pat and stay silent for the time being. Sensing this C362’s CO clasped both hands behind her back and sauntered back in the direction of the bridge.

“Just to be clear, I don’t plan on leaving the bridge again until we reach Riga. If you should feel the need to see me for something that is. Don’t be a stranger new girl.”

She watched the petite woman go before returning to her spot at the railing. As expected the limestone formations were now visible from deck and left quite the impression. It was almost like they were approaching a large forest of stone trees. Trees with a blue hue and small accents of various vegetation. Esma didn’t even want to think about the vast cave and drainage systems hidden underneath it all, threatening to swallow them whole at the slightest misstep. After all, she had no interest in making any fossil discoveries of her own.

*

“Does everyone have a copy of the map in front of them?”

Both Jericka and Hayes answered in the affirmative, having jumped over to the main comms channel after conducting their first scheduled check-in.

“As you’ve probably already noticed, the version of the map we’re working with is a bit dated. To the extent you won’t find many of the limestone projects or cavern systems. The latter shouldn’t be an issue since the route we’re taking has been stress tested by convoys operating at much greater combined actual weights than our own. The former is where things get a bit tricky...”

“I don’t suppose we were able to source the locations of Lamella’s castles?”

“It’s a work in progress. I’m told that we’ll have a more comprehensive list at the next scheduled check-in. The problem I alluded to concerns gathering intel on the structures that encroach on the route we’ll be taking.”

“The worry being that they’d serve as effective encampments or approach points for Cloud Nine.”

“I’m not so sure...I find it hard to believe the CoTC would catch wind of this issue and still leave the castles standing.”

“Seems past attempts were stymied by local legaters who insist on leaving the area untouched until they can conduct a proper archaeological survey of the region.”

“Untouched?! Do they realize how much damage was already done by that obsessive fool and his aspirations?! To say nothing of the countless raiding parties who have ransacked each location since!”

“The irony is not being lost on anyone Hayes, trust me. At the very least some of those legaters have agreed to assist the CoTC in tracking down some of James’s apprentices for more information on each structure’s location and general layout.”

“You can just call them castles, we won’t think any less of you for it.”

“That being said, waiting around until the next check-in isn’t a liable strategy in the context of a Galen Run. Which is exactly why Commander Dandridge and I have been cross examining reports from previous convoys through Riga. And together we’ve managed to narrow down a few red flags. I’ll have you mark them down on your maps now to head off any surprises and make sure we’re all on the same page.”

This was the best they could do with the resources currently at their disposal. Hopefully it would be enough to reach the second check-in point relatively unscathed.

“We’ve confirmed three unique structures at the following locations...”

*

“I’ll be honest, when I heard there’d be castles, I got a little excited. But now that we’ve been staring at blue rocks for ten minutes, the prospect might be losing its charm.”

Lux lowered the binoculars and squinted her eyes at the passing scenery, convinced she must be missing something. Esma on the other hand had been staring a hole through the front deck the entire time. Offering little by way of conversation or movement outside of an occasional fidget whenever a noise reverberated from somewhere unseen.

“Hey Lux...”

“Wait! I think that might be—! Nope, never mind. Just another big rock. What were you saying?”

“If we get raided...”

“Oh, we’re getting raided. It’s more a matter of how many times it’ll happen before the days over.”

Esma swallowed and shrunk back towards the wall of the bridge behind her.

“Yeah, getting raided during a Galen Run is about as universally accepted as getting hung over after a night of drinking. You’ll probably even swear off Galen Runs for the foreseeable future. But we all end up grabbing drinks again at some point or another. For better or worse.”

“And I’m sure I’ll come to appreciate that nugget of wisdom, it’s just that...I’m not sure I’ll be able to—”

“Worried about having to shoot someone.”

It wasn’t a question. Lux didn’t even turn around to deliver what had been weighing on Esma’s mind ever since she first stepped foot in the armory.

“Not so much the shooting part as much as the potentially killing them part...”

For some reason Esma felt ashamed for saying such a thing out loud. As if it was arrogant of her to assume she could even kill someone by shooting them. Complete novice that she was. Keeping her head pointed down towards the deck in shame, her eyes flicked up to ascertain the blonde’s reaction. Only to find that her comrade seemed to be wrestling with something of her own. But not in the distressed matter she was. More like searching for the right words. A rare sight to behold when dealing with someone so brazen in nature.

“Sorry, I’m so far removed from all that that it took me a second to remember the feeling. But the truth is I don’t have some quick fix or life hack that’s gonna make the weight of pulling that trigger any lighter. There’s a reason we don’t carry non-lethal rounds.”

A wave of nausea struck Esma out of nowhere, regret rearing its ugly head.

“And to think I talked such a big game back in the armory, Youn even warned me this would happen...”

Concern presented itself in Lux’s features as she watched the rookie lament her current circumstances. Spurred by her desire to ease the girl’s psyche, a handful of potential alternatives popped into her head. Granted most of them were wishful thinking.

“Look, in the event you do come face to face with a raider, I want you to shoot at their feet. It’ll give them pause, but more importantly it should alert the next closest officer. And even if you do connect, a shot through the foot isn’t going to kill anyone right away.”

