Lago liked to be alone in the spacious darkness of the globe room that took up five stories inside his Manila skyscraper. Projected in the centre of the chamber was a gigantic holographic representation of the planet Earth in full 3D colour. It showed all Benevolent Progress Inc. business interests around the globe, all highlighted with different icons. His fleet of factory ships were represented and portrayed in real time. The surface of the planet was being monitored by hundreds of orbiting satellites able to zoom in on minute detail, they provided a live stream projected onto the globe which Lago could manipulate with a wave of his hand. He could zoom in on any area on the Earth's surface and view it in intricate detail. He could watch the crews on his factory ships; he could identify which of his contracted technicians were asleep on the job of constructing the orbital elevator. He could watch the movements of his competitors in China, constructing new shipyards and spaceports in a desperate attempt to keep up with BPI’s rapacious industrial growth.

It made him feel like he was king of the world. There was no part of the Earth beyond his control, nothing was immune from his influence. It was in this room he could envisage his true ambition. All his orbiting satellites were focused inwardly on the planet, but Lago's vision encompassed the planet and beyond. Seeing the Earth suspended in front of him made him aware of just how vulnerable it was. Protected by a thin layer of atmosphere, made up of exactly the right combination of elements. And lucky to be positioned precisely the right distance from the sun. Lago's ambitions had moved beyond the terrestrial. The completion of his orbital elevator, bigger mining colonies on the Moon and one day Mars, orbital habitats, plundering the infinite resources of the Kuiper belt; it was all possible in the near future. One day the world would recognize him for the visionary he was, leading his people into space.

His console chimed, jolting him out of his autocratic daydreaming. “Lago, we are ready to go.” Lance's voice filtered through.

Lago scowled and clicked his fingers, the Earth holograph disappeared, Lago swept out of the globe room and marched to the comms room where Lance was hunched over the touchscreen, hands manipulating the screen too fast to see. Goran stood glowering over him.

“I have reinforced the firewalls. I am confident we will be safe from contamination if we resume the connection.”

“And the drone?”

“On its way, armed with the effector weapon and eight tactical nukes, each capable of blowing a good size hole in the side of that rock. ETA four hours.”

“It’s only to be used as a threat. I will not be destroying my moon base. We will need remote control of all base operations, we need to be able to open the airlocks if we have to.”

“Should be possible, the firewall will cut the connection at the merest hint of anything coming back the other way.”

“‘Should be, is not good enough. Make it happen.” Lago finally felt he was gaining some semblance of control over the situation. “Let's patch into the video link first.”

Lance bought the visuals from the control room camera up on the screen. There was no one there but they could see signs of a struggle. Some debris on the floor, dark liquid blood stains, and chairs tipped over. The door to block four was open.

“Where the hell are they?” whispered Lago. “Check the other cams.”

Lance flicked to the view in block four. Black plastisol worms obscured almost every surface. The main printer housing was covered in them. Most looked lifeless but the ones that had penetrated the power outputs and OS feeds were pulsing and separating, lazily dividing into more worms. Lago watched in quiet disgust for a minute.

“Try the green room.”

The green room was a complete mess. Seed trays upended, dead and dying plant matter torn apart and withering away. The normally bright UV light was strobing with an irregular, sickly luminescence. The worms were everywhere, buried in the seed trays and even in the plants. Not moving but vibrating statically which made them hard to define.

“Try the cafe and bunkrooms,” muttered Lago. “See if we can find them.” The view of the cafe looked normal but for a few black worms around the food printer. There was nothing to be seen in the bunkrooms either: messed up bunks and a few personal items but no black worms.

“Maybe the cowards have abandoned the base, check the outside cams.” Lance chose one of the outside cams with a wide-angle view. Five suited figures could be seen struggling over the surface of the Moon towards the hoppers parked next to the big harvesters in the distance.

“I knew it! Fucking traitors, they’ll die there,” snarled Lago.

“They are not making much progress. Two of them are being dragged along, they must be unconscious. There are only five of them too. Missing one technician. Are they trying to get to the shuttle? don’t they know there's not enough fuel to get back to Earth?” asked Lance.

“That's not exactly true, we wanted them to think it was a one-way trip, so they would be focused on their work. We told them there was not enough fuel for the return flight, but the shuttle does have a reserve tank. We need to stop them. They have to stay and reclaim the base.”

“I might be able to patch into their suit comms,” Lance’s hands worked furiously over the touchscreen. “Try this.”

Lago leaned over the comms mike and took a deep breath. “Jack, can you hear me, this is Lago. Respond.” Lago watched the screen as the five suited figures stopped their laborious trek across the Moon surface. One of them indicated to their ear, the other two nodded. “Jack, I know you can hear me, we are watching you. What the hell do you think you are doing, you need to get back to the base immediately,” Lago could barely suppress his rage.

