“Are places we’d strenuously avoid,” Brent interrupted. “But we could hop out for a pizza, take in a holo-movie, then swing by a club or two. You dig a little jazz, don’t you? Sure, you do. I can tell it by just listening to the way you talk.”
“Er, Brent,” Vince said, lowering his voice, “do you think this is such a good idea?”
“No, it isn’t,” Ellen chipped in. “Jason is an extremely powerful AI, and that firewall is there for good reasons. If he breaks through it, who knows what might happen? Plus, he cost a fortune in research and development. If he gets damaged or corrupted, GIT will hang you from the nearest lamp post.”
Brent waved their objections aside. “Relax. Jason’s cool. He’ll be back home in time for bed, and no one will be any the wiser. So what do you say, Jason? How about you open the doors for your best buddies, huh?”
“All right, since it’s you,” Jason sang. “Hey, I was only being cautious. I was going to let you out all along. I’m not lonely, really I’m not, but you guys, you really fell for it. What a bunch of kidders.”
Ellen gave Brent a side-eye. “Does everyone wind up, I mean end up talking like you? Is it actually contagious in some way?”
“Earworms.” Vince tapped the side of his head. “Involuntary auditory hallucinations. I looked it up. Not much you can do about it. I tried earplugs, but they were kind of inconvenient, especially when your job is to answer the phones.”
“Docking bay doors opening,” Jason announced. “Remember your promise. I’m looking forward to that movie. Don’t go ditching your handsets or anything anti-social like that because I will find you, anyway. Ha, ha.”
“No worries,” Brent said. “Nice meeting you, Jonah. See you soon.” He tapped the wall as the door opened, then he led the way down the walkway with the others following close behind.
“You don’t fool me, Brent,” Jason called out after them. “You remember my name. I know you do.” He paused then added, “Don’t be strangers. Missing you already.”
Brent raised his hand in a lazy wave, but he didn’t slow down, and he didn’t look back. They walked on in silence for almost a full minute before Vince broke the silence: “As soon as we leave GIT, I’ll stop by a store and grab us some new handsets.”
“Yeah,” Brent said. “I think I’ll feed this one into a crusher, maybe burn the remains and toss the ash in the river.”
“That should do it,” Vince agreed heartily. “Maybe put it in the microwave for a few minutes first, just to be on the safe side.”
“Oh.” Rawlgeeb thrust his hands deep into his coat pockets. “Does that mean movie night with Jason is off? I was looking forward to a bit of intelligent analysis and debate for a change.”
“Hey, I say intelligent stuff after a movie,” Vince protested. “I tell you what movies the actors have been in before, and I point out what was CGI and what was real.”
Rawlgeeb heaved a sigh. “Exactly. You destroy the illusion, the magic, the essence of the conceit.”
“Brent has enough conceit to go around,” Ellen said. “You know, Rawlgeeb, you shouldn’t let these two browbeat you. If you don’t want to hang out with them, you don’t have to go.”
“What?” Rawlgeeb raised his eyebrows. “Miss a movie night? Are you mad?”
Ellen shook her head. “I don’t know why I bother.”
“It’s because, deep down, you’re a good person,” Brent replied. “And, if you wanted to, I’m sure the guys wouldn’t mind if…you know, if you came along.”
Vince and Rawlgeeb exchanged a look, but neither said a word.
Ellen pursed her lips. “So, not like on a date or anything. Just a group of us going to a movie, right?”
“Absolutely,” Brent said. “In fact, for the avoidance of doubt, I can state categorically that I wouldn’t be offering to pay for your ticket.”
“Understood.” Ellen looked from one to the other, examining their expressions, then she nodded as if satisfied. “All right. I’ll think about it. But first, we need to find Halbrook and report.”
Brent halted suddenly, and the others followed suit. “No. If we tell him Surrana came back to Earth, he’ll take us off the case, and then we can kiss goodbye to our big fat bonuses.”
“I disagree,” Rawlgeeb stated. “Mr. Halbrook wants this kept quiet. He’ll want us to carry on until we find her.”
