Pokémon Mars

Chapter 64: Traitor

Sonnet's friends expected him to use the Ares elevator to the canyon floor. Instead, he released Magnezone and floated down. Magnezone could carry five people at once: two on its back and three stuck to its magnets by their helmets. Aranchi and her colleagues flew down on the Mega Latios that she inherited from her great-grandma, Anabel. They got there long before Magnezone. It floated slowly. Hope worried that someone would spot them. From the canyon floor, it was impossible to see if any spies lurked beyond the rim.

'I doubt it,' Sonnet said when they finally landed, 'The average Team Genesis Grunt avoids going outside at all costs. Now, follow me.'

He swiftly turned to climb a slope of shifting sand and rubble. Aranchi stumbled. Epsilon caught her before her helmet hit the floor.

'Sorry...'

'Don't apologise. You can train for years, but you haven't really experienced the surface of Mars until you're on it. Just be careful.'

The ascent grew so steep that it was more like rock climbing. It was effortless for Sonnet. Kaikoa managed to follow him, albeit nervously. Magnezone carried everyone else. Their footprints were already buried by the wind. Standing on the canyon floor, every rock and crack was discernible, but from above, it looked deceptively smooth and leathery. They couldn't admire the view for long. Next was a leap of faith into a jagged hole. Sonnet took his backpack off to jump down. It must have been safe, because he reached out again for the backpack.

'This isn't the "official" entrance, of course. Even dear old Wish would probably have a heart attack if he came this way.'

They walked through rugged, dimly lit tunnels for a while. Then they turned. Sonnet's flashlight gleamed against a thin steel wire that marked the edge of the path. Beyond it was a steep drop into a pit of garbage. In there were several bodies, mummified by the frozen and lifeless landscape. Hope immediately recognised one. He was a Team Genesis Admin. They had no crematorium nor space for burials, so those who died of natural causes shared their grave with the garbage.

'Nice,' Jin stiffly commented, 'Just chucking your mates out with the rubbish. Really nice man, Wish.'

'As vile as it is,' Hope replied, 'I am relieved to see that they haven't resorted to cannibalism...'

Sonnet turned a rusty handle to open an airlock. It was usually used for garbage, which piled up for weeks and even months between ejections. It overflowed from filthy, makeshift containers inside. The stench was overpowering.

'I'm afraid I'm going to ask you to wait here, so you may want to leave your helmets on.'

Everyone chose to. They didn't need to gag over the revolting reek of unchecked garbage.

Sonnet informed the Grunts there that he was on his way to take them to Ironville. They already congregated in the dining hall. Once everyone was accounted for, he pretended to call Wish. It was actually a signal to Hope. She and her allies split up to encircle the dining hall, which would be filled with Sleep Powder.

If Sonnet was honest, he was scared. It would only take one escaped Grunt to alert Wish to his true intentions. He wasn't as alert as usual. He didn't notice the approach of someone much less stealthy until their voice, twisted by a sneer, hit him like Ice Beam.

'Well, well, well.'

He span to find himself facing Murad and their sister, Samina.

'So it's true! You really are a traitor. Quelle tristesse!'

A Beast Ball was already in Murad's hand. Samina held two. When did they arrive there? As far as Sonnet knew, they were at Delta Lab 3. Murad sniggered.