Hi, there, all! One last bit, before returning to physics and science. Whirl Girl, you may be right about that. Anyway, thanks for reading, Bow Echo, Tikatu, Whirl Girl and RV Fan. Will edit, shortly.

22

Mars, in Hebrus Valley, just after nightfall-

The Freedom Colony had been set up like a great, spoked wheel on two underground levels, with solar collectors, life support and domed farms above, habitation, work space and power plants, below. Altogether, the colony supported some thirty-six people, plus Colonel Tracy. He'd been settled on Level 2, in Tunnel Bravo. Had he turned right, leaving his quarters, Jeff would have reached the machine shop, where bits of old lander and rockets were converted to usable gear.

He did not turn right, but joined a handful of people in hurrying left, toward Level 2's central hub. The alarms hadn't ceased. If anything, they'd grown louder. More strident. Main power was out, but the battery lanterns still functioned, and everyone carried a light.

The tunnel continued to shudder, as though rocked by constant, low-level explosions. Mars was not geologically active. Not anymore. This was no "Mars quake", or volcanic eruption, meaning that someone had set off a series of bombs, or that excess hydrogen gas had built up at the atmosphere plant, and been touched off, somehow.

One thing about having high rank; you got plenty of space, and everyone expected instant solutions. There were two females and four males in the hab tunnel with Jeff, none of whom he knew very well. One of them, a Captain Hesse, said to him,

"Colonel, is this a surprise drill?"

"I'll find out," he replied, tapping his uniform's comm badge. "Pete? Commander McCord? Tracy, checking in. Is this a drill, or should we evacuate?"

Critical information, since a full evac drill would require them to don survival gear, and head for the harsh, frigid surface. Jeff paused in his stride, waiting along with the others… one guy in a tee-shirt and briefs, hair still shower-wet… for an answer. Got nothing but static, at first. Then, McCord replied.

"Not a… ill. Con… eech. Evacuate." Garbled, but comprehensible enough. Jeff nodded.

"Understood, Commander. Will do." Brown eyes scanning the group (scientists, mostly) Jeff said, "You heard the man. Suit up, and follow your assigned evac route. Move!"

"What about you, Sir?" said the woman who'd spoken first, a tough, rangy blond with captain's bars, and a spotless uniform.

"I'm going to see what I can do to help," Jeff responded. He was, after all, a Tracy. His ace in the hole? He'd already secretly called home… but how long would it take the boys to arrive, and would World Gov let them go? There was no way to tell, at this point, so Jeff proceeded as if he was on his own. He had to.

They did not run, but double-timed it through Tunnel Bravo, which was two hundred meters long, and perfectly straight; drilled through the dark Martian rock by giant machines. Jeff led the way, keeping the colony schematics in mind.

There were three other hab and work tunnels on this level: Alpha, Charlie and Delta. The power plant lay at the end of a long, blast-shielded passage, on the other side of hub two. For some reason, those doors had not shut, allowing a series of pressure waves to rocket across the hub, and into the tunnels.

Colonel Tracy went faster, only just not breaking into a run. Environment suits could be had in the central hub, along with transport to the surface. (Lifts, when the power was up, a long spiral staircase, when it wasn't.) But Jeff had no intention of fleeing to safety. Suiting up, yes. He was going to need blast and radiation defense. But, it just wasn't in him to run from a situation.

As he and the others poured out of Bravo, they entered a large, dim cylindrical space hewn from the Martian basalt. Hub 2. A public space and small cafeteria were located there, staffed by a couple of frightened civilian contractors. Interns, getting some work experience before applying for jobs out on the asteroid belt, or Jove Station.

Jeff seized both confused young men by the shoulder and marched them over to Captain Hesse. Lina, that was her name.

"Captain," he ordered, "see that these men get suited up, and then take them out with the rest of your people."

"Yes, Sir," she replied, saluting him. There was a question in her grey eyes. One no one had voiced aloud. Are the Thunderbirds coming? The answer was, Jeff didn't know. And it would take the boys a week to arrive, at their fastest.

As bits of rock and runnels of sand showered down from above, as the sirens shrieked, and group leaders waved urgent lanterns, Jeff got everyone geared up and ready for a trek on the barren surface of Mars. GDF environment suits were big, clumsy affairs. Nothing like the insanely expensive versions on Alan or John. Struggling into one of the bulky, yellow contraptions was a genuine process, requiring teamwork, or someone who'd make it out last, if he was lucky.

On the bright side, everyone had their evac "battle station", and knew just what to do (Except for a few adventure tourists and wide-eyed civilian employees. No doubt, they'd slept through the briefing.)

Radiation levels had spiked in the hub, wreaking havoc with the colony's comm system. After that first, spotty contact, he'd not been able to reach Pete, who often worked late, all through the colony.

His group, and the two interns, were geared and helmed at last; Jeff, mostly so. Turning to Hesse, the Colonel said,

"Get your people topside, Captain. Our muster point is…" He drew a blank, then, but Hesse filled in the gap, saying,

"It's beside External Bio-pod 3, Sir… the "Little Shop of Horrors"."

Jeff cocked a heavy grey eyebrow, then decided not to ask. Radiation levels up top were pretty fierce, but surely, they weren't growing actual trifids, up there.

"Pod 3. Understood, Captain. I'll rejoin you as soon as possible. In the meantime, I want these people, and you, to proceed to the main hangar. Depending on how things shape up, you may need transport off planet."

"Yes, Sir," she nodded. No one argued with Colonel Jeff Tracy, Earth's most decorated hero. Even banished to Mars, the man had command presence, and that voice.

Clasping her shoulder, briefly, Jeff turned away from Captain Hesse, donned his own helmet, and then joined a three-man emergency crew heading out to the power plant. Lucy's picture rubbed at his chest as he moved. Almost, he felt she was with him.