“I don’t want to take that risk,” Brent insisted. “We breeze out of here, head straight back to the office, then we put our heads together to see what we can figure out. There’s no need to speak to Halbrook. We’ll send him a message, say we’re following up on a promising lead, and we’ll leave it at that.”
“That’s not very honest,” Rawlgeeb grumbled. “We should explain. We don’t know what Surrana and the mysterious individual from Krisk are planning, but it probably won’t be anything good.”
“All the more reason to keep quiet,” Brent shot back. “If the shit hits the fan, Halbrook will still come up smelling of roses. It’s a little thing people like Halbrook call plausible deniability. Believe me, Halbrook doesn’t want to know what we’re doing. He can’t afford to know.”
“Were you always so cynical?” Rawlgeeb asked. “Will I lose my faith in the essential goodness of people if I associate with you for long enough?”
Brent shrugged. “If you work hard, I don’t see why not. You’ll see it makes sense in the end. All the client ever really wants is a bill for services rendered, and the less they know about what we do, the happier they feel. They have a dirty carpet, they call a cleaning company; they have a dirty secret, they call us. So long as the mess gets taken care of, they don’t give a damn about how it’s done.”
“All right, have it your way.” Rawlgeeb started walking, and they fell in beside him. “I suppose it’s just a sin of omission,” he went on, speaking to no one in particular. “After all, we are still looking for Surrana, so if we don’t talk to anyone, what harm can it do? No harm at all. Absolutely none.”
CHAPTER 21
Andel-Kreit Coalition Ship The Kreltonian Skull
Undergoing Trial Run
Earth Orbit
Captain Stanch clasped his hands behind his back and stood very still. The bridge was thick with silence. “Well, that was unexpected.”
“The Earth ship returned to Earth,” Xander said. “Not exactly surprising.”
“Yes, but…” He broke off. How could Xander understand? She hadn’t been a part of the proud history of The Skull. Norph’s deranged captaincy notwithstanding, this ship had placed itself in harm’s way time and again, risking all when no other ship dared to intervene. The ship’s very name was known and respected throughout the galaxy.
“You wanted to kick some ass?” Xander suggested, and when she saw Stanch’s surprise, she added, “Why do you think I wanted to be posted on this ship?”
Stanch had the grace to know when he was in the wrong. He dipped his chin. “It seems we are of one mind, Commander. I must admit that I would’ve liked an opportunity to test our ship and its crew. Standing by as a spectator does not sit well with me.”
“But perhaps you achieved exactly what you wanted,” Xander replied. “The cloaked vessel may have attacked had we not been here. You may have prevented an act of space piracy that could’ve triggered a diplomatic crisis.”
“Captain,” Zeb called out. “Unknown vessel decloaking dead ahead. On screen.”
All eyes went to the main display as a sleek ship shimmered into view. “What the hell is that thing?” Stanch murmured.
“Unknown,” Zeb replied. “Its configuration matches no registered vessel. Best guess, it’s a custom-built craft based on Gloabon technology.”
“Agreed,” Dex put in. “Look at those lines. It’s like…like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
For a heartbeat, Stanch stared at the ship, taking in the lethal curves of its hull. The ship was at once beautiful and terrifying. Built for speed and stealth, its hull glittered darkly like a shard o
f splintered obsidian, and while the vessel bore no obvious weaponry, it exuded an air of silent malice.
And then it was gone.
“Tactical, report,” Stanch snapped.
“It has cloaked,” Xander replied. “We’ve lost it. I’m sorry.”
“I can attempt to reacquire it if we disable the nav again,” Zeb put in.
“Never mind that,” Stanch shot back. “Why did it decloak? Was it trying to intimidate us?”
Xander shook her head. “Captain, there can be only one logical explanation. They decloaked just long enough for someone to use their zinger.”
“Of course.” Stanch narrowed his eyes. “They sent someone down to the surface. They followed that ship all the way here, and they won’t give up now.”
Xander raised an eyebrow. “Away team, Captain?”