Esma regained some vigor at the suggestion and pressed further on the subject.

“What should I do in the event I do manage to incapacitate an enemy?”

Lux made a face as she scratched at the base of her undercut.

“It’s rare, but I guess you could take them into custody. Though you’d have to disarm and immobilize them...”

“In other words I’d need something to restrain them...not to mention a place to keep them. Ideally somewhere that wouldn’t create problems for the crew.”

And just like that their rookie was back in the saddle. Good thing too. Had she stayed in such a troubled mindset the chances of her falling victim to the Galen Run would have been much higher. And to lose someone like the brunette would give even Lux fits, which in turn could have an adverse effect on her judgment going forward. Such things had happened before. Fortunately her crew mates at the time had been able to shoulder her workload until she got her head on straight again. Who knows? Perhaps today would be the day she finally returned that favor.

*

“Collins! You’re supposed to be on lunch break!”

The man’s eyes remained glued to the notepad he was scribbling on as he answered his superior, one of the departments shortwave radios receivers tucked between his neck and shoulder.

“I’m taking bites in between transmissions.”

He motioned to a half-eaten egg salad sandwich sitting atop a light blue lunch pail in front of him. One that featured several colorful stickers ranging from flowers to clouds.

“Should have this wrapped up by the time I finish.”

The department chief furrowed his brows and leaned in to get a better look at what the bespectacled man was doing. His confusion growing as he found a series of maps of an unfamiliar region sprawled out across the workstation. Then it hit him.

“Ah, responding to a CFS.”

A CFS, or call for service, referred to when a station requested third-party assistance in compiling information over one of the LCF’s designated collaborative channels. Third-party referring to any station not directly involved in the convoy in question. The channel itself being highly secure thanks to a coding algorithm meant to ensure only approved members of the communications department could tune in and contribute at a given time.

The department worker reached forward and took another modest bite of his sandwich before answering. Having jotted down a list of what appeared to be dimensions for a building or some other sizable structure.

“There was a request for data collection on a series of limestone builds to the west. Castles if I’m to believe the last fellow I spoke with. A structural engineer who’d contributed to several of the layouts before leaving the project.”

“Castles eh...I’m sure your little girl would be thrilled to hear that her daddy got to meet a castle builder today.”

“A joke I assume. It’s against rules and regulations to discuss the nature of CFS requests with anyone outside the department.”

The chief sighed into his mustache as a passerby handed him something to look over. He carried on the conversation as he browsed it.

“Well, seeing as your daughter won’t get to ask, anything noteworthy about these limestone castles?”

“Of the three sites I’ve sourced data on what’s stood out the most is how remarkably unique each structure is. And that applies to everything from the design stages to the erection phase. Almost as if the architect was testing the absolute limits of limestone as a building material. A peculiar choice given its long-established reputation for durability and longevity.”

Handing the document back to the staff member with a nod of approval, the chief proceeded to pluck a text from the pile in front of his subordinate. He licked his finger and began flipping through some of the pages.

“Wouldn’t things like layout and scale be dependent on the initial size of the available deposits? And according to this excerpt on karst landscapes, the subterranean drainage systems formed from the soluble nature of carbonate rocks would place considerable significance on a structure’s weight distribution.”

It should be known that the department chief had no prior knowledge of karst landscapes or limestone architecture prior to this conversation. Years on the job had simply made him that much of a quick study. A feat Collins would likely accomplish at some point of his career as well.

“That’s just it. Though it might be dated, this topographical map of the region suggests the presence of countless limestone towers at or around where several of the confirmed building sites for the castles would have been.”

“A sensible choice. By incorporating the pre-existing towers into the designs they’d save considerable time and resources.”

Collins finished the last bite of his sandwich, wiping his face with a cloth napkin that he then proceeded to fold neatly before depositing back inside the lunch pail.

“Doubtful.”

The man picked up his notepad which upon closer look also included short footnotes about each informant’s disposition and relationship with JJ Morg.

“According to the apprentices I’ve spoken with thus far, Morg placed far more emphasis on experimenting with aesthetics than he did logistics such as the structural integrity of the ground his teams were working on. Far from an invaluable resource, he viewed the towers as expendable canvases he could experiment with.”

“Small wonder his workers dwindled over the years.”

“On the topic of worker safety...”

The man dug through some paperwork to find the information he was looking for.

“The first apprentice I contacted mentioned something about an incident that led to several workers, including a colleague of hers, suffering serious injuries...”

The chief put a hand up to stop the man.

“I’m going to stop you right there Rockwell, we’re not personal injury lawyers. Well, I’m not at least. Wouldn’t surprise me if the guy conducting time sensitive information acquisition during his lunch break had a side gig. But the main thing you should be relaying to that station is the past presence of those towers.”

“I’m afraid my daughter wouldn’t allow me a second occupation. She says I work too much as is.”

He adjusted his glasses.

But you also didn’t let me finish. I only bring up the reported injury because it relates to the towers and their potential application in a raiding scenario.”

“You're suggesting that they’d collapse the towers to manipulate the route. Since dropping them on the convoy itself is out of the question.”

