by Cara Bristol
Females were as capable as their male counterparts, and, as Manny had proven, femininity sometimes gave them an edge, so capability wasn’t the issue. He was the last person to stand between anyone and his or her aspirations, but dangers couldn’t be ignored. Anyone would seek to avoid putting someone they loved in harm’s way—even if the person could take care of him or herself.
He hadn’t decided what to do about Beth’s request to become an Aym-Sec officer. Just get through the Summit.
“What are the odds a secret weapon doesn’t exist?” asked Kai Andros. Posing as an android, he’d gone undercover on a Lamis-Odg’s space station outpost, barely escaping with his life when he’d gone off mission to rescue an abducted Terran.
It was damn near impossible to prevent a hero from being a hero. Saving the girl and the galaxy one mission at a time. That’s what they did.
“Propaganda could be his secret weapon,” Andros said.
“Could be,” Carter admitted. “My hunch? I think there’s a 10 percent chance he has something.”
“We can’t ignore it,” Brock said.
“I have a little more information that might alter things.” Illumina sat at the end of the table where she could stretch her cybernetic wings. A Faria computer sensate, she had intercepted the communique about the secret weapon.
She was a cyborg, but her capabilities differed from the rest. Cyberwings had replaced her original ones, which had been torn off by her ex-husband who’d nearly killed her. She could fly faster, stronger, longer than any bird, but her greatest asset was her ability to integrate into computer code.
All cyborgs could access computer systems via their wireless, but their capabilities couldn’t compare to Illumina’s. A software program or virtual reality didn’t exist that she couldn’t hack into. Carter could have used ten computer sensates, but had only one, so he assigned her the highest priority tasks. They were damn fortunate she was on their side because she was scary good.
“I had Solia, the new Cy-Ops staff member, review the intercepted communique.”
“The linguist.” He nodded. The new hire was another Faria, but not a cyborg, although her husband, Guy Roarke, was. All Faria had special gifts and Solia’s was her ear for languages, in addition to a moderate amount of empathic ability.
“There were some Odgidian symbols I couldn’t translate—but she could. She said they refer to a biologic element.”
A stunned silence fell on the room. “A biological weapon? You don’t mean like a plague?” he asked. Biological weapons, which could wipe out entire civilizations and render planets uninhabitable, had been banned by the Association of Planets. It was one of the few get-tough measures the AOP had implemented.
“I asked her that. Solia said there wasn’t enough of the message for a decisive determination, but she said it was possible.”
Just contemplating the possibility of a biological agent being released sent chills up his spine. A cyborg had nanos to neutralize toxins, but everyone else? Between ambassadors, their staff, world leaders, and his own noncyborg staff, thousands would be on the moon during the Summit.
He shot a message to Beth’s PerComm. Have decontamination and Air-Pure units installed at the Astro-Center.
He got an immediate reply. Already did. Decom is built into the bioscanners. As a backup, I ordered Air-Pure units. The scanners are 99.999 percent effective in detecting and eliminating known viruses, bacteria, and bio-contaminants. On the slim chance something slips through, Air-Pure will neutralize it before it spreads.
You’re two steps ahead of me.
I like to think so.
Carter stifled a smile. As this had proved, she was good—great—at her current job, and he needed her doing what she was doing. He didn’t need her involved in physical altercations. He hoped he could convince her to abandon the idea of becoming an Aym-Sec officer.
“Beth has it covered,” he reported to the group. “She’s ordered decom units for Luna Center already.”
“I’ll keep scanning cyberspace for new messages,” said Illumina.
“Priority one,” he agreed. “Can you squeeze in one more thing?”
“Sure.”
“Find out what you can about Cornelius.” He’d previously briefed the team about the incident. “We haven’t been able to turn up anything on him, so we still have no motive for the shooting. Maybe Cornelius is a lone wolf, a whack job with a grudge, but if he’s part of a bigger organization or plot, we need to know asap.” No news could be good news. The fact his regular investigators hadn’t uncovered anything was a positive sign, but they couldn’t rest there. Check and double-check. Standard operating procedure.
