“Admiral,” the oldest official said with what seemed to be feigned reluctance, “now I must insist. If we have to arrest you, we will. We have that authority from the government.”
Geary gestured toward some of the nearest Marines in their battle armor. “These Marines are loyal to the Alliance, but I think you’ll find that they aren’t inclined to trust you.”
The younger official smiled. “What they think doesn’t matter. They can’t even see us or hear us.”
“You think so?” Geary activated a comm circuit. “Captain, have two of your Marines target these two, one on each.”
“Yes, sir.”
Two rifles came up and around, each centering on one of the officials, whose expressions had gone from smug to worried. “You can get away with a lot when you control the software,” Geary said to them. “But when other people figure out that there’s another source of malware, one coming through official channels, they can figure out ways to block it. Now, you two are under arrest for threatening an officer of the fleet. You will stand to one side of the dock under the close personal attention of some of my Marines. I assume you know that there are very few people who actively seek out close personal attention from Marines? You will wait there until I have had a chance to find out exactly what is going on here and have been able to get security reestablished on Ambaru.”
“Admiral,” the eldest official said, “you are risking the compromise of the most important secret programs—”
“You mean the programs that may have just restarted the war with the Syndicate Worlds?” Geary asked, surprised that his voice didn’t tremble with anger. “Did you bother looking at the vids that were sent here of what happened at Indras and Atalia?”
“We were not authorized—”
“You weren’t authorized to pay attention to what was happening, but you were authorized to risk the lives of everyone on this station?” From their expressions, Geary realized that his voice had gotten a lot louder. He scaled it back. “You idiots. We barely managed to stop an attack on this station, an attack the station was blind to because of your actions. Literally blind obedience is not a virtue. Don’t say another word to me until I ask you to, and don’t do anything until I tell you to, or you will both regret it.”
After only a couple of minutes, another ground forces soldier appeared. The soldier advanced with open hands held out, then popped his face shield when close to Geary. “Colonel Kochte, commander of the ground forces with primary responsibility for defense of Ambaru,” he introduced himself.
“Are we good, Colonel?” Geary asked.
“I’m not moving my people until we get things cleared up, Admiral. Our systems are a mess,” Kochte complained. “The problems seem to be spreading throughout Ambaru and the star system.”
“You’ve got official software fighting official software,” Geary said. “I provided Major Problem with software patches that will fix the problems.”
“Yes, sir, but with all due respect, since you’re not in my chain of command, and as far as we can determine the patches are not officially approved or authorized, that creates some other problems for me.”
“Colonel, I want to ensure that no Alliance troops end up shooting at each other because of the problems with the software on this station and their battle armor.”
“We are in agreement with that, sir.” Kochte hesitated. “Admiral, if this was some Syndic sabotage, I could act immediately.”
Geary considered that. “I cannot rule out Syndic involvement in one way or another. I don’t know with absolute certainty who has been creating this problem.”
Kochte smiled. “Then I can have those patches installed, based on your assurances that they are necessary to the defense of this station.”
“They definitely are necessary, Colonel. I understand in their current configurations, your battle-armor systems are designating Alliance Marines as hostile forces.”
“And the Marines are not. Or they shouldn’t be.” Colonel Kochte looked at Geary. “Admiral, since you got back, it has looked like you and your ships were doing some sort of fleet mime game, pretending you were fighting something that wasn’t there. But our systems spotted damage occurring to some of your ships even though there was no indication of anything firing at them. Does this have anything to do with any of the aliens?”
“I don’t think so, Colonel.” He couldn’t rule it out, of course. Maybe the enigmas had figured out a different way to mess with humanity. But he had no evidence for that, and substantial evidence in the other direction. “I suspect this is purely human mischief, but by whom I do not yet have sufficient information.”
The colonel’s eyes went to the two officials standing stiffly with Marine rifles held in ways that covered any movement they might make. “Who are they, sir, if I may ask?”
“I don’t know. They thought they could give me orders.”
Kochte looked uncertain again. “Is it happening, Admiral? They said you wouldn’t.”
“Happening?” The meaning of the question hit Geary. “Do you mean am I moving against the government? No. I am acting lawfully, dealing with threats to my forces and to the Alliance. I am still trying to sort out who is behind this. Even if these two are legitimate, which I think is far from a settled question, I do not think the government really understands what has happened, that layers and layers of secrecy have kept too many people in the dark about what I suspect was actually going on, and that too many other people have used secrecy as a way of avoiding having their actions questioned. I am not moving against the government. I am still trying my best to defend the Alliance.”
“But if those two really are from the government—”
“I know what they claim. I don’t know who they are, and I don’t know where they are from,” Geary said. “Do you recognize them?”
“No, sir.” The colonel took a deep breath. “I do know I still haven’t been able to get comms with my general. Therefore, I am placing my forces under your command as senior officer present. What exactly are we doing?”
