Chapter 15

The train pulled up to another platform, another one like all the others. Sash and Colette stood up, and I joined them. I looked out the windows, but I couldn't see too much. The air was profoundly dirty – a literal pall of brown dust hung outside the window. The doors opened and I stepped out.

Instantly I sucked in a mouthful of dust, and my eyes flashed in pain from the sudden gritty particles that flew right into them. There was no wind, and the air was calm. But I felt like I was like standing in the middle of a dust devil. I doubled over, coughing and choking, the heels of my palms stabbing at my clenched eyelids to relieve them of the microscopic assault. I wanted to utter a curse, but I couldn't speak. I wanted to look at the two Gaians who brought me here, to see what they were going through. But I couldn't even open my eyes without stabbing pain and watery, defocused vision.

I felt a bundle pressing against my face. "Put this on," I heard Sash's voice penetrating the gloom. I straightened up, coughing, my mouth dried and chalky like sandpaper. My hands fumbled with the bundle, and I figured out it was a simple bandana and a pair of goggles. I wrapped the bandana around my mouth and nose, and I endeavored to clear my eyes well enough to put on the goggles.

I squatted down, my breath ragged and my eyes squinting in pain, as I struggled against the elements.

"Get the goggles on!" Sash instructed.

"I can't get....ahh...my fucking eyes!"

"Put your goggles on. Your eyes will clear, but you've got to shield them."

I kept struggling in my ignorant way, and Sash ripped the goggles out of my hand, pulled my head back and shoved them on. I squawked, and he roughly got them aligned with my eyes. He knelt down beside me. "Take it easy, Sean. Just take it easy. Flutter your eyelids."

"I can't. This hurts like hell!"

"I know. Flutter your eyelids. Let your eyes do the work. They know how to do this."

With grunts and curses, I fluttered my eyelids as best I could, trying hopelessly to dodge the pain every time I opened them.

I could feel Colette kneeling beside me. "I'm sorry, Sean. We should have known better."

"It's my fault," I heard Sash say. "Just keep fluttering your eyelids, Sean. Your eyes will clear themselves soon enough."

He was right. In a few minutes, I could hold my aching, bloodshot eyes open for a few minutes at a time, before I had to slam them back shut and suck in the relief of the tears. I finally stood up, with help from them, and looked at the two of them. They both wore bandanas and goggles like mine. Old pros, the two of them.

"I'm sorry, Sean," Colette said, worry creasing her voice.

"What's wrong with you?" Sash asked. "I thought you were an old hand at this mining stuff."

"In space, for chrissake!" I yelled at him, "In space! We don't have this shit in space," I muttered in disgust.

We collected ourselves, and made our way down the train platform. "This is the dust cloud you saw from a distance," Colette said. "It's blanketing this entire part of the city. It's made the area entirely unlivable. "

"I can see that."

“And it’s destroyed the local economy,” Sash added.

I followed them down a flight of stairs to the street. The place looked like a war zone. There were very few people about, and the dusty fog was everywhere. I could barely see to the end of the block. I did see a couple of military vehicles parked or patrolling, but I couldn’t make out any markings on them.

“They’re part of Earth’s military garrison stationed here,” Colette said.

“It’s a full company of Earth marines,” Sash added.

“How big’s a company?” I asked.

“A company can range from a hundred to as many as three hundred soldiers. In this case, there are two hundred and eighty-six of them, all armed, well trained.”

“Two hundred and eighty-six, huh? That’s pretty darn precise.”

I couldn’t see Sash’s face behind his bandana, but I could hear the smile in his voice. “We do our homework.”

“And I’ll bet you know every one’s birthdate and the name of the first girl they kissed.”

“Or boy,” Colette quipped.

Sash brought me up to speed while we walked. “The company is led by Captain Kai Struthers. Tough sonofabitch. Seen lots of action. Considering the low regard Earth holds for our military capabilities, I would consider his assignment here a demotion. Anyway, the company is made up of three platoons, with about thirty men and women in each one.” His voice accelerated with excitement as he talked. “They’ve got the usual fire teams, combat support, top-notch equipment, and they’re well supplied. They’ve got TRCs, pulse mortars, you name it. AR-7 wingsets keep the threat-grid. They’ve set up a DP around the site, and they maintain constant, high-viz foot patrols.”

“Boy, you really know your stuff.” I understood only a fraction of what he said, but the message was clear enough. These guys had been busy, and they brought big guns with them.

We walked for a while, to where the buildings became sparse, then turned and followed a paved road up a hill. About halfway up the road, we turned and headed upward at a diagonal until we finally reached a large, long fence running farther than the eye could see, which in these conditions was not very far. I could hear the rumble and squeak of heavy machinery beyond the fence, and when I squinted I could make out, between wisps of dust, a silhouette or two trundling along.

"I wanted you to see the facility for yourself," Colette said. “I want you to get a sense of what we’re up against.”

I took hold of the fence and leaned against it, peering through the holes. I could see some buildings, some unused mining equipment, and a huge scrap pile over to my left. There were enormous mounds of dirt piled around the entire site that I could see. But what really caught my eye was the military patrols. The personnel carriers roaming about, the armed foot patrols…some standing in place, others strolling the perimeter.

“How different is earth mining from space mining?” Colette asked.

Far to the right I saw a group of soldiers running – yes, as in exercising – around the dusty compound. They were wearing face masks, and I’m sure they were not having a good time. But they looked solid and ready for a fight.

“Pretty different,” I eventually replied. “Different metals, different geology.” I looked over at her. “And the physics of it are…incomparable.” I looked back at the facility. “Still…I know how to get rimonium out of the ground.” I returned my attention to her. “And it doesn’t have to be like this.” I shook my head, appalled, as I stared at the mess. “This is just sloppy. Signature Nat Brixom work,” I snorted.

“You wanna go in and see him?” Sash asked.

“And say what? No, that’s alright. That won’t do us any good. Not yet.” I took a final look around. “Anything else you want me to see here?”

Colette and Sash looked at each other, and shrugged. “That’s about it,” Colette said.

“Then get me to a damn shower. I feel like a Texan steer’s ass out in this godforsaken dust bowl.”

“Try living here,” Colette retorted, but I didn’t take it personally.