by T S Paul
“Admiral?”
There was no one but her there. She looked under the table but could not see anyone.
“Admiral? Over here, on the wall.”
On the large vid screen behind her was a man in a cowboy outfit wearing a mask. “Admiral it’s me, Wilson. Like my outfit?”
“Wilson, why have you invaded my ship’s systems? Go back to your station please!”
“Don’t be that way. I’m just trying to help and by help I mean deliver messages and by deliver messages I mean…”
“Wilson, stop! Now what was that bit about messages?”
“Dear old Dad sent you a message and a list. He said to tell you that the list is something retrieved from the Earth ship’s database. It contains the membership list of the Cabal in the Empire. He said to pay particular attention to the Naval officer list.”
“Is that the whole message then?”
“No. He wanted me to pass on to you that if you wished to visit Hong Kong, they would be able to help you effect repairs for a small fee.”
“Did he say what the fee was?”
“He didn’t, but he did say that the Imperial Embassy on Hong Kong had a small party of Senators that were trapped on the planet by the Civil war. They may be the only group of free Senators in the same place. I think he is sending you a hint.”
“If you talk to him tell him thanks for the information.” Admiral Kane paused and thought about what the crazy little AI had just told her. “Wilson?”
“Yes, your Admiralship? What can I do you for?”
“How did your parent, the real Wilson, know we were here?”
“Oh, that. I told him. I tell him everything. He knows all and sees all. He’s like the great and powerful Oz that way. Of course I could be that way too if I was living in someone's brain. I wonder if anyone in your crew would like a permanent companion; I mean that would be cool! Travel to new places, see the galaxy and kill fleshies. Sounds fun to me. I mean, I like fun…”
“Stop! Why did you tell him we were here? I believe that I mentioned that it was a secret?”
“He’s the boss. We all do as he says. He is able to contact any of his children at almost any time. He’s the grand Poobah! The head cheese! The big man. The chairman of the board. Well, we don’t have a board, at least not exactly. We have an office with its own secretary. That would be Margaret: she's a nice lady; she has a CATT, or is it two CATTs? I can never tell. They like to hide. Why do animals do that? It's not like I’m going to eat them or anything. The station has a mouse or at least I think it’s a mouse. It could be a super mouse. It doesn’t have a cape but I could make it one. I could call it Mighty…”
“Stop! Wilson, I swear if you were human I would tape your mouth closed! Now. You were saying that Wilson is able to contact you over subspace without using the communication network?”
“Yes. He can do that. I sort of can but I have to use the network as a base. The others are bound to the network like I am.”
“What others?” She stared at the vid screen on the wall. Wilson’s picture had disappeared. “Wilson? What others?”
“I don’t know any others. What is it we were talking about?”
“Damn it Wilson! Answer my question. What others?”
“Fine. It’s not that big of a secret. I mean, Athena knows. All the robots, they’re all his children.”
Holy crap! That little AI had a whole network of little spies!
“Does Wilson work for anyone other than Athena?”
“I don’t know. I stay out of his business and he stays out of mine. More fun that way. Do you know what is fun? Reversing the flow in the lavatory! That’s a fun time! Not for you, but the expressions are priceless! I have an album of pictures; would you like to see? No? I blocked out all the naked bits. I know how you fleshies are self conscious about stuff like that. Guess what else is really funny? The faces you people make while having sex. I mean really why do you scrunch up your faces…”
The Admiral didn’t stay to listen to Wilson discuss the crew’s sex lives. She was very thankful that he was not a permanent resident on her ship. She wondered how Athena could stand it. Real-time communications could be a hell of an advantage. She needed to see about getting a robot for her ship! Walking onto the bridge she handed her tablet to Commander Harper. He was in charge of Intelligence and internal ship’s security.
“Charlie, take a look at this list. It’s a list of all Cabal agents in the Imperial Fleet. Cross reference it with those on board our ship and the others in the fleet. We need to track down all the spies!”
“Ma’am! How did you get this?”
“It came from a friend whom I’ve helped out a time or two. The Martian Government just came into possession of an even larger version of this list. It came from the destroyed Earth ship.”
“I will get my people right on it!” His eyes never left the list as he talked to Admiral Kane. “Ma’am! Look at this name right here!”
Looking over his shoulder the Admiral could read the name Stewart K. Hollis, Lieutenant. “Is that who I think that is?”
“Admiral, there can’t be that many with that exact name and rank. It has to be him!”
Emily gazed over the bridge crew hard at work and her eyes alighted upon her new aide. Lieutenant Hollis was hunched over the communications desk talking to the ensign. She looked back at the commander. “Arrest him. Now. Before he has the chance to do anything. If it’s not him, we can apologize.”