“Making sure no Alliance soldiers trade fire with Alliance Marines. I’ll stand down my Marines. You do the same with your soldiers as fast as you can get those software patches loaded. After that, our priorities are to get Ambaru Station working again, find Admiral Timbale, make sure Varandal Star System is ready to defend against any Syndic retaliatory raids—”
“Syndic—?” Colonel Kochte again looked at the two officials standing stiffly to one side. “Retaliation for what? Something they did?”
“Something they’re involved with,” Geary said. “They may not even know about it even though they’ve been helping to make it occur.”
“Ancestors. What the hell happened?”
“A century of war. I keep discovering more people who seem to have learned all of the wrong lessons from it.”
—
“HE’S in there,” the Marine sergeant declared confidently as he worked on a panel next to the hatch for Admiral Timbale’s private quarters. “There’s some kind of override on the security software that is locking him inside and blocking comms in or out.”
“How long until you can get it open?” Geary asked. He was acutely aware of the fully armored Marines still escorting him around, but for once he did not object to the presence of such bodyguards. The discovery of the two apparently innocuous agents hidden among the population of Ambaru had rattled him enough to submerge his usual concerns about seeming too obsessed with his personal security.
“Another minute or so,” the sergeant declared confidently. Something went snick, and a row of lights inside the panel changed from red and orange to green. “Or less.”
The hatch opened slowly, as if still reluctant to free the occupant of the quarters. Admiral Timbale was indeed inside, looking furious enough to eat his way through the armored bulkhead. “Admiral Geary. Thank you.”
Timbale’s voice sounded slightly strangled from both his anger and the humiliation of having to be freed from his own quarters. “I should have guessed you’d be the one to get things under control. If the Syndics think they can—”
“I don’t think it’s the Syndics,” Geary said. He turned to the Marines and gestured for them to withdraw down the passageway, so he could talk to Timbale with a small measure of privacy.
“Have you seen them?” Timbale asked. “Two people in civilian suits. They claimed to have authority from our government.”
“I’ve seen them. I’ve got them,” Geary said, displaying a picture upon his comm pad. “These two?”
“They said they had authority to override fleet command structures!” Timbale seethed. “I had never even seen them before. Why wouldn’t I have been told if someone like that was on a station under my command? When I insisted on verification, they left to allegedly get it, and I found myself locked into my own quarters with all forms of comms cut off. I don’t care what authority they claim to have. I don’t even care whether or not they are Syndics! I won’t tolerate being treated like one of the enemy!”
“How long have you been trapped in there?” Geary asked.
“A couple of days, I think. With all systems available to me frozen or off-line, I can’t be certain. What happened while I was in there? Did Mortar and Serpentine get clear?”
Geary took a moment to reply as he realized that he would have to deliver some very bad news. “No. They held their orbits.”
“You said there was a threat. Was there a threat?” Timbale demanded with worry growing in his voice.
“Yes,” Geary said, his own tone flat. “A serious threat. Due to malware in official software updates, both Mortar and Serpentine were destroyed without ever being able to see that threat.”
“Damn.” Timbale couldn’t say anything else for a moment, then began again, his voice now trembling with anger. “Any survivors?”
“Seventeen off Serpentine.”
“Seventeen,” Timbale repeated. “From the crews of two destroyers. Those two . . . agents. They’re the ones who kept me from sending new orders to Mortar and Serpentine. Is that right?”
“I believe so,” Geary said.
“Then I don’t care whatever they are or whoever they work for. I want them shot! Right now.”
“I understand why you want that,” Geary said. “But—”
“Dammit, Admiral, I have asked nothing of you for the support I have offered! This is clearly a war zone once more, and that means I have the authority to order those two to be shot without trial!”
Geary waited, looking back at Timbale’s face, which was distorted with rage. “Is that really what you want, Admiral? Those two might be able to tell us who gave them their orders.”
The light of reason and calculation reappeared in Timbale’s eyes. “Who gave them their orders? I do want to know that. Especially if it was someone supposedly from our side.”
“So do I,” Geary said. “I request permission to take them to a fleet warship for interrogation.”
“You—?” Timbale gazed back at him with suspicion. “Why a fleet warship? Why not here? We’ve got excellent interrogation facilities.”
“You told me that you didn’t even know those two agents were on this station,” Geary explained. “What if they have friends here as well? Friends who would keep them from talking by any means necessary?”
The rage was gone. Timbale wasn’t a screamer, the sort of commander who ruled by fear and intimidation, and now his native caution and control had reasserted itself. “Very good point, Admiral, though I’m surprised that you thought of it.”
Geary made an apologetic gesture. “I’ve been talking to Syndics. Former Syndics, that is, at Midway Star System.”
“They’d be good instructors for this sort of mess.”
“And I’ve spent a while around Victoria Rione,” Geary added.
Timbale actually mustered a cold smile. “She could probably teach the Syndics a few things.” The smile vanished. “Do you think Rione could be involved in this?”
