Active scans of the area showed no weapons turrets or any other kind of active defense. She proceeded in through the lobby and to another door with a knob. Unlike the previous interiors she’d seen, the building looked almost normal. Some of the furniture was falling apart, but there was no debris littering the area and no signs the elements had managed to penetrate the structure.
The second room had another map on the wall. She imaged it and updated her suit’s navigational module. There were several floors below her, underground. She proceeded through the door and reached a hallway with several rooms along both sides. Near the end of the hallway, there was a doorway into a staircase.
She started to walk forward, but her suit sensors indicated she would likely collapse the stairs. Her powered armor weighed nearly five hundred kilograms, and the stairs were five thousand years old. It was only about forty meters to the bottom. She could easily survive a fall from that height if she were able to land on her feet, but tumbling downward along with shattered bits of stairs was not a safe way to descend.
A quick check showed the atmosphere to be breathable and free of toxins. She sighed and punched the open button. Her suit split and allowed her to exit. She pulled a large datapad from the inside of the suit and then unrolled the emergency backpack. She was not going to leave all of her food and water behind. Once she had her supplies strapped securely to her back and a pistol on her hip, she sealed the armor back up and pulled the power cell out of the backpack. It was heavy, but she’d rather not leave the amour fully functional behind her. The power cell would be useful if there was no power for the computers.
She slid the power cell into a large cargo pocket on her left leg and started down the stairs. She held her wrist comp up before her. Its capabilities were far less than the sensors in her armor, but it would at least alert her to any active power readings. She descended the stairs, her feet making hollow metallic scrapes. The air was increasingly musty and stale the further she went. She paused about halfway down and checked the map on the datapad.
The bottom three floors were designated as research areas. She paused at the first of them and opened the door off of the stairwell. Beyond the door was a small entryway with a desk. It appeared set up as a kind of security checkpoint. The door was being fed power from further inside the building.
Simmons circled behind the desk and looked it over. It had a glassy surface, and her wrist comp indicated it was still powered. She taped at it experimentally. Almost immediately, the interface lit up. Simple iconography seemed to indicate that there was a message center and an interface that could control the door. She looked it over for a moment before waiving her datapad over it. The wait for the translation took several seconds.
A message was in the ‘to be read’ queue. Simmons tapped at it, and a long block of text appeared. She waived her data pad over it again and read the translated text with interest. It read:
‘To any survivor of Terran Research Command, we’ve done what we could. Our last received transmission was more than ninety years ago from an automated comms drone in the next system. We can only presume the plague visited on us by the Alliance and their Woduur collaborators has killed everyone. Our work to complete the cure has been largely successful. We can now cure the Omega Plague in any of the first three stages. The fourth and final stage is beyond us at this time.
‘We have left our research available to any human who enters the research labs. A standard interface data module will be required, along with genetic verification of species before the locks will release. Despite the fact that we have cured the disease, our supplies of food and water have run out, and no ships are available to return to Terran Command. If you are reading this, please take our research and cure the remaining humans.’
Simmons was practically rubbing her hands together in anticipation as she finished reading the words. She headed out of the lobby and descended to the lowest level. The door opened freely, and a small square room was on the other side. She advanced into the small room, and a logo appeared next to the heavy clear door on the other side. She could see what appeared to be a laboratory on the other side of the door.
A beep from the panel focused her attention. She looked it over and saw a symbol of the double helix human DNA formed. She looked at the panel suspiciously for a few seconds before pressing her left hand against it. The panel grew warm after a few seconds, and then it beeped again. The door rotated in place, allowing her to step through. The door was a heavily built cylinder that only allowed one person to pass through at a time.
After a few seconds, the door rotated again, and she stepped into the lab. The air was clean and had a scent of antiseptic. She turned her attention to the interior. A long table with neatly organized tools was arrayed in front of her. To her left and right were stacks of equipment and computers, all humming softly. She walked forward to the closest console. A tap brought it to life. A gentle tapping behind her caught her attention, and she spun to look behind her.
A small maintenance bot was working its way along the floor, checking the power conduit that ran along the lower section of the wall. The interface on the computer was simple enough, and she translated it easily. A few seconds later, she was streaming the research stored there onto her datapad. She watched with elation filling her as the computer responded flawlessly, allowing her unrestricted access to the data. It filled nearly the entire capacity of the pad’s storage.
She was practically dancing from foot to foot as the progress meter finished. She spun back to the door and stepped inside. A tap at the button mounted inside started the door rotating. It was through just over half its rotation when it suddenly stopped, and a warning buzzer started to sound from the desk in the lobby. She tapped the button again, but nothing happened. She tried to work her fingers into the narrow opening between her and the lobby, but her fingers were too thick to work themselves in. She started to use the data pad as a lever, but stopped. If she broke the device, she might have to find a way back into the lab, and it was far too fragile to have any effect in any event. She was trapped in the tiny cylindrical space.
