Trinity hit the holograph pad’s kill switch before the captain could ask any further questions.
“Speaking of questions,” said Jennifer. “I believe Telsa has some information for you.”
“Fine, what is it? You’ve been working with her. What have the two of you found out?”
“Now you wouldn’t want me to spoil her fun, would you, Trinity? She’s been chomping at the bit to tell you herself. I calculate you’ve become something of a heroine to her, especially after that ‘Hey, you’d make a great wizard scout’ speech you gave her. I give a sixty-two percent probability she wants to impress you.”
Shaking her head, Trinity made for the dining area on the top floor. “Sometimes I wonder whether you battle computers are worth the trouble you give us wizard scouts.”
“Now that hurts, Trinity. I calculate the next time I help move your battle suit out of the way of a disintegration beam that you’ll think I’m worth all the trouble I’ve ever caused you and then some.”
Trinity didn’t say anything. She was more than sure her battle computer was right. Jennifer had saved her life more times than she could count.
As soon as Trinity entered the dining area, she spied Telsa sitting at the table eating a bowl of soup and munching on a sandwich.
When the scientist looked up and saw Trinity, she smiled and raised her sandwich. “Want some? The label said it was genuine imitation pork patties. Mmm. Delicious. Everything a growing wizard scout needs.”
Trinity returned the smile. “I think I’ll pass. Even when I used to have to eat, I never liked those military issue food pills. You do know that they’re made by the lowest builder, don’t you?”
Telsa laughed spitting out part of her sandwich in the process. “Yep. Tastes just like your momma used to make.”
“I’m sure.” Growing serious, Trinity said, “Jennifer told me you had something for me. What is it?”
Wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her orange jumpsuit, Telsa indicated the bench across the table from her. “Pull up a seat. I think you’re going to like this.”
Curious, Trinity made her way to the table and sat down. She took her battle helmet off and set it between Telsa and her. “All right, I’m sitting. What is it?”
Practically beaming, Telsa placed a round pad the size of the palm of her hand onto the center of the table. A holograph of wavy red and blue lines appeared.
Trinity glanced at the holograph, back at Telsa, and then back at the holograph.
“Well?” said Telsa.
“Uh, very pretty,” Trinity said. “I’m guessing this is supposed to be something important.”
The smile on Telsa’s face disappeared. “It’s a Metorian Energy Graph. Notice the red lines? Those are the theoretical standard. The blue lines are the energy readouts from the gem sliver you saw at the morgue.”
“Like I said; very pretty. So?”
The battle helmet’s external speakers crackled. “My wizard scout never made it to a university, Telsa. My advice is to use small words and keep your explanations simple.”
“Can it, Jennifer,” Trinity said. “You’ve got a battery change coming up in a few days. I’d sure hate to get things mixed up and put in the wrong battery or something.”
“Okay, fine,” said Telsa hurriedly. “The Metorian Energy Graph is a theoretical type of energy. It doesn’t exist in our dimension. Some traces of the energy frequency have been detected in a few black holes, but only traces. The energy readings you took from the monsignors’ gem sliver are an exact match of the Metorian Energy Graph.”
“Okay,” Trinity said still not following. “Is that good or bad?”
Telsa frowned. “Hmm. I hadn’t really thought that part through. Just discovering the energy is pretty exciting stuff.” Her frown turned into a smile. “Anyway, the reason Professor Jaskok’s fleet-wide stealth shield was only a hypothesis was because it required Metorian energy to make it work. Since no such energy was known to exist except for those traces at black holes, he couldn’t test his hypothesis.”
Trinity drummed her fingers on the table for a few seconds. “So you’re saying the monsignors’ Hallowed Gem gives out Metorian energy?”
“It looks that way,” admitted Telsa. “Like I said, it’s pretty exciting stuff.”
“For what it’s worth, I concur,” chimed in Jennifer. “About the gem giving off Metorian energy, I mean. I’m a computer, so I don’t get excited.”