“I’ll get on it right away.”
“Beth seems to have recovered fully from the attack,” March Fellows commented. “She’s progressing amazingly well in self-defense training.” He’d been one of the cyborgs assigned to fill in during Carter’s absence.
“Yeah.” Too well. It had given her ideas.
March eyed him. “You don’t sound happy about it.”
“She’s requested to become an Aym-Sec officer.”
“She’d be good at it,” March said.
He glowered. “Did you tell her that?” March didn’t have to worry about his wife, the Xenian Empress, who had a palace full of guards.
Sonny Masters cast a sympathetic look in his direction, as did Brock. Any cyborg with a wife “in the business” understood his plight. In Brock’s case, his wife didn’t work in security, but trouble had a way of finding her anyway.
March raised his hands in defense. “No. This is the first I’ve heard about it. I’m sayin—”
“You’re right,” he said. He’d overreacted. “She is doing well. I would hate to lose her in logistics.” In light of the new information, he regretted telling her she could attend the Summit.
“The possibility of biological attack is a new wrinkle, but we can’t ignore past patterns. Lamis-Odg typically uses microexplosive devices in its terror attacks. MEDs are getting smaller all the time,” he added. “In an ambush on a colonial outpost last month, the MED was concealed as a freckle on the suicide bomber’s face.”
“How do you know?” Illumina asked. “Wouldn’t the MED be destroyed when it detonated?”
“There were two suicide bombers,” Brock explained. “The other was captured before his device detonated.”
The bomber’s co-conspirator had been arrested by local security forces on the outpost. After hearing of the attack, Cy-Ops had swooped in and relieved the local authorities of their suspect—in the nick of time. Their weapon scan detected the MED. It had been set to explode later in the day.
“Fortunately, our scanners are the most sophisticated in the galaxy,” Brock said.
“We’re also fortunate that Benson Vincere has agreed to stringent security,” Carter added. The about-face probably had more to do with Beth being attacked than the man suddenly coming to his senses. Vincere was, and always would be, too much of a feel-good do-gooder for anyone’s good. Sometimes you had to take a hard line and destroy the enemy. “We would have done our jobs regardless of the AOP’s restrictions, but their cooperation makes our assignment a little easier.
“From the original approved attendee list, ninety-eight individuals—nearly 2 percent—had their passes revoked after more detailed background checks discovered ties to terrorist organizations, including Quasar, Malodonia, and Lamis-Odg,” Carter said. If not for Vincere’s change of heart, those people would have been at the Summit.”
March whistled. “Shit, that’s a lot.”
“Admittedly, we eliminated some individuals who probably posed no threat. For instance, they had family members who had friends who had done business with Quasar or had visited Malodonia. The individuals themselves seemed to be on the up-and-up, but we couldn’t ignore the possibility they might have been recruited or were unknowingly used as a pawn.”
“Like a frec
kle bomb could be planted on their person without them being aware of it,” March said.
“Exactly.” Carter nodded. “If we detected any security risk at all, no matter how slight, they were eliminated.” That’s why Vincere’s capitulation had been so critical. They would not have been able to screen out the unlikely-but-possibles.
“There was one individual, a junior ambassador who’d been in bankruptcy until his sister’s husband visited Malodonia. Suddenly, he achieved solvency, all his debts paid. Coincidence? Maybe—but the risk was there,” Brock said.
“I’ll bet Benson Vincere didn’t like having an ambassador kicked out of the Summit,” Andros commented.
“He wasn’t happy, and neither was the ambassador’s home world,” he admitted. “But, Vincere had promised to adhere to the security plan, so he accepted it without too much of a fuss.
