Starflight (Starflight, #1)(82)
Solara squinted while hooking her helmet to her belt. “These sensors might report to a centralized system,” she warned. “We should be prepared for company.”
“Draw your weapons,” Renny told them. “But set the safety latch.”
Having never used a pistol before, Doran had to watch Kane to learn what to do. He removed his gloves and used a thumb to flick a switch near the trigger, then fisted the weapon and continued down the empty hallway.
After turning two more corners, they reached a set of double doors bolted from the outside. Without a glass pane or any labeling, there was nothing to indicate where they led. Doran glanced down the hallway at another corner, torn between continuing on and staying to investigate.
“You and Solara stay here and check it out,” Renny suggested, nodding at the doors. “Kane and I will see what’s down that way.”
“Sounds good,” Doran said, even though he didn’t like the idea of separating. He agreed to check in using the suits’ com-link, and then watched half the group walk away.
Solara took his hand and gave it a fortifying squeeze. Together they unlocked the bolt and inched open the doors while Doran pointed his pistol inside. The motion triggered another set of overhead lights, and a wide room came into view. His eyes automatically scanned for life, and when he found the room empty, he allowed himself to look closer.
The space was pristine, with white walls and glossy tiled floors. Several tables stood along the perimeter, covered in computers, microscopes, and an assortment of machinery. It didn’t take long to figure out the room’s purpose.
“It’s a lab,” he said.
Solara peeked around his shoulder. “What kind? Medical?”
“I don’t know.” Since it seemed safe, he holstered his gun and entered the room. “Let’s find out.”
They explored opposite halves of the room, starting at the entrance and working their way toward the back. As Doran moved from one table to the next, he detected a familiar scent, something that plucked at his memories of his internship with new product development. The smell was slightly sharp and metallic, like melting ore. Then he noticed a glass-paned furnace in the wall with a chunk of metal burning inside, and everything clicked into place.
“I’ve seen this before,” he said. “It’s fuel development.”
“Not just any fuel.” The sudden flatness in Solara’s tone prompted him to face her. She trailed her index finger along a data tablet affixed to the wall and added, “The one you’re accused of stealing.”
He rushed to her side and glanced at the screen, instantly spotting the word Infinium in several places on the page. The rest of the text was a nonsensical jumble of numbers and formulas, so he tapped the panel and returned to the main data directory.
He found a file called G.S. INFINIUM LABORATORY JOURNAL and selected it, then scrolled through the entries while Solara read along with him.
G.S. ENTRY #1: Solar Day 3, Cycle 9. Discovered Highly Unstable Ore With Unusually Long-Burning Properties.
“Look.” Doran pointed at a small clear bag of rocks resting on the table, labeled INFINIUM RAW ORE SAMPLES. “It’s like I said. I’ll bet my father found out how dangerous this was and wanted it destroyed.”
The next several entries confirmed his theory as the scientist detailed the challenges involved with stabilization. On its own, the metal was highly combustible to the point of weaponry use. But then the journal took a different turn. After several months of trial and error, G.S. found a combination of additives that allowed the ore to ignite and generate energy without exploding. Once the process was complete, he named the new matter Infinium, because it seemed to burn eternally.
G.S. ENTRY #243: Infinium is now stable, but its temperature output is too high for use in current engine systems.
They’d just scrolled through another week’s report when the com-link in their suits activated, and Renny’s voice crackled from inside their collars.
“Report back,” he said. “You two okay?”
“We’re fine,” Doran answered. “We found the Infinium lab, and we’re getting caught up on the data files. How about you?”
“There’s a private residence down here,” Renny said. “Stocked with—”
“More like a mansion,” Kane cut in. “This place is swank. Theater screens in every bedroom, a full gym, showers so big you could drown. There’s even a heated pool with sun lamps and a beach simulator.”
“It’s true,” Renny said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Is the house abandoned?” Solara asked.
“It don’t think so,” Renny said. “There are dishes in the sink and food in the cooler, but we haven’t seen a soul.”
“Neither have we,” Doran added, feeling the urge to check behind him. No one was there, but that didn’t put his anxiety to rest.
“The hangar is empty, so whoever lives here may have flown off world,” Renny said. “Keep your eyes peeled, and we’ll check in again soon.”
Doran exchanged a heavy glance with Solara. The posh living quarters, the hidden lab. Clearly his father had rewarded someone lavishly to stay here and experiment with Infinium, far from the reach of the Solar League. But nothing about the data led Doran to believe there was a weapon of mass destruction here.