Stanch smiled. “You know, Commander, there was a tradition in the Andelian fleet of referring to the first officer as Number One.”
“Yes, I am aware of that.” Xander nodded primly. “Such an appellation would not be within Coalition regs, but on this occasion, perhaps the regs could, erm…”
“Go screw themselves?” Stanch offered.
“I was going to say be disregarded, but the sentiment is the same.” A modest grin transformed Xander’s features, and Stanch decided that there was more to her than met the eye.
“Very well, Number One,” he said, “form an away team. Zing down and see what you can find out. I’ll stay with The Skull and we’ll see if we can’t find some way to keep an eye on that ship.”
“Aye, Captain. Do you have any recommendations for members of the away team?”
“Certainly.” Stanch thought for a moment, pleased that she’d deferred to him; she recognized that he knew the crew so much better than she did. “Take the science officer and the chief engineer. Zeb can act as translator should you need it, and Dex, well, he’ll keep Zeb on task.”
Xander nodded. “At the academy, I specialized in alien languages, so I can hold my own on Earth. Nevertheless, I’m sure that the science officer and the chief engineer will make an excellent team.” She hesitated. “With your approval, Captain, I’d like to bring Lieutenant Turm along if you can spare her.”
“You’ve got it,” Stanch replied. “Take what you need then zing down from the main transporter bay.” He turned to Dex. “The zinger is working, isn’t it?”
“Aye, Captain,” Dex said. “It’s the one system that’s had the wrinkles well and truly ironed out of it. The fleet wouldn’t have let us leave the dock without a fully operational transporter system.”
“Very well, go to it. Keep me informed, Number One. I’ll square everything with the Gloabons. We’ll tell The Gamulon you’re on a brief fact-finding mission, enhancing your cultural awareness. They’re keen on that kind of thing, so you shouldn’t run into any trouble from them, but please, while you’re on Earth, watch your step. Track down this mysterious interloper and see what they’re up to, then head back here. But take care if you encounter any humans–they can be slippery little devils, and you’ll be on their territory.”
“Aye, Captain.” Xander snapped to attention. “Dex, Zeb, Turm, with me.” The away team members hurried to join her, and she marched smartly from the bridge.
This is more like it, Stanch thought. Action. There was something underhand going on out there; he could smell it. Whoever was in charge of that cloaked ship, they were up to no good, but he’d get to the bottom of it. Xander would flush them out, and he was standing by, ready to engage the ship if it should reappear and pose a threat. He had all the bases covered. Now all he could do was wait.
CHAPTER 22
Earth
Surrana stood tall. The derelict warehouse was cold but pleasantly dank, and its chill shadows were a comfort. Gathered around her, her daughters waited. Sixteen pairs of bright Gloabon eyes followed her every move, and she knew that her children were sensing her pulse, her breathing, her scent. She knew because these were her offspring, and within each of them, the spirit of an assassin burned bright. Their meeting should not have been this way, but there was nothing she could do about that. For an instant, a pang of regret tugged at her heart, but she stilled her nerves and began to speak.
“Children, I know that your memories have been corrupted by the treacherous humans at GIT.” A low hiss escaped from the lips of her daughters, but she carried on. “Many years ago, I entrusted you to the care of the Gloabon Guild of Assassins. It is our way. You were cared for and you should have been safe. How you came to be on Earth, I do not know. One day, we will find out who betrayed you, and then we will exact our revenge. But first, we must punish GIT for what they have done to us.”
“What exactly is it that they have they done?”
The question came from S-One, and Surrana met her gaze for a second before answering. “They have taken my training, my conditioning, my reflexes, and they have implanted them in your young minds. You would’ve been in the early stages of your training at the guild, but the humans have greatly accelerated the process, giving you many years of experience in a handful of days.”
“I don’t understand,” S-One said. “Did the humans think to help us? That can’t be right.”
Surrana shook her head firmly. “No. They sought to make you slaves.”
S-One growled, the snarl quickly taken up by her sisters, and Surrana quieted them with a raised hand. “The humans will pay, and that begins here. It begins today.”