“All possible protections are in place, but we can’t become complacent. Trust your instincts. If something feels off or odd, check it out.” He glanced around the room. “If there’s nothing else to report…let’s get to work, boys and girls.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Benson cued his orchestra of ambassadors like a maestro, flying from one end of the general assembly oval to the other. In formal dress, with flourishing gestures, he cut an impressive figure, commanding and authoritative in a way Beth hadn’t expected. When she’d met him before, he’d been charming and personable, but she hadn’t seen him in action.
Protocols for speaking and voting, entering or leaving the area ruled, and Benson directed all of it. Only ambassadors, necessary staff members, scheduled speakers, and preapproved dignitaries were allowed on the floor during the Summit itself. She and other watchers were relegated to the cordoned observation area. Beth herself had suggested keeping visitors, observers, and nonessential people off the assembly floor. Carter had liked the idea immediately, and even Benson had agreed. She had a hunch the fact that the suggestion had come from her had given it some weight with the secretary general.
It filled her with pride that two important men respected her opinion. If I do remain in logistics, it won’t be that bad. I’ll still be able to contribute in a meaningful way.
Would it be enough to satisfy her, though? Her growing ambition had come as a surprise. Once she’d longed for nothing more than to escape the O’Shea space station. Now that she had her freedom, she craved more. Not wealth or power, but adventure, excitement. In some strange way, being blasted had awakened her to life’s possibilities. She desired to do more, see more, be more. Becoming an Aym-Sec officer would be a step in the right direction.
If Carter agreed.
An Aym-Sec guard stood outside the cordoned area, assuring observers didn’t slip past the barrier. Other officers circulated on the assembly floor and patrolled the tiers. Recognizable by maroon braided gray uniforms, their visible presence served as a deterrent. If prevention failed, they were armed.
Not so recognizable, despite their size, were the cyber operatives. Amazing how such big men managed to blend. They’d been placed as low-level staffers, gofers to junior ambassadors who were thrilled to get temp support, as ushers who escorted the ambassadors and staff to and from their designated seats, and as researchers, historians, and government “observers.”
Even Benson didn’t know of the duality of the security.
When she’d arrived at Luna Center, he had sought her out to inquire about her health. She’d thanked him for the flowers. Nothing in his manner or actions had indicated he harbored a romantic interest, for which she was relieved. She felt silly for worrying. Then again, maybe he had been a little interested, but Carter had scared him off with his dark scowls. Poor Benson. Beth giggled.
“What’s so funny?” Carter slipped in beside her.
“Nothing much. I was thinking about you and Benson.”
“Has he said anything more to you?” he growled in her ear.
“No. He’s been very professional.” The jealousy was flattering, but unnecessary. “Don’t worry. He’s not interested in me, and if he is, I’m not interested in him.”
He muttered something she didn’t catch, but then he said, “You did a great job today. Everything got where it needed to be, and your suggestion for an observation section was excellent. It was better received than if we’d just barred people from the floor.”
“Thank you.” She glowed under his approval.
She’d recommended the “observers” be treated as VIPs. Refreshments had been provided. Temporary seating had been constructed with holo projectors beaming in the speeches so they could watch as if they were ambassadors themselves. If they preferred, they could stand behind the cordon to watch as she was doing.
She half turned to peer up at him. “I’m thrilled to be part of all this. I’m glad you decided to let me attend.”
“This isn’t easy for me, but I understand your feelings. I don’t wish to hold you back. You’re an asset to Aym-Sec and Cyber Operations.”
She considered using his praise as ammunition to press her advantage and lobby for a security officer position, but it wouldn’t be fair. Carter had too much going on. This wasn’t the right time.
“I reviewed the data you sent,” he said.
Bioscanners had detected a few weapons, and the persons carrying them had been detained and hustled away by Aym-Sec. After the screening had been completed, she’d forwarded a report to him. “What happened to the people who had brought weapons?” she asked.
“Four were cleared for entry after interrogation. Their weapons will be returned when they depart. Five were ejected from Luna Center. The other three turned out to be wanted criminals. They were arrested and handed over to galactic police. One of those arrested had an MED,” he said grimly. “It was a low-charge device, and the damage would have been localized, but the chaos would have been extensive. I was happy to see it.”