Drumming her fingers a few more times, Trinity stared at the graph. Finally, she looked back at Telsa. “All right, I’m assuming you’re implying this magic energy of yours—”
“I didn’t say it was magic,” said Telsa. “Other than a few isolated planets in the galaxy, magic doesn’t exist. I said the energy was theoretical.”
“Fine. I stand corrected. Then let me put it this way. I assume you’re implying this theoretical energy of yours could provide the necessary energy source to make the professor’s fleet-wide stealth shield work. You mentioned during your debriefing that the professor and you had been prisoners for less than a month. I’m no starship scientist, but surely that’s not enough time for someone to build a device of their own.”
“No way,” replied Telsa sounding confident. “In my opinion, it would take years. On the other hand, the professor has been publishing articles on his work for over a decade. I suppose someone could’ve been working on such a device for quite some time.”
“Then why bother taking the professor and you prisoner?” Trinity asked. “Whether the group behind your kidnapping was the Balorian pirates, the monsignors’ dissenters, or the Crosioians, they brought needless attention to themselves. Why do that?”
“I may have the answer to your question,” said Jennifer. “I think it stems from the keynote speech the professor was going to give. The encoded part of the data disk consisted of previously unpublished information. The professor was going to reveal it during his speech.”
An apparent flaw in her battle computer’s comment drew Trinity’s attention. “That’s even more reason why they should’ve waited. They could’ve just attended his speech and no one would’ve been the wiser.”
“Ah,” said Jennifer sounding as smug as a computer could. “That’s assuming he was going to tell everything he knew during his speech. I calculate a ninety-eight percent probability he wasn’t.”
“Why so high?” Trinity asked. “I thought Telsa said the information on the disk proved the Metorian whatever it’s called energy could run the professor’s stealth shield.”
Telsa shrugged her shoulders. “I meant in theory. Sometimes I get excited about just a theory of something. There’s a big difference between knowing the theory and making it work in a practical application. They may have needed the professor to help solve a few problems that may have popped up. The information on the disk would’ve helped, but it might not have been enough.”
Standing up, Trinity picked up her battle helmet and placed it on her head. Somewhere between the table and her head, the helmet changed shaped into three-quarters mode. “So I guess the big question is whether the professor told them what they needed to know or not.”
Telsa shook her head. “The professor was a brave man. He wouldn’t have knowingly helped them.”
Trinity looked down at Telsa. She wondered if she’d ever been that naive. “He didn’t know they had an energy source capable of making his theoretical devise work. He might not have thought he was helping them all that much.”
Telsa shook her head again. “I don’t believe it. You might think he was only a scientist, but I know he was as brave as any soldier. He wouldn’t have helped them even under threat of torture.”
Shrugging her shoulders, Trinity eyed her friend. “Maybe not to himself.”
Telsa looked down at her half eaten bowl of soup for several seconds. When she finally looked back up, her eyes were shiny. “You think they used me to force him to tell them what they wanted to know?”
“It’s on
ly a theory,” Trinity said. “I don’t know that for a fact.”
Telsa nodded her head. She turned away and wiped something from her eyes with her left hand. When she turned back around, her eyes were no longer shiny. “So what do we do now?”
“We?” Trinity asked. “Me; not you. And it’s probably best you don’t know what I’m going to do. I need you to put that astral physicist’s brain of yours to work and figure out a way to detect a starship that’s using the professor’s stealth shield. I think that’s going to be very important. We can’t fight them if we can’t find them.”
Trinity noticed the small woman frown.
“You’re asking the impossible,” said Telsa. “I’d need a prototype device to conduct tests on. All I’ll have is a lot of data from Jennifer on the gem sliver. I think I’d be more useful going with you. I had Charlie take me to the spaceport’s gun range. I’ve been practicing. I’m getting a lot better.”
Trying not to smile, Trinity said, “You mean you’re good enough now not to shoot me instead of the bad guys?”
Telsa smiled. Her eyes gave a little twinkle. “Well, maybe not that good yet, but I’m getting there.”