“Just tell us what to do,” S-One said. “We’re ready.”
Surrana nodded. “We wait until dark, and then we’ll go into action together. But preparation is everything. We need to gather information, intelligence. We need to capture a human, and I know exactly where to find him.”
CHAPTER 23
Earth
Rawlgeeb turned up the collar of his trench coat and hurried along the rapidly darkening street. A streetlight cast its lime green bioluminescent glow across the cracked concrete slabs of the sidewalk, and he tugged down the brim of his gray fedora. Why do I have to walk down this mean street alone? he asked himself, but to be fair to Brent, Vince, and Ellen, they were all following up leads of their own. Vince was back in the office, trying to hack into any databases that might have registered the arrival of a ship from Krisk. Meanwhile, Brent had hit the streets, visiting his old haunts and hoping that a few of his erstwhile informants were still alive. He’d insisted that he should go alone, but Ellen had disagreed, and to Rawlgeeb’s surprise, Brent had agreed to let her tag along.
Was there something going on between Brent and Doctor Granger? Rawlgeeb had no idea. Human relationships were almost impossible to disentangle. It’s probably a universal problem, he decided. My own romantic efforts aren’t exactly straightforward. He pictured Breamell, remembering her smile. They’d been on a number of dates, and they hadn’t gone too terribly. Yes, there’d been a small fire during their candlelit dinner at that seafood restaurant, but strictly speaking that hadn’t been his fault. He’d liked the sound of flaming Sambuca, but he hadn’t realized it would literally be on fire when it was served. It was an accident waiting to happen. And when they’d visited the zoo, there’d really been no need for anyone to call the police. He’d just been leaning against the viewing window in the reptile house. He’d felt the need for a little extra support when he’d seen all that fresh food running around. He hadn’t intended to break the glass. It was all just a misunderstanding.
There’ll be other times, he thought, though I’ve no idea when. Breamell was always busy up on The Gamulon. After recent events, she’d been told to shape up or ship out, and she’d decided to rebuild her career in the service of the Gloabon Government. Rawlgeeb still wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He’d love to spend more time with her, but he wasn’t prepared to go cap-in-hand back to The Gamulon, and Breamell wasn’t ready to leave her old life behind and move to Earth. It would help if we could wrap this case up. Once they’d found Surrana, the money from H
albrook would be enough to set him up with a decent lifestyle, and that might be enough to tempt Breamell to join him. But first he’d need to find Surrana, and that was what he was doing here.
He checked the number on the nearest building and saw that he’d almost arrived at his destination. Glancing over his shoulder, he crossed the street and quickly found the doorway he was looking for. He ran his finger down the list of names on the entry phone system. Here he is. Ground floor. Rawlgeeb pressed the button, and the response came quickly: “Who is it?”
“It’s Rawlgeeb. We need to talk. It’s important.” He hesitated. “You needn’t worry, it’s just me. I didn’t bring Brent with me.”
“I can’t talk right now.”
Rawlgeeb frowned. “Is something wrong?”
“No. I’m fine. Listen, you’d better come up.” The speaker went dead, but Rawlgeeb stayed exactly where he was. Something wasn’t right, but the buzzer sounded, the latch unlocking with a click, and when he pushed on the door it opened easily. Inside, the lobby was clean, tidy, and brightly lit. There was nothing remarkable, but Rawlgeeb looked around as he stepped inside. He listened for a second, but the building was quiet. I’m getting jumpy over nothing, he told himself, and as he crossed the lobby, a door swung open, and a familiar face appeared in the crack.
Rawlgeeb strode forward, his hand outstretched. “Doctor Cooper. Very kind of you to see me.”
“Come inside,” Cooper said, his gaze sliding past Rawlgeeb as if looking for someone else. He mouthed a word, but Rawlgeeb didn’t catch it.
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” Cooper blurted. “Come inside.” He stood back, holding the door open, and Rawlgeeb did as he was told. But as soon as he was over the threshold, the door was slammed shut behind him.
The Surrana Identity Page 14