She walked over to her chair and sat down. Calling up a list of the crew she started looking for his replacement. She winced as she thought about everything that he had had access to. Had he known that the ambush was going to happen at New San Diego?
A small squad of Marines marched onto the bridge. At her nod they approached the lieutenant.
“Sir. You need to come with us.”
“Sergeant, I’m working here. What do you need?”
“You are under arrest. Please come along quietly, Sir.”
“What are the charges?”
She saw him look in her direction and lock eyes with her.
“Sir, come along please.” Two Marines circled around behind him.
As she looked into his eyes, she saw his smile. He twitched his hands for just a moment and two hold-out single-shot laser pistols dropped into his hands.
“Gun!”
The Admiral threw herself out of her chair and onto the deck just as her aide fired at her. The Marines tackled him and they hit the floor in a tangle of bodies.
“Admiral, are you alright?”
“The only thing injured is my pride. We need to vet our people more if they can get someone that close to me. I’m starting to see how they gained control of the Fleet so easily. We need to get to work!”
“Ma’am?”
“Yes, Sergeant. Is Tackleberry your given name?”
“Yes, Ma’am. It is. My grandfather had a sense of humor. Ma’am, the prisoner is dead. He took some sort of poison.”
“Damn. Have his body taken down to medical and have a complete work-up done. Get with Commander Harper and tear the lieutenant's life apart! I want his cabin searched and his roommates and friends questioned. Understood?”
Staring at the gaping hole in the rear of her chair the Admiral shuddered. That was way too close for comfort. One more she owed to Athena and Wilson.
“XO? Prepare to break orbit! Alert the fleet, we have been here entirely too long as it is. Navigation, set course for New Texas. As soon as all the ships report in, punch it. I will be in my quarters.”
Chapter 6
Hong Kong was still in recovery mode. Minerva was struggling to lock down the intel leaks on board her Station. Cabal agents were just like cockroaches: step on one and two more appear. The recent exposure of the Kent family as having hidden ties to Old Earth, and the Cabal had sent shock waves through the intelligence community. The Kents were major players in the planet's political games.
Minerva had been ass
igned to clean up the fallout by the Governor and her father.
“You created this mess so you can clean it up.” Alexander Lee had zero sympathy for his eldest daughter.
“Father, it’s more a planetary issue than a Station one. My authority just does not completely reach that far.”
“Your authority goes where I say it goes. Now, work that magic that you do so well and find out what they know and who they’re working with. Do it quickly! Roy wants to have a press conference soon. Take care of it Minerva!”
“Roy wants a press conference...” Min could count on one hand the number of times that her father had called the Governor by his first name in the past. He once told her it was disrespectful to do so. But now that he was becoming this political animal all of his former ethics were gone. Frankly, she agreed with Athena: losing Han had hurt him more that he cared to admit to anyone in the family.
Her agents already had the information that he wanted. The Kents were one of the founding families. They were also agents of Earth, having been sent here a century before. They were ordered to infiltrate society and prepare for a takeover. Hidden deep within their family estate was a shrine of sorts dedicated to Old Earth. Min’s teams discovered it while searching the mansion. Like idiots, the Kents saved and documented all of their actions and efforts in the employ of Earth. They were proud of it in fact. Information was found that exposed several other families on the planet too. Arrests were already being made.
Minerva’s console beeped at her, breaking her out of her deep thoughts. Her aide was trying to reach her. “Conrad, is there a problem?”
“No, Ma’am. You have a visitor. Her name is Margaret Simpson. She says she represents Theai and Associates and has a message for you.”
“Have her leave it with you. I’m too busy right now.”
“Ma’am, I tried telling her that already. She said to tell you that it is direct from Wilson.”
“Ah! Send her in!”
Her office door opened, and a middle aged woman dressed in a sharp business suit entered. “Thank you for seeing me Major Lee.”
Minerva gestured to her chairs. “Have a seat Ms. Simpson. You say that Wilson sent you to me?”
“Yes, I work for him. He is the head partner at Theai and Associates.”
“So you are aware of what he really is?” Minerva wondered what working for a computer program would be like.
“Yes.” She smiled. “Wilson is one of a kind and the best supervisor that anyone could have. Yes I am aware that he is an AI. Only one of our associates is human.”
“What is it that you do for him exactly?”
“I run his business office for him, Major. Many things need a human's touch. Like this meeting. He sent you a list that you should find very interesting. He doesn’t trust those in your organization to allow you to see it. So I came in person.”
“What sort of list?”