Laughing, Trinity patted her friend on the shoulder. “I think I’ll wait until you’ve had a couple more lessons.” Growing serious, she said, “I really do need you here. If someone has built a working fleet-wide stealth device, you can bet they did it for a reason. Lives are undoubtedly at stake. I’m depending on you.”
Telsa sat up in her seat. Trinity thought she looked very serious.
“I’ll do my best, wizard scout.”
Trinity smiled. “I know you will. That’s all I can ask.”
Chapter 13 – Favors Owed
______________________
Making her way to the cockpit, Trinity found the Defiant’s captain in the pilot’s seat running diagnostics on his ship. Sergeant Ron looked up when she plopped down in the navigator’s seat. He spun his own chair around to face her.
“Well look what the pactar dragged in,” said Sergeant Ron. “Find anything interesting, if I may be so bold as to ask?”
“I re-visited the monsignors’ temple,” Trinity said. “Jennifer and I found a backdoor in the firewall controlling the security for the vault where the gem was stored. Someone could’ve used it to allow a shifter to enter and steal the gem.”
“Any idea who?” asked Sergeant Ron.
Trinity played with the controls on her seat’s armrest for a moment before replying. “Since the Carsoloians paid for the security programming, they’re the most likely candidates. But I can’t know for sure. Creatures that can shift into the void between dimensions are pretty rare. If I could identify the shifter, I could follow the trail to who’s behind this whole mess.”
“Hmm,” said the Defiant’s captain as he scratched the whiskers on his chin. “By that gleam in your eyes, I get the sneaky suspicion you’ve got a favor to ask.”
“Sharp old buzzard, isn’t he?” said Jennifer in their shared space.
“That’s what I’m hoping,” Trinity thought back.
“As it so happens, Sergeant Ron, you’re right. I do have a favor to ask. Captain Stevens is checking out official Empire channels for shifters who may have been in the Cavos area.”
“Captain Stevens, huh?” said Sergeant Ron. “She’s a good soldier. I worked with her for a little while when she was a sergeant. You knew she was prior enlisted, right?”
Trinity shook her head. “Nope. I’m not surprised though. Anyway, I’m confident she’ll find anything out from the official side of things if there’s something to be found. What I need is for someone who knows a lot of people and who isn’t overly concerned about rules and regulations to do a little snooping as well. Sound like anyone you know?”
The old man grinned from ear to ear. “You know, Trinity. I like you. As it so happens, I see the exact person you’re looking for in the mirror every morning when I wake up. I’ll see what I can do. Anything else?”
Trinity shrugged. “Just keep your eyes and ears open. Captain Stevens is going to let Jerad… err… Major Criteron know when and if she finds anything out. I’d appreciate it if you’d stay in contact with the major and forward anything of interest to me.”
“All right,” said Sergeant Ron. “Anything else you need? I have to warn you though. I’m just naturally a helpful guy by nature, but I’m not above reminding you sometime in the future that you owe me a favor in return.”
Trinity smiled. She liked dealing with people who let you know where they stood right from the get go. “Understood, and it’s no more than fair. Besides, I’ve got one more request.” She leaned forward in her chair. “I want to borrow Charlie for a few hours if that can be arranged.”
Turning back to the pilot’s control console, Sergeant Ron fiddled with an icon for his diagnostics’ program. Finally, he turned back around. “Why?”
“I’m curious too,” said Jennifer in their shared space. “Why?”
“Wait a minute, Sergeant Ron. This isn’t going to work,” Trinity said out loud as she removed her battle helmet and placed it on the forward gunner’s seat across from her. “I can’t carry on two conversations at the same time.” Looking at Sergeant Ron, Trinity said, “Jennifer just asked me the same question as you. Here’s my answer to both of you. I know there’s more to Charlie and you then meets the eye, Sergeant Ron. You’re both basically untrained, but you’ve got access to large Power reserves. I’ve sensed Charlie using his Power on the Defiant when he does maintenance. He’s a diviner, isn’t he?”