“That presupposes Cloud Nine is cognizant of the convoys cargo holdings.”

An amused countenance played across the chief’s face.

“You really think they wouldn’t leak that information ahead of time to narrow down the range of possible responses.”

Collins shut his lunch pail and stashed it safely in one of the drawers of his desk.

“I can assure you I have no idea what you’re talking about sir.”

*

“Ladies and gentlemen this is your pilot speaking, just here to inform you that we’ll be approaching our first castle shortly! Neat, huh! I’d also like to take this opportunity to announce our crew member of the day! Faust Warren! Thanks to everyone who submitted a vote and to those who fell short this time around, better luck next time!”

Gliel looked over at said taciturn security officer dutifully going about his patrol of the lower level. He thought about asking the man if bestowing such honors was a regular occurrence but stopped short after realizing how ridiculous of a precedent that would be. Although his take may have been more positive if he’d been approached about submitting a vote. Not that he knew anyone onboard the Crusader, or in the convoy for that matter.

But if nothing else he’d made a few silent observations during his time hiding—err, patrolling downstairs. Such as how reliable and cordial both Faust and the broad-shouldered engineer came across as. Or how easygoing the blonde officer turned out to be despite a rocky first interaction. It all made the station dweller realize that field service personnel weren’t the ruffians much of society made them out to be. And while he hadn’t seen every side of them yet, he could tell this group was prepared to go to great lengths for one another. Whether they’d go to those same lengths for an outsider like him remained to be seen. Especially if he failed to make any worthwhile contributions.

That was when the sound of someone ascending the ladder pulled him from his thoughts. Turning to investigate, Gliel saw that Faust was indeed heading topside, which in turn would make him the sole occupant of the lower level. A daunting prospect now that they were entering the principal part of the route.

“Is there some sort of meeting on deck?”

Faust paused halfway up the ladder and gave the slender officer a blank expression.

“No. I just thought I’d get a better look at that castle. Get a feel for its scale and configuration.”

He supposed that was fair. This could be their only chance to scrutinize the architectural feat without an immediate threat hindering them.

“I see...I’ll just hold down the fort here then.”

“You’re call.”

And just like that, the crew member of the day was gone. Left to his own devices the man paced back and forth restlessly across the corridor. The silent nature of Crusaders making it so he could hear the footfalls of those moving around on the deck above. Gliel could also make out occasional snippets of conversation between the crew. He couldn’t quite make out the specifics but imagined it too was related to the castle they were about to pass. And suddenly the prospect of viewing the structure from the platform didn’t sound too bad. Granted it was a place he had yet to tread over fear of falling overboard.

Inching his way closer to the door on reflex, it occurred to the man officer didn’t know which side of the Crusader to look from. He hadn’t thought to ask, so worried something more would be asked of him if he’d initiated. He could try to make an educated guess based on which side of the deck the footfalls were most prevalent. But as he tried to train his ears on the floor above the sound of someone descending the stairs sidetracked him.

And for reasons he couldn’t quite explain Gliel panicked and tried to assume a posture against the corridor wall that would make him come across as nonchalant. The source of the steps appearing in the doorway just as he settled on the least awkward place to position his hands.

“They’ll be other castles along the route, and I want a better idea of the storage area’s square footage!”

The brunette who appeared seemed to be speaking with someone at the top of the stairs. She proceeded to enter the corridor, passing him by and approaching the engine room door of all places. Gliel considered the fact that she hadn’t responded outwardly to his presence to mean he’d pulled off his facade of composure. He then watched her disappear inside the cramped room, though he could hear her talking to who he presumed to be herself.

“Hmm...it’s a bit warm, but I’d consider this a humane amount of space to keep someone.”

Gliel did not think he should be hearing this and slowly pushed himself off the wall. Deciding it was time to check on the cargo again he began taking long steady strides away from the engine room. I was right in the middle of this creep walk that the girl re-emerged.

“I’m sorry, what was your name again?”

The man righted himself to make the exchange less awkward.

“Gliel...”

“Esma. Do you think it likely you’ll remain largely on the lower level for the duration of this convoy?”

“That’s the plan.”

Esma clasped her hands together, causing the man to jump in a way that erased any misconceptions about him having composure.

“Well I might be able to provide you an excuse depending on how things develop later.”

Seeing how confused the elder man was, Esma figured she should elaborate.

“I’m concocting a strategy that involves taking a raider into custody. In such an event I’d require you to keep an eye on them alongside Cade who I imagine will be seeing to various engine room related tasks.”

As he’d feared, communication had made him vulnerable to responsibilities.

“Can’t you do it?”

“No. I’ve learned a thing or two about myself over these past two weeks, one of which being I despise being idle. Besides I’d be nothing but a hinderance down here if a boarding party embarked.”

“...!?”

“Good talk, I’ll go ahead and pencil you in as our impromptu sentry.”

She gave the now pale man a thumbs up and jogged back out the doorway before he could form a proper rebuttal. Alone again, Gliel moved back over to the wall and sunk down into a seated position. His head hung between his legs.

“C’mon Glie...don’t lose heart now. Just remember why you’re doing this...remember the desperation in her voice. If not you, who else is there...”