The comms mike hissed and crackled with static before a voice said; “Mr. Santos sir I am afraid our commander is unconscious and unable to communicate.”

“Who are you and what the fuck happened to Jack!” yelled Lago. He watched the five figures standing motionless on the barren Moon surface. They looked fragile and vulnerable like thieves caught in a spotlight. There was more static before Lago screamed; “Answer me goddammit!”

“I am Ranjit Anderson Balakrishnan,” a steady voice replied. “Our commander was knocked unconscious sir, there was an altercation.”

“You all need to return to the base and rectify the situation, getting to the shuttle will not help you, there is not enough fuel to get back to Earth, you know this.”

“Sir, with the greatest respect, I presume you have seen inside the base with your cameras. The base is overrun with black plastisol worms. Our situation has become untenable; we decided the safest option was the shuttle. There we can treat the wounded and decide on our next course of action in safety.” Ranjit spoke calmly and politely which infuriated Lago even more.

“Get back there and save my base or I will blow you all to hell right where you stand!” Lago was incandescent with rage, his spittle sprayed across the comms desk.

“Mr. Santos sir, we will probably all die here on the Moon sometime soon. If we return to the base, we will die quickly and painfully or even become possessed by the creeping blackness like poor Fidel. Whereas if we reach the safety of the shuttle we will have enough time to treat Jack and Winston and decide on our next course of action. If death is inevitable then we will make peace with ourselves and prepare accordingly.”

Lago stood back from the console, fists clenching and blood boiling. He glared at Lance and pointed disgustedly at the comms.

“Ranjit, we could open all the airlocks to the vacuum, we can do that from here. Might slow down or stop the plastisol.”

“You can try but I do not think that will make the slightest bit of difference. If you have an external view of the block four cables you will see what I mean.”

Lance went to an outside cam with a view of block four; there was something unusual on the power cables. He zoomed in and they could see the black tarry plastisol connecting the severed cables, ringed with a faint blue glow of electricity.

“What is that?” Lago demanded.

“Looks as if they used a laser cutter to sever the cables, trying to cut the power supply and the plastisol has re-established the connection. It’s not affected by the cold temperature.”

“It needs the power,” said Lago. “To replicate and move. These black worms have infected every part of the base, we can't destroy it without compromising the base. Goran, any suggestions?”

“We have to convince the technicians to return to the base and attack the plastisol. Most likely they will fail but then we will know what we are dealing with, in the meantime we prepare a team of Masama capable of dealing with the threat,” said Goran after a pause.

“Or nuke the whole base,” offered Lance.

“We will not be destroying my moon base. It cost me a lot of money, said Lago. “There are only five out there, still one unaccounted for, what was he saying about Fidel? Go back to the internal cams and see if we can find him.”

Lance bought up the view of the control room again, it was deserted. But the next view had them recoiling in shock as Fidel's twisted face filled the screen. He was in one of the bunkrooms. His face was close to the camera as if inspecting the machine. His black unblinking eyes staring mindlessly back at them. Fidel's mouth was wide open, black shapes moved inside. Lago noticed his arms reaching out the wrong way behind him and saw how horribly twisted his neck was. It took a few moments to register what must have happened to him. Even Goran seemed slightly disturbed by what he was seeing.

“What's been done to him?” whispered Lance. “His head has been twisted around; his... his neck must be broken.” Fidel's inhuman face came even closer to the camera, mouth wide open as if he was going to swallow the lens. Lago caught a glimpse of black worms coiling around inside his mouth before Lance abruptly cut the connection.

Lago walked to the window and stood with his back to his companions. He looked out over the hazy skies of Manila and thought about his options. From what he had seen he knew the base was severely compromised, but he was loath to destroy it. The Helium 3 was going to give him a huge competitive advantage. It was the key to his expanding empire. It would be the difference between just another Earth-bound potentate wallowing in the dust of this increasingly dry planet and the visionary king leading his people to the stars. He would win this, he had to win. Lago took a deep breath, calmed himself and turned around.

“We will not be destroying the base, at least not yet. Goran will lead a team to the Moon to reclaim the base and Lance you will be going too since you seem to know so much about rogue AIs. How long till the drone arrives in lunar orbit?”

“Less than four hours.” Lance looked more anxious than usual.

Back on the screen, the five technicians had resumed their slow shuffle across the Moon's surface towards the shuttle platform a few hundred meters away.

“Forget the thing in the base. Goran can deal with it when he gets there. We must stop them from reaching the shuttle. If they won’t return to the base and fight, then they are no longer useful to me. Lance, is it possible to remotely connect with the one working harvester?”