Sergeant Ron didn’t answer for several seconds. Eventually he nodded. “He is, but not in the way you may think. He can’t train people to use their Power sources like the diviners at the Academy do.”
“But he can manipulate energy flows, right?” Trinity asked. “I know he can because I’ve seen him do it.”
“Your right,” admitted the Defiant’s captain. “That’s how he maintains equipment on the ship. Everything living or dead releases at least some Power. I know you know that because it’s basic Wizard Scout 101 training at the Academy. Charlie uses his diviner ability to trace the flows of Power in equipment. He knows when something’s getting ready to break. To tell you the truth, that’s the only reason we can keep this little recon ship going with just the two of us.”
“Good,” Trinity said. “That’s what I was hoping for.”
“I’m still not catching your line of thinking,” said Jennifer over the battle helmet’s speakers. “I’m beginning to regret reminding you to keep your thoughts in your private space. How’s Charlie going to help us complete our mission?”
Knowing the Defiant’s captain was the one she had to convince, Trinity concentrated on him. “I’m a wizard scout, and I’m good at it. Jennifer and I have penetrated some high-security facilities over the years, but I know my limitations. I need to get inside the headquarters building for Cavos Security Incorporated. They’re a high-tech computer security company. I don’t think even Jennifer can hack her way through their firewall. No offense, Jennifer.”
“Offense taken,” snorted Jennifer.
Sergeant Ron didn’t waste time thinking about her request. He punched an icon on the armrest of his chair. “Charlie, get up here on the double. I think you should hear this straight from the pactar’s mouth.”
“I come,” came a mechanical-sounding reply over the cockpit’s intercom.
Within a minute, Charlie entered the cockpit. He took a look at Trinity before moving past her to sit in the copilot’s seat. He remained silent the whole time. He didn’t even blink.
“Sterilians don’t have eyelids,” came a thought from Jennifer. “They can’t blink.”
Sergeant Ron cleared his throat. “Trinity here wants you to help her break into the headquarters of a computer security company. I’m betting if you helped her and got caught, you’d spend the next twenty years in the military prison on Diajor. How do you feel about that?”
Trinity stared at Charlie as he turned from Sergeant Ron. The Sterilian locked eyes with her in what she assumed was a staring contest. She lost and blinked first.
“Duh,” said Jennifer in their shared space. “I told you he doesn’t have eyelids.”
Charlie raised his upper right arm and pointed at Trinity. “You think it worth risk?”
Nodding her head, Trinity said, “Yes I do. I think something big is in the works, and I think the lives of a whole lot of people are on the line. I need to find out for sure. I think the answers are in the CSI’s headquarters building. I need you to help me get inside. I can’t do it alone.”
“Okay,” Charlie said as he stood up and headed for the door. “I do. I go back to work now.”
“Wait,” Trinity said. “Don’t you want to know the details before you commit to doing it? I’m not even sure how we’re going to get there or if it’s even possible. Sergeant Ron’s right. If we’re caught, we could both wind up in Diajor.”
Charlie glanced over his shoulder at Trinity with his lidless eyes. “I trust. Need work on hyper-drive now. Come get when you ready.” With that, he left the cockpit. His footsteps faded into the distance.
Turning to Sergeant Ron, Trinity asked, “Do you think he understands what I want him to do? I’m not sure he realizes the danger?”
Sergeant Ron laughed. “Oh, he understands all right. Next to Telsa, I’d say he’s the smartest person on this ship. He’s one of those people who says few words, but when he does speak, you’d best be listening because he won’t say it again. He’s also one of the best fighters I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. He’s saved my life on more than one occasion, I can tell you that.”
“Trinity,” said Jennifer. “I’ve run a few quick algorithms. Your probable success rate of breaking into CSI’s headquarters building is only forty-three percent. Are you sure you know what you’re doing? How are you even going to get there? Their headquarters’ compound is located on the outskirts of the city. I calculate CSI’s guards are going to get a little suspicious when the two of you pull up in a hover-cab armed to the teeth.”
Trinity Unleashed (Wizard Scout Trinity Delgado Book 1) Page 14