Babylon 5 07 - The Shadow Within (Cavelos, Jeanne)

by The Shadow Within (Cavelos, Jeanne)

  It seemed unlikely she could get them by the entire science team's notice. Theft had been a constant danger throughout the history of archaeology, and they took automatic precautions to prevent it. Killing Chang wouldn't be enough. They were all meticulous when it came to mapping and cataloguing. Those were an archaeologist's life. She would have had to kill the entire science team. And perhaps with Hidalgo's help, it could all have been passed off as an accident, a terrible accident that had destroyed all the artifacts. Anna was exhausted, and the theory smacked of paranoia. Why would Psi Corps be so desperate to keep this technology away from anyone else?

  Terrence had been hurt, yes, but was the threat really serious enough to justify this? Yet Donne may have already completed half of her task. She thought of Chang, and she remembered now as they had removed the body from the crawler, she had gone to smooth his wispy, wind-whipped hair. There had been an odd patch on the side of his head, stubbly and short. Donne had cut away some of his hair to keep. That was why Chang's helmet had been removed.

  The thought that Donne would treat Chang like some sort of trophy made Anna sick with fury. She searched the room again frantically, now late for her meeting with Morden. But she found nothing else. Her lips pulled back from her teeth, she crouched down and began to roll the satin rectangle back up. As she reached the top, she saw the finger again, and the ring, and something made her look up at the photograph displayed on the dresser.

  The father's hand, holding the mother's tight against him. He was wearing a ring, gold and wide, like the one on the finger. It was too small in the photograph to see details, but it looked like it could have been the same ring. She looked back down at the signet ring in the pouch, found it was embossed with the letter D, in a simple, sans serif typeface that made the letter look almost like a half-circle. Donne. She had killed her own father.

  Then Anna remembered the small scar on Donne's cheek, in the shape of a D. The size of the scar matched the size of the letter on the ring. She felt Donne's life laid out before her, the way she sometimes felt on a dig about someone long dead. There had been an initial hurt, a scar on her face, the buildup of scar tissue, calluses, the acceptance into a group, Psi Corps, the new feeling of power, the desire to exercise that power, to celebrate it, to memorialize it. Out of the past had been created a monster. If Donne were long dead, Anna would have felt sorry for her.' But since she wasn't long dead, and might not be dead at all, Anna felt only fear. This woman loved to kill; it was her life.

  Anna took a deep breath and resumed her work. She tied the delicate turquoise bow, returned the roll to its place under the pillow. Just in case Donne was still alive. Just in case she came back. She left the room unseen, found Morden waiting outside her quarters.

  "Sorry I'm late. We better head down there."

  "What's wrong?" Morden asked.

  Anna began to walk, and he followed in the narrow passage.

  "What do you think happened to Chang?" she asked.

  "Donne killed him."

  "Why?"

  "I'm not sure," Morden said.

  "It may have something to do with the egg. He may have confronted her about her arrangement with Captain Hidalgo. He may have caught her taking something."

  "But what was her plan?"

  "If you're asking me, then you must have a pretty good idea."

  She stopped.

  "I expect better from you."

  He nodded.

  "I don't know. I only have a theory. And it's probably the same one as yours. The only way for her to smuggle artifacts back undetected would be if she eliminated at least the entire science team, possibly some of the crew as well."

  "But why would Psi Corps go to such lengths over this?"

  Morden tilted his head.

  "You were there."

  "I know. Terrence Hilliard. Donne said he would never recover."

  Morden hesitated, as if he expected her to say more, then let out an odd laugh.

  "I thought you knew. It wasn't just Terrence Hilliard who was caught in that feedback loop. Every telepath with Terrence's rating- P5-or below within a three-mile radius of your lab became a gibbering vegetable. They did a good job of covering it up, but within thirty-six hours we figured out what had happened."

  His hands clasped in front of him.

  "You don't even know what you've discovered. You've discovered a bomb that takes out only telepaths. God knows what would have happened if a P12 had set it off."

  Anna continued down the corridor, numb. More deaths, or virtual deaths, on her hands. But now Donne's presence made sense. Psi Corps wanted that technology at all costs. It didn't matter whether destroying telepaths was the mouse's real function or an accidental by-product. It could be used for that purpose. And maybe that was its real purpose, Anna thought. This technology seemed to work through some sort of telepathic contact. Telepaths would wield a great deal of power and could, potentially, pose a serious threat.

  On Theta Omega 2, the planet where they had found the mouse, the J/Lai had revered those among them they called Thoughtseers, who could, according to their writings, make the thoughts of others visible. Perhaps the mouse had been brought there as a weapon. Razor met them in the hallway and fell in behind. Anna could see from his face that he had bad news, and she didn't want to hear it.

  "I tried to send your message to the orbiter," he said.

  "It seems to have gone the way of the egg. It's gone."

  Anna continued walking.

  "I tried sending the message straight through to Earth, but I doubt it had the strength to make it much past the atmosphere. No way of knowing for sure. Without the orbiter, we're limited to ground information on the weather. Which, by the way, shows the wind intensifying."

  "What is it," Anna said, "my birthday?"