“Yes, I suppose, but why? Are you going to try and run them down out there with a harvester?”

Lago didn’t reply, he went back to the comms and flicked the switch. “Listen here Ramjob or whatever your name is; this is your last chance. Either get back to the base now and fight or you will die out there where you stand.”

The figures on the screen didn't stop this time as Ranjit's voice came back. “My name is Ranjit sir and I think we would prefer to die out here than go back to the base.”

“So be it,” declared Lago. “Lance, connect with the harvester. Goran, get your Masama organized and get a shuttle ready. Take as much weaponry as you think you will need.”

Goran stalked out of the room as Lago turned his attention back to the desk. Lance was busy over the touchscreen making a connection with the one operational harvester.

As Lance bought the harvester to life, Lago operated one of the cameras to get the best view. He watched as the technicians stopped their arduous trek and looked across to the harvester as it rumbled into life. The huge machine rose up on its tracks, the engine vibrations shaking dust off its bulkhead and a bank of lights flickering harshly into life. A hibernating prehistoric beast awakening from its slumber, the harvester edged forward and the auger spikes in front started to rotate menacingly. The technicians tried to increase their pace towards the shuttle, dragging their two unconscious companions with them.

Lago checked the distances involved. The technicians were about two hundred meters from the shuttle platform and the harvester was a hundred meters behind them. The harvester had only one speed and it was slow. It was never intended to get anywhere fast. It ambled along heavily at walking speed, churning up and devouring the regolith in its path. The technicians now had a serious sense of urgency. They linked arms around the limp suits of their two unconscious companions, turned and struggled ahead as fast as they could towards the shuttle platform. Lago smiled as he leaned over the comms again. “You are not going to make it to the shuttle. Stop and head back to the base right now or the harvester will make mincemeat of you.”

There was no reply apart from the laboured breathing. Then Ranjit's voice crackled through the comms. “Mr. Santos please, we are your employees! Show some mercy.”

“Your employment was terminated as soon as you abandoned your workplace and you obviously have no idea about who you were working for if you expect any mercy. Turn around now, go back to the base and I will stop the harvester.”

Stella's panting voice came through. “Can we turn the comms off? I don't need this asshole's voice in my ears.”

“You can't turn it off,” whispered Lago. “Just stop and go back and you may live. Or carry on, I’m beginning to enjoy this slow-motion chase. The harvester is getting closer.”

Lee glanced behind and tried to judge the slow destructive progress of the harvester. The lumbering machine was coming in from a slight angle behind the straight line of footprints. It was going to be close, but the steady rumbling motion of the big machine was catching the fleeing technicians. Every time one of them stumbled or turned to look at the harvester they lost ground. Lee knew they could have moved much faster but having to haul two unconscious bodies along slowed them down immensely. The low gravity meant they did not weigh much but their inert bodies were awkward to move in their suits. Jack was slowly regaining consciousness and flailing his arms about sporadically. A painful groaning sound could be heard over the comms.

“Come on Jack, please you've got to wake up.”

“The dead-weight slowing you down? You might have to dump those bodies. Don't feel guilty; you will all be corpses soon anyway,” Lago whispered in his ears.

“You murdering bastard!” yelled Lee.

“You’ve had your chance you traitorous cowards, if you won’t help me then I certainly won’t help you. It’s getting closer, better hurry up.”

The technicians were scrambling with increasing desperation. The more frantic they became the more they stumbled and lost grip on the bodies they were dragging. “We’re not going to make it!” screamed Lee over the crackling comms.

“We are close, keep going. Move faster.” Ranjit demanded.

They were close enough to make out the name 'Tobias lll' on the shuttle platform. But it was becoming obvious the harvester would reach them first. Lee had come to this conclusion after seeing the huge metal monster looming over his shoulder.

“We will not make it! We have to leave these two!” screamed Stella.

“No! keep moving we can do it.” Ranjit yelled.

“She's right Ranjit.” Lee was cold and calm. “It's the only way we will survive.”

“I will not leave them!” shouted Ranjit. “We cannot abandon them!”

“Live or die,” Lago's devilish voice whispered over the comms. “Decisions you have to make. Abandon your friends to a horrible death and save your own worthless lives? Or stay and die heroically with them. What to do?”

The harvester was close now, the rotating spikes churning up the fine moon dust and causing a small floating cloud ahead of the machine. The spikes were each over a meter long and hundreds of them lined the rotating spiral cylinder. They ploughed across the regolith, sucking the debris up into the bowels of the machine for processing.