“You were? Why?”
“Because the scanners detected it, and that gives me more confidence we have everything under control.”
“You don’t trust the scanners?” She frowned.
“I do, inasmuch as I can. They’re 99.999 percent accurate. Given the high number of attendees, somebody could have slipped through with a weapon. With your scanners, the prescreening Vincere agreed to, and the security staff, the Summit is as protected as it can be. This is going much better than I ever anticipated. But, I’ll be glad when it’s all over.” He shot her a lascivious look. “Then we’ll take that trip to Darius 4.”
“I was enjoying the proceedings, but now I hope they hurry it up.”
Carter laughed.
On the floor, an amber light flashed in an ambassador’s box to her left. On his dais, Benson zoomed to the location to acknowledge the speaker. Different colored lights helped to communicate what was happening. Yellow was a request to speak. Green and red were used for actual voting, respectively signaling approval or disapproval. Pink denoted applause, and blue registered a delegate’s disapproval, the luminary equivalent of a boo or a hiss.
“Mr. Secretary, esteemed members of the AOP, I urge a no vote on the motion to terraform DeltaNu 9084. We cannot afford to do everything.” The ambassador waved his tentacles. He was close enough for Beth to see him, but others farther out watched on their screens. “With so many urgent priorities, we cannot justify the expense of terraforming a hostile planet.”
More blue than pink lights flashed indicating most delegates disagreed with what the speaker said.
“Isn’t DeltaNu 9084 uninhabited?” she whispered.
“At the moment,” he replied. “The Jugonian ambassador isn’t referring to a hostile people, but to the planet’s geology. The core secretes acid, which bubbles up to the surface—that’s what makes it uninhabitable. The acid is localized in ponds and lakes. Theoretically, you’re fine as long as you don’t drink the ‘water’—or if you’re not around when it rains.”
She wrinkled her nose. “But is i
t worth the effort to terraform?”
“Until recently, no, but Lamis-Odg has issued a declaration of ownership. It may be worth terraforming and colonizing to prevent them from getting it.”
“Why not let them have it?”
“Because of its strategic location. It’s close to Malodonia, one of their allies, and would serve as a good jumping-off point to another sector of the galaxy. If they were successful in colonizing it—or even just establishing a military base—they’d be that much closer.”
“You seem to be aware of everything.” The man’s reach and intelligence never ceased to amaze her. Of course, he did head an intelligence agency.
“If I knew everything, I’d have caught Lamani by now.”
Benson’s dais zoomed by the observation area on the way to another section. As he passed, he winked, surprising her that he’d noticed her. Could she be wrong about him? Maybe he did have romantic intentions. It’s a wink. A hello. He’s being friendly. She chided herself for being so suspicious.
But Carter’s grimace of disapproval was as obvious as a flashing blue light.
“Mikala’s speech will be next,” she said to distract him. “I’m looking forward to hearing her.” Looking forward to it? This was history in the making. How many ordinary citizens got to be there when the president of Terra United addressed the Association of Planets? This was a huge fringe benefit of the job. Maybe the uber wealthy like the O’Sheas could have bought their way into a VIP seat with a large donation to an AOP pet project, but for a nobody like her, this was a once-in-a-lifetime event.
She’d even played an accidental cameo role. Though she hadn’t intended to, she’d taken the hit intended for the president.
Carter folded his arms, and a big smile played on his lips. “Yeah, and Vincere won’t be happy about Mikala’s speech.”
“Why? What is she going to say?”
“Her opinion hasn’t changed. The big issue this year is whether the AOP takes formal military action against Lamis-Odg. The AOP has been adamant about avoiding war at all costs. Terra has been one of the few who opposed that position, and until recently, it had appeared the membership would continue to vote the way Vincere recommended. However, Mikala’s intense lobbying has changed some minds.”