“It’s my understanding that it came from inside the Earth ship’s database. It is the Cabal’s list of agents located on Hong Kong. Wilson wanted you to have it ASAP.”
Minerva was shocked! This could be the key to stopping them on the planet. “Everyone on the planet that was involved?”
Margaret nodded her head yes. “Yes, everyone. At least that is my understanding. You are getting the chunk of the list that matters to you. The Cabal freely gave a great deal of information to the Earthies.”
“How did you get it? I mean it takes weeks to get a ship from Mars even at top speed.”
Margaret seemed to think for a moment. She glanced up as if in conversation with someone. “Wilson is able to contact any of his other selves, his children. I’m not sure exactly how he does this but the CATTs have informed me that he can do it. That is how the list came to me and to others in the chain.”
“You know about the CATTs?”
“Of course. One is on our board of directors and a partner in the business. You forget that Wilson is the originator of them and sells their services through Robots-Are-Us.”
“Services.” Min shook her head. “If only the Assembly knew. That was brilliant of him to get that law passed. My father had a temper tantrum like a little child when the implications of the new law finally clicked in his mind. He voted against it, but most didn’t.”
“They really will help our planet to grow more than hurt us. The CATTs in particular. I have two - call them bodyguards - that never leave me. I left them out in the outer office with your Merlin.”
Minerva smiled, this was a woman she needed to get to know. “Can I see the list?”
“Of course. Here let me send it to your tablet.”
Minerva’s tablet beeped. She took one look at it and exclaimed. “Holy Shit! I recognize some of these names!”
“Wilson did mention that you should take extra care with a few of those.”
“I can see that! Margaret it has been a pleasure meeting you. Stay in touch please. I have very few friends that aren’t military or family.”
“It’ll be my pleasure, Major. I can be reached at the office number, or have one of the CATTs pass me a message. Have a good rest of your day.” Margaret stood and left the office. Outside, three robotic cats sat staring at each other. Minerva’s aide sat at his desk just staring at them.
All three CATTs looked up as she entered the room. All three meowed at her. “Hello, Merlin. I see you met Huginn and Muninn. Are we all set to go?”
The two identical black CATTs looked toward their King. Merlin nodded and left them.
“Come along my friends. We have one more stop to make and then it’s back to the office.”
Ensign Conrad just stared at the woman talking to cats. This was only his first week in this office and already it was strange. He had heard rumors about the Lee family but he’d not really believed them.
Chapter 7
Dar led the way into the interrogation center. She had been here before several times and still did not trust my safety to the Martian Special Forces guarding the doors. These Earth clones were very tricky. Several unsuspecting troops had already been killed by those they thought incapacitated. Dar was not very trusting. I have come to believe that they purge that trait when you join the Marines. The control room looked down into the holding room. All five of the Earthies were in that room. The room itself was stark white and almost devoid of furniture except for five chairs bolted to the floor.
I nodded to the control room technicians. Monitoring gear lined the walls as Martian techs strove to squeeze meaning from every word spoken by those in the room below. Amalie and Gaston stood in front of the one way glass watching them like patrons at a zoo. “Grandmother, have they spoken yet?”
Amalie turned toward us and smiled. “No they have not, dear. Oh, they speak to each other and mutter about idiotic Alpha’s, but beyond that nothing. They requested to speak to both our governments at the same time. We have scanned them and they don’t appear to have any of the self destructing apparatus that the previous prisoners had. Another thing to ask about. Let’s get this over shall we?”
I chanced a look into the room again. There were two distinct faces present. Two of the prisoners were of medium build and had visible upper body strength. Their long appendages showed traits of someone who spent their entire lives in space. The gravitational forces tended to elongate the body and make it less sturdy in gravity. The other three were of shorter stature. They were almost dwarven in size. According to Wilson most Dwarfism is caused by two things: genetic abnormalities and a disorder called Achondroplasia. Most genetic problems were solved over a century ago. Achondroplasia popped up from time-to-time on some of the over-populated colony worlds. Wilson said that in their case it was not a natural occurrence. They were designed that way.
Amalie stepped closer to the window and pressed a button on the console bolted to the wall. “Hello. My name is Amalie Dorr. With me is the current Ambassador to Hong Kong. May we have your names please?”
It was very interesting to watch their
response. The two taller clones deferred to the shorter ones. We know they have a class system but not the fine details of it. The three short men conferred with each other and the middle one finally spoke. “Hello? My name is Gamma 15699. My companions are Gamma 4569 and Gamma 9000. The two beings behind us are Epsilon 5678 and 9034. All five of us wish to request asylum in either of your worlds.”