Obviously struggling with a traumatic inner argument, Ranjit finally dropped the two bodies he was holding either side of him with an anguished cry full of painful intensity. Lee and Stella slumped with the weight of the bodies before releasing them also. “God forgive us!” screamed Ranjit as the three of them ran for the safety of the platform.

“Cowards! Traitorous bastard cowards!” screamed Lago. “You haven't escaped; you are just prolonging the inevitable. I promise to take my time with each of you when we get to you!”

The shuttle platform was a raised solid flat area of hardened plasticrete. Built by the previous tenants and strengthened by the BPI crew. It had been designed to handle the ignition blasts for multiple shuttle take-offs and landings. The technicians reached the steps just as the harvester reached their abandoned comrades.

The harvester was upon Jack and Winston's prostrate bodies. Jack was still groaning pathetically, and his limbs were twitching as the first whirling spikes impaled his body. They turned and watched as Jack and Winston were both skewered several times then sliced by the rotating auger. They were killed instantly. Their broken bodies spraying blood as they were turned over and devoured by the machine. The spikes continued rotating. Black bloodstains were left on the steel plate behind the auger as sliced body parts were sucked into the metal guts of the harvester. The machine stopped just before it was about to collide with the platform. The three technicians stood at the edge of the platform. Panting with exhaustion but safe for the moment. They looked down at the machine's gruesome jaws. Its spikes had stopped rotating. Small bits of flesh and bone stuck to some spikes, congealing sticky brown with the fine moon dust.

“I'm going to have to decontaminate my harvester, can't have bits of dead technician polluting my helium 3 now can I. How inconvenient,” hissed Lago.

“You murdering bastard!” screamed Ranjit. “I swear I will hunt you down and kill you!”

“Ha-ha! Brave words indeed, but I think you will find I will be the one doing the hunting and killing.” taunted Lago. “Now just sit tight in your shuttle and be patient, this will all be over soon.”

The three technicians sat silently in the cramped shuttle airlock. As soon as the room had pressurized they took their helmets off and in doing so cut the obnoxious commentary. After the claustrophobic confines of the suit helmet with Lago's menacing tones ringing in their ears, the silence of the airlock was a sanctuary. But Lee felt no peace. He tore his frozen gaze from the floor and evaluated his companions. Ranjit sat staring at his hands as if he had personally killed Jack and Winston. Broken, devastated. Stella held her head in her hands sobbing quietly. Lee vacantly reached inside his suit and found the button. 'I love my Mama'. He clenched it tightly.

“We had no choice,” he stuttered. “We...we had no choice.”

Ranjit eventually broke the painful silence. “I have circled the sun more than forty-four times. It’s a long distance I have travelled but my journey should now be over. We should have stayed out there and died with our comrades. I don't think I can live with myself after abandoning them and thankfully I may not have to. Maybe we could have stayed at the base and tried to fight the black worms, but we have sacrificed too much to get here, I suppose we should at least try to carry on. I think it’s what Jack would have wanted.”

This bought on a fresh bout of sobbing from Stella and Lee felt tears prick his eyes at Ranjit's emotive words. The vivid picture of Jack and Winston being mown down by the harvester would stay with him forever.

“Let's go and turn this thing on, we might as well get comfortable as possible before Lago finds a way to get at us,” said Stella.

Lee made his way through the confined areas of the shuttle, shivering in the stale frigid air until he reached the cramped bridge and powered up. The bridge flickered into life as systems came online. The temperature increased as the electrolytic oxygen converters started their comforting hum, pumping fresh oxygen into the shuttle. Lee stood close to Ranjit and Stella, gathered around the tiny galley machine drinking cold stale water. Each furtive glance exchanged was like a painful slap, no words were necessary. Stella had been shaking uncontrollably with the shock and the cold.

Lee finally calmed himself and went to check some of the readouts. He studied the instruments and muttered darkly, “no fuel.” He stared at the instrument panel for a moment before abruptly disappearing down the back of the warming shuttle. Ranjit and Stella sat in silence, each lost in their own tortured thoughts.

“Hey!” Lee shouted from the rear of the shuttle. “I think this tub has a reserve tank of gas.”

“That can't be right,” said Ranjit. “We have been waiting for a drone to bring more fuel.”

“Check it out, I just connected this tank, it’s reading one hundred percent. The weight to payload ratio didn't add up so I thought I would see exactly what the shuttle was carrying.”

“Must be a reserve tank those fuckers didn't tell us about,” said Stella.

“Lee, you may have just given us more of a chance,” murmured Ranjit as he took a deep breath. “A chance to extend our lives a little bit longer.”

The shuttle powered up and as Lee took his seat, the tiny black pearl lodged inside his ear vibrated, and slid down into his anterior.