  The teasing tone returned to Razor's voice.

  "Well, I was planning to strip for you."

  "That would really send me over the edge," Anna said.

  They entered the locker room at the end of the crawler bay, and as Anna stripped down to her underwear and pulled on an orange jumpsuit, she realized that she was wasting her time with distractions, with the probe, Donne, Hidalgo. Donne was not responsible for the missing orbiter. Those were beyond her power. The creatures of for the missing egg. Donne was not responsible for the missing orbiter. Those were beyond her power.

  The creatures of blackness and stars had been watching, and had been acting, quietly, carefully. As Morden had pointed out, it was often easier to go about one's business quietly. She had to forget the distractions and do her job, study the artifacts left behind, deduce the culture of those who had left them, recon-stitute their behavior, recapture their thoughts. Their lives depended on it. Across from her, Morden zipped up his jumpsuit, tucking his necklace within it.

  CHAPTER 14

  "We've got Marco," Garibaldi said.

  Jeff smiled.

  "You've got him?

  You just made my day. On the Babcom monitor in Jeff's office, Garibaldi's lips twisted to the side. A bad sign, Jeff had learned.

  "There's just one thing."

  "Yes?"

  "He was selling stims to the Brakiri high holy priestess at the time..."

  "The Ribkiri," a Brakiri standing behind Garibaldi interrupted.

  "Right, this Ribkiri, and the whole thing is threatening to turn into a big diplomatic incident."

  Jeff smiled again, refusing to let go of the good feelings.

  "So you caught Marco."

  If he let every little thing get to him, he wouldn't even make it to the dedication ceremony.

  "Did you hear what I said, Jeff?"

  "Thank you, Michael. I have every confidence in your abilities to resolve the situation. If you need any help, just let me know. Out."

  No sooner had Garibaldi's puzzled face disappeared from the monitor than the Stellarcom terminal informed him he had an incoming communication. It was Dr. LeBlanc. Her smile was a little hard for Jeffs taste.
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br />   "Commander Sinclair. I appreciate your coming to me with this situation. I've discovered that there is indeed a mission to the rim. I've spoken to everyone concerned, including the president. We're quite concerned about the source of Ambassador Delenn's information. It's rather discomfiting to know that the Minbari are monitoring our scientific expeditions. Are you sure she didn't give any indication of where she got this information?"

  "Positive."

  He leaned forward.

  "Doctor, what is the purpose of the expedition?"

  "And she gave no indication what this alleged danger was?"

  Jeff's good feelings were rapidly dissipating.

  "Only that it was a threat to all of us. Doctor, can I assume from this that you are going to refuse Ambassador Delenn's request?"

  "We cannot set a precedent of letting other races limit our explorations and progress. What kind of position would that put us in? She hasn't even given us any concrete reason to grant her request."

  "You don't believe any danger exists, do you?"

  LeBlanc ran her index finger out along her jaw.

  "Frankly, I think there is a danger. To the Minbari. I think we must be on the verge of discovering something so powerful they don't want us to have it. Which is all the more reason to continue with this mission."

  Paranoia, self-interest, a hunger for power-and he was supposed to be running a station devoted to peace.

  "Have you been in touch with the ship? Have they reported any trouble?" LeBlanc brought her hand back down to the desk.

  "The ship is temporarily out of contact. But they've reported nothing out of the ordinary. Please inform Ambassador Delenn we regret we cannot grant her request. If she'd like to provide us further information, we'll reconsider. In the meantime, I hope your plans for the dedication ceremony are progressing smoothly."

  With a perfunctory nod she broke contact. Jeff forced himself to take a deep, calming breath. It didn't work. He'd known the chances of them granting the request with such little information had been slim, but it still frustrated him. What if the ambassador was right and there was a serious danger? He put through his call to her, dreading the conversation. Though he barely knew her, and he generally felt uncomfortable around Minbari, for some reason he hated to disappoint her. He also worried about how she and the Minbari government would react. This had seemed very important to them. The call was routed to her ship, where she sat in an office similar in its austerity to her office on Minbar, but much smaller. The harsh planes of her face were exaggerated in the bright light.

  "Ambassador Delenn. I regret to inform you that the Earth Alliance cannot grant your request. There is an Earth science vessel investigating the world you specified, but without hard information clarifying the threat, we feel it is premature to abort the mission."

  She shook her head.

  "This is very bad news, Commander."

  "Is there any further information you can give us about the danger?"

  Her red lips, the only spot of color on her face, tightened.

  "I have told you all I can. Has your government contacted the ship? Have they-landed on the planet?"

  There was something in the way she said it-as if the very idea was abhorrent to her.

  "I was informed that the ship is temporarily out of contact."

  The red lips fell open in a crooked shape.

  "It is too late then."

  "Too late for what? Ambassador, what is on Alpha Omega 3?"

  Her mouth closed, and her head tilted back, restoring the sense of aloofness he so often got from her.

  "The Minbari government is displeased with your government's lack of action, Commander. We serve you fair warning. If any additional Earth ships are sent to Alpha Omega 3, we will consider it an act of war and make immediate retaliation."