“No.” Geary shook his head for emphasis. “I am certain that she is trying, in her own ways, to find out the same answers that we want, and for the same reasons.”
This time, Timbale nodded somberly. “Her husband. The people who messed up his head to block his ability to talk about that classified research program he was involved with might well be the same bastards behind this. The end justifies the means, and at some point they forget what the end was supposed to be, and the means justify themselves. And then you and your enemies have turned into two sides of the same coin.” He inhaled deeply and met Geary’s eyes. “You reminded me of that. You reminded a lot of us of that. Too bad some people didn’t listen. All right, Admiral. You have my permission to take those two prisoners to one of your ships for interrogation, on two conditions. One, I want to know what they tell you. And, two, I am not relinquishing my right as commander of fleet forces in this star system to order them shot at some future time.”
“Understood,” Geary said. “Many of your subordinates didn’t know you had been malware-exiled. They’re working now to get the station fully operational again using software patches my code monkeys are supplying. The ground forces assigned to Ambaru have placed themselves under fleet command until they manage to reestablish reliable comm links to the star system ground forces commander.”
“Good. People are thinking. I never assume that’s going to happen, so it’s always a pleasant surprise when it does.” Timbale took another long breath, composing himself. “It’s time for the boss to walk around so he can find out what’s going on, and so he can look like he knows what he’s doing. Damn. Mortar and Serpentine. This isn’t supposed to happen. We’re at peace.”
“Some people didn’t get the memo,” Geary said.
FOUR
LIEUTENANT Iger did not look happy. “Admiral, I am very uncomfortable with the idea of interrogating Alliance personnel whose identification materials appear completely authentic and who indicate security grounds for their actions.”
“I understand your concerns,” Geary said. He could just order Iger to do it anyway, but he had long ago learned that dramatically different results could come from someone’s pursuing a task willingly and enthusiastically as opposed to someone ordered to “do as you’re told or else.” “But no matter what their identification says, and no matter what they say, they were directly involved in actions that caused the destruction of Alliance warships, the death of fleet personnel, and attempts to corrupt the systems in the battle armor of our Marines.”
Iger nodded. “Yes, sir. There doesn’t seem any doubt of that.”
“So what we need to know, Lieutenant, is who those two are really working for. Isn’t there a term for someone who seems to be one of ours but is actually working for someone else?”
“A mole, Admiral.” Iger’s eyes narrowed in thought. “They could be moles. The identification could be completely legitimate, they could be part of a covert Alliance agency, and they could still be plants working for the Syndics.”
“Exactly,” Geary said. “I need to know whose orders those two are really responding to, and I am certain that we are more than justified in wanting to know that answer given events in this star system as well as at Indras and Atalia.”
“Yes, sir.” But Iger hesitated once more. “Admiral, it is likely that they will refuse to cooperate with interrogation and refuse to reply to any questions. We can still learn some things by monitoring the reactions of their bodies and their brain patterns to specific questions, but we would not be able to identify their true superiors using something that vague.”
Geary considered the statement, wondering what Iger was driving at, then abruptly understood. “Do not take any actions contrary to good interrogation procedures, the law
s of the Alliance, or fleet rules and regulations. I want accurate, actionable intelligence. And when the time comes, I want to be able to greet my ancestors knowing that I did not shame them.”
Iger nodded, a smile flitting across his face, then saluted. “Yes, sir. Me, too, Admiral. I will do my very best to get the answers you seek, sir.”
“I never doubted that,” Geary said.
As Iger left, Geary leaned back in his seat, grateful to be in his stateroom aboard Dauntless once more. His ships were gradually assuming assigned parking orbits and taking on new supplies. A message from Captain Smythe had provided a real picture of the readiness of his fleet, one which wasn’t nearly as good as could be hoped but wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. Varandal’s defenses were now on alert, and the software patches were gradually being introduced throughout the star system to clean out at least some of the dangerous subroutines hidden in the mass of official software.
All of which left him in the unenviable position of trying to decide what to do next.
He called Desjani. “Tanya, who can we trust as a high-level courier and afford to spare?”
She was in her own stateroom, absorbed in the many and unending responsibilities of a ship’s commanding officer. Desjani looked back at him, rubbing her forehead with a resigned expression that implied she was also trying to deal with a few headaches. “Jane Geary,” she replied after several seconds.
“My grand-niece?” Geary grimaced as he considered the idea. “All of the battleships in her division are laid up in dock. Dreadnaught won’t be underway again for . . . five weeks.”
“Right. Long enough to use the hypernet to get to Unity and back.” Desjani shrugged. “Unless you’re planning to head off with part of the fleet—”
“I hope not.”
“Then Jane Geary won’t be needed to help hold things together here.”
“Will she be able to get to the right people?” Geary asked.
Tanya gave him one of those looks that told him he had said something that betrayed his lack of familiarity with how the universe worked a century after his supposed death. “She’s a Geary. Descended from Black Jack.”
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