Chapter 29
Theo Cobb slipped his stolen ID into the security slot next to the mainframe. His fingers tapped at the interface for a few seconds. Reports organized by date appeared on the large screen. He worked his way through until he was scanning from the period just before Behemoth vanished. He widened the interface and added the report headers to the displayed information. He found a flurry of reports started three days before the time the evacuations began, all related to the Behemoth.
He slid a data card from his pocket and slipped it into the port just above the interface. He started downloading the relevant reports into the card. Any data transfer would be flagged as a possible breach of data integrity, but with all the chaos the power outage had caused, Cobb was hoping he could get safely away before it could be investigated.
The data transfer stopped, and he slipped the card back in his pocket. He tapped through the headers and opened a file that showed a final report on altered boarding lists by one of the northern field agents. Apparently, a data intrusion had been monitored by the security system, but no action was taken. That, alone, should have been enough to double check the identity of anyone boarding the Behemoth.
Cobb pursed his lips and tried not to allow himself to be drawn in by the reports. He had them all downloaded already. He could look them over once he was safely away from the headquarters building. He closed out the interface, pulled the security badge from its slot and headed for the door. He crossed the room in three long strides and opened the door. Standing on the other side was Agent Stone, his previous supervisor. Six armed agents stood arrayed behind him.
“Mister Cobb, the Director will see you now.” He waved Cobb to join him.
“How did you know?” Cobb asked as he fell in beside the agent.
“You know I can’t tell you that. If the Director wants you to know, he’ll make that decision.” Three of
the agents filed into the elevator at the end of the hall.
Cobb was surprised. The elevators shouldn’t be functional with the power down. Stone turned to regard him for a moment before saying, “Do you really think it’s possible the power systems could be disabled by such an attack? Get in the elevator.”
Cobb started to get a sinking feeling in his gut as he joined the agents inside the small space. Someone had played him. Clearly Stone was not going to tell him anything. His only chance now would be to convince the Director he was acting in the best interests of the people of Lashmere.
The elevator hummed for a few seconds and Cobb tried to use the time to review what he knew. It was inconceivable that the agency was unaware of the infiltration of the Behemoth’s passenger lists. There must be some other reason they’d allowed the subjugation of the process to go forward. What possible motive could the agency have for letting nearly all of the Karn separatist movement to board the Behemoth?
His musings were cut short as the doors opened in front of him. Stone and two other agents moved forward. The remaining agents arrayed themselves in front of the elevator. Cobb followed Stone into the hallway just outside the Director’s office.
Stone opened the door, and the last two agents posted on the outside of the Director’s office. Cobb followed Stone inside. The director stood behind his desk. He was an older man with gray threaded through his medium brown hair. His features were marked by wrinkles. His dark brown eyes were bright and alert. They fixed on Cobb with an intensity the former agent found to be uncomfortable.
“Mister Cobb, please come in and sit. Stone, get the panel control,” the director ordered and waved a hand at the pad that would control the presentation screen.
Stone handed over the pad and sat next to Cobb. Cobb was extremely curious about what would happen next. Criminals, or suspected criminals, were not given exclusive meetings with the Director. “Why am I here, sir?” Cobb asked.
“Why, indeed. That was to be my question for you. We watched your entry. Very textbook. Your only mistake was to underestimate the ability of the internal power systems to compensate for the kind of attack you made. The remainder of your op was flawless.”
Images of Cobb’s movements through the building started to appear on the screen, including his hand to hand fight with Officer Hill. Cobb’s breath caught at the images. The altercation had come upon him so quickly; Cobb hadn’t considered how much bigger Hill was. Good thing he hadn’t had time to consider his actions.
The Director saw the object of his gaze. “You’re lucky. Hill will survive. If he hadn’t, it would be impossible to have this conversation.” The director sat down behind his desk, forcing Cobb to turn his chair to face the leader of Lashmere Intelligence.
“So, why am I here, sir?” Cobb asked again. He felt Stone shift next to him.
“Your actions are inexplicable, Mister Cobb. What made you decide to break into the division’s mainframe?” The Director leaned back in his chair with an expectant look on his face.
“Sir, I felt I had strong evidence that the Karn separatist movement had somehow infiltrated the Behemoth. I felt such a move might be the cause of the ship’s disappearance. If true, we must act to protect Lashmere.”
The Director nodded and said, “Wouldn’t the Karn have returned with their prize by now, Mister Cobb?”
“Perhaps, perhaps not. If the crew put up resistance, whether successful or not, the ship may have been disabled and unable to return from wherever it went. That notwithstanding, if there is even the slightest possibility of the Karn separatists having control of a ship as powerful as the Behemoth, we have no choice but to take steps to ensure the safety of Lashmere.”
The director nodded again and said, “There, you see, Stone? He’s been acting in the best interests of Lashmere all along. You were wrong.”
Several things clicked together in his mind. “Stone is behind me being put into the enforcement division.” His tone made the statement a question.
The Director stood from his chair and walked around his desk while saying, “Not yet, Cobb. I have other questions, first. When you investigated then Commander Patho after they’d returned with Aeternum, what were your orders?”