  * * *

  She terminated the communication. Jeff began to knead the back of his neck. Great, he thought. Babylon 5 hasn't even been dedicated yet, and we might already have another war on our hands.

  "We found Spano," Corchoran reported over the link.

  John's eyes narrowed.

  "Good. Bring him to me in the weapons bay."

  After Ross had left for the laser tube, John had ordered Corchoran to question the other weapons officers, who were assembled in the mess. But when Corchoran had arrived there, he'd reported that only Timmons and Watley were present. Spano was missing. John had suspected that Spano was responsible for the sabotage ever since Ross had confirmed t hat one of the weapons officers must be involved. Spano's disappearance had reinforced those suspicions. John regretted not bringing him up on charges earlier, not getting him off the ship before they were deployed. Now the mission was in jeopardy. John was sitting at the weapons diagnostic system, waiting to hear from Ross. He pressed his link.

  "Ross."

  "Ross here."

  "Have you reached the optics yet? I need that estimate."

  "I'm opening the tube hatch now, Captain. Stand by."

  John tapped his hand on the console. The laser tube ran down the center of the ship, where there was no gravity and no oxygen. Any activity was time-consuming. Ross was moving quickly, John knew, though every minute that passed brought the cruiser and its load of explosives closer to the jump gate and Babylon 5. Corchoran came in, Spano behind him held by two guards. John stood.

  "Where did you find him?"

  "I was in the gym," Spano yelled, pulling against the guards.

  "This is ridiculous. Ross orders us out during a battle alert and tells us to wait in the mess. I got sick of waiting. Don't you think this is a little extreme?"

  The tense muscles in his neck stood out. John pulled a chair out into the center of the room.

  "Sit down, Spano. And wait until I ask you a question."

  John stepped aside with Corchoran.

  "We found him near the gym," Corchoran said.

  "He claimed he'd left the mess after a few minutes and that he'd been working out since then. He resisted coming with us."

  John nodded.

  "What about Timmons and Watley?"

  Watley's transfer hadn't come through yet. She was another wild card. Corchoran's face was grim.

  "I've questioned them both, Captain. They both have periods of time when they were alone in the last sixteen hours, but the times they claim to have been with others have checked out.

  They both claim to have no involvement in the sabotage. I believe them."

  "We need to gather more information. I want all the gunners questioned, particularly the ones who were on duty for the last sixteen hours. Check the ship's logs and see if they provide any evidence. I want to know who's used an EVA suit recently. Have the quarters of all four weapons officers searched. And check the crew records for anyone else with a weapons background."

  "Yes, sir. Captain"

  -Corchoran hesitated-

  "Do you think we should try to call in reinforcements?"

  John had been considering this already. They were isolated in this sector, which is why the Homeguard had chosen it. There were Earthforce ships at Babylon 5, but the trip through hyperspace took twelve hours. The cruiser would already be in hyperspace by the time the reinforcements came out of the Carutic jump gate. And destroying the cruiser with its nuclear explosives at the other end of the jump, when it would be so close to Babylon 5, would probably destroy the station.

  "I think it's unlikely in the extreme that another Earthforce ship is in range. But let's ascertain the extent of the damage first, before we make any decisions. I don't want to break radio silence unless we absolutely have to."

  "Yes, sir."

  As John approached Spano, Ross's voice came through the link.

  "Captain, we have a problem."

  John turned away.

  "Go ahead."

  "Not only has the primary mirror been destroyed, but it's been fused to the tube itself. I'm going to have to cut it out and then replace the mirror and a section of the tube."

/>   John shook his head. He'd never heard of a section of the tube needing to be replaced. The entire interior surface of the tube was also mirrored.

  Replacing any section of it and restoring its reflective integrity would be a lengthy, demanding job.

  "How long is that going to take?"

  "I've never done this exact thing before, Captain. I know I can do it, but I'm not sure what snags I might run into along the way. I'll need two gunners to assist me. And it would really help if I could have another weapons officer."

  "How about Timmons?"

  "I would feel comfortable with that, Captain."

  "How long, Ross?"

  "My estimate would be about seven hours, sir. Give or take one or two hours."

  "That give or take puts us right into the red zone, Lieutenant."

  "I'm sorry, sir. I'll do my best."

  "Get on it. And let me know if there's anything else you need."

  John made the decision at that moment not to call for reinforcements. Chances were that no other ship was within range, and if they broke radio silence and revealed their presence, the cruiser would accelerate to maximum speed, giving them even less time to make repairs. John linked out and faced Spano. He sat slouched in the chair, clenched fists on his thighs, flat eyes carrying a hint of fear.

  "Did you sabotage the weapons system?"

  "I have no idea what you're talking about. I was called down here for the battle alert. I was ordered away. I went to the gym."

  "You were on watch before Ross today. I want you to tell me exactly what happened. Were you alone at any time in the weapons bay. You know that. I sent the gunners out bay?"

  "I'm alone a lot of the time in the weapons bay. You know that. I sent the gunners out to do a maintenance check on the aft port cannon. That's what was scheduled by your new best friend, Lieutenant Ross. He's been scheduling lots of activities to keep us busy. You know you've ruined a perfectly good officer."