“I was told that there was an intercepted comms signal that was traceable back to Patho’s quarters. I used the warrant to complete a very thorough search of the ship. No such comms device could be found. Admiral Stokes repeatedly and directly informed me of his doubts about my actions and the validity of my warrant.”
“You sound like you believed him.”
Cobb shifted in his chair. “To be honest, yes, I did. Patho’s evaluations and his psych profile indicated him to be nothing more than an idealistic and capable officer.”
“Is that all?”
“No, sir. I also don’t think Admiral Stokes is that bad of a judge of character. My previous experience with him has demonstrated his intuition and insight. I don’t think a twenty-four year old naval officer would be able to fool him very easily. Your question leads me to believe you didn’t know what my exact orders were.”
“Oh, I knew, Mister Cobb. The issue is that the orders you received were not the ones I issued. What I wanted was a thorough vetting of Mister Patho for his appointment to command of the stealth corvette fleet. There was never a mention of any secret comms signal.”
Cobb was shocked. “Sir, there is only one person who could have altered those orders.”
Stone launched himself from his chair and towards the Director. Cobb jumped up less than a second later. Stone attempted to shove the Director to one side. Cobb launched himself at Stone’s back and snatched at his left arm. As his momentum piled into Stone’s back, Cobb twisted and braced his right leg behind Stone’s left one. Stone was just starting to resist the movement of his left arm when Cobb let all his weight drop Stone’s left elbow across his upraised left knee.
Stone’s arm bent backward suddenly, and with his arm slightly behind him, Stone was unable to use his strength to keep the elbow straight. Cobb tightened his core and slammed the elbow down with all the force he could muster. There was a sickening crunch, and the joint radically dislocated. Cobb heard the tendons snapping inside the arm.
Stone cried out in agony and dropped to his knees. As soon as Cobb released him, he brought his arm around in front of him and cradled it protectively. Cobb swept his arms around the agent’s neck and clamped down on both sides of his neck with his right arm. Stone lost consciousness a few seconds later.
Cobb glanced up at the Director and saw that he’d been stabbed in the right side of his chest by a small knife. “Director? Are you okay?”
“Yes, thanks to your quick action.” He tapped at the pad and the two agents guarding the door swept inside. “Get me a medic and take Stone into custody.”
If the agents were surprised at the orders, they didn’t show it. One reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small comm. He spoke quietly into it for a moment and said, “Medic is on the way, sir.” He then joined the second agent at placing restraints on Stone. They carried the delirious man out of the Director’s office. A few seconds later, two more agents moved into the room.
“I’ll be okay. Agent Stone is to be charged with assault, collusion and disobeying orders to start. I’m sure there is more here.”
“Yes, sir,” said one of the agents. Cobb moved over to the Director and said, “Let me take a look, sir.”
“Just leave it. The medic will be here soon.”
As expected, the medic ran in at just that moment. He hurried across the room and pushed Cobb out of the way. Cobb watched as the medic injected the Director, extracted the knife and then tore open the clothing covering the wound. He then sprayed some first aid sealant onto the director’s chest. “That will stop the bleeding, sir, but you need to go to the hospital.”
“I’ll be fine for a few minutes. Get a transport ready.”
“Yes, sir,” the medic said.
“Mister Cobb, yo
u are restored to agent status immediately. I’m promoting you to deputy director. Stone must have been acting under orders from some outside agency. I have my suspicions, but you are the one who can figure out these details. Look for any connection Stone might have had with the Karn separatists. We still don’t know why they infiltrated the Behemoth, or why it hasn’t returned.”
“What if they took over the ship, sir?” Cobb asked. His feelings of vindication were tempered by the fact that Behemoth may return at any time to attack Lashmere.
“Not likely, Agent. We warned Commodore Erickson of the situation. I’m sure she took appropriate measures to control the situation. We provided her with a list of all identified Karn infiltrators.” The Director coughed and his body spasmed in pain.
“Sir, you should get to the transport.” When the director nodded, Cobb helped him to his feet.
“Cobb, there must be some people left who know about the plot. We still don’t have a complete picture of their intentions. Until we know for certain what their motives are, and what their final plan is, we can’t definitively defend Lashmere. You must find out what’s really going on, especially with the Woduur attack.”
“I will, sir. I promise,” Cobb said. His voice firm with conviction.
The Director tapped out a series of commands on his datapad and handed it to Cobb. “This confirms your reinstatement to agent status and promotion.” He paused to cough painfully again. “Keep an eye on the shop while they get me fixed up.”
The medic assisted Cobb in getting the Director onto a gurney and into the elevator to the roof. Cobb accompanied them and watched as the small aircar lifted off.
Allison Unger snatched open the door to the small meeting room. It was the same room she’d been summarily summoned to only the night before. She moved to a chair and dropped into it, her movements betraying her petulant mood. Less than eight hours later, she once again waited on the pleasure of the other senators, all of whom sat around the small table looking at her expectantly.
The Battle for Lashmere Page 24