She didn’t know if that would be enough, but it was still better than anyone else had ever had.
* * *
They are lying to us, thought Chairwoman Pallion as the holo faded. Fair enough, since we are lying to them as well. But I know the truth behind my own lies, and not behind theirs.
“Chairwoman,” came a voice she recognized as one of her interrogators over the intercom. “We have found out something from the prisoner that might be of interest.”
“I expected some more time to pass before you could get anything useful out of her,” said Pallion, staring at the holo that sprang to life over her desk, showing her the Interrogator and his subject, sitting in a restraining chair with leads attached to her head and body.
“Her conditioning is very good,” said the Interrogator. “I wasn’t sure I was going to get anything but surface thoughts out of her without tearing apart her mind to force the information. I’m still little beyond her surface thoughts, but there were some things there which she seemed a little, shall we say, preoccupied with. Or maybe a better way of thinking about it is these thoughts were something to do with her day to day job, so there were multiple thousands of traces through her brain. Either way…”
“What’s the damned information, you fool?” yelled Pallion, clenching her fists. While the man was undoubtedly good at his job, his obsession with it made him tend to blather.
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” said the man with a sheepish smile. “Wormholes.”
“Wormholes?” asked Pallion, feeling confused and wondering if the man was still blathering. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Wormholes are…”
“I know what wormholes are, you idiot,” she screamed, wishing she had the man in the room so she could hit him. She stood there staring at the holo as the shocked man looked back. Of course she knew what wormholes were, though it took a moment to pull up the memory in her organic brain, which then tapped into the computer database through her implant. The information flowed into her consciousness, establishing new, augmented connections that would allow her complete access at any time in the future.
What the hell do wormholes have to do with anything? she thought as she quickly scanned what her people knew about the phenomenon. Did they discover a wormhole that puts them closer to us? That could be a problem. Or possibly a benefit. But which?
“From what I could gather from the surface thoughts, and the images that went with it, they have figured out how to generate wormholes. Look.” The holo changed views, this time showing what looked like the engineering spaces of a ship. And in that space was a mirrored surface in a frame. The view had the kind of intense clarity and dreamlike blurring of memories, a combination that seemed incongruous to those who weren’t familiar with the process.
“I’m not sure of all the ramifications of this tech, but if they can bring along a wormhole that leads back to their own space…”
If they can generate wormholes, and use them to communicate, then they are already in contact with their government, thought Pallion with a sinking feeling. So that’s their lie.
“That’s, useful, information, Interrogator. But not enough. I want you to continue with your extraction, concentrating on the keyword wormholes. I want to know everything she knows about them.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Pallion cut the connection before the man could waste any more of her time. Taking a seat behind her desk she brought up the holo again, this time centering on the command ship of the Imperial exploration squadron. So, whatever you know about us, your government already does as well. So what’s to stop me from taking your ship, so that only the information we want gets back to your precious Emperor? She thought about that for a moment, then shook her head. There was no way she could take any of those ships before they could get off a message about her actions to home. Destroy them, yes, if her agents took the proper actions. But would that get her what she wanted?
Probably not. What we need is an alliance, and material and tech aid. And if we could learn how to make wormholes? Then we would have instantaneous com and the ability to move fleets through hundreds of light years in the blink of an eye. She thought on those possibilities for a moment, and another one came to her. If the Empire could be weakened enough during the war with the Monsters, couldn’t they also be taken down, and added to her own kingdom. That would be a long term goal worthy of an immortal, which for all intents and purposes she was. Why not. A trillion more humans added to my nation, with all of that industrial might, and wormhole tech. We would have to eliminate the filthy aliens they harbor. I could never trust their kind, and I don’t understand how these humans have made that mistakes. Non-humans are always untrustworthy, the filthy creatures.
Pallion studied the holo for another moment, thinking of possibilities. She considered having operatives plant antimatter weapons on the hulls, taking out all of the ships in an instant. But then how would she keep a wormhole for her own use, which was also a priority. Unless I can get people on board without them knowing. As long as we can get to the wormholes and secure them, then we can take the rest of the ships at our leisure.
“Get me General Klein,” she told the com, then waited while the Pure human officer came onto the holo.
“Ma’am,” said the officer, who looked much too young to be the Supreme Commander of all ground forces of the Klavarta nation. That happened when they kept death at bay by the act of continually cloning and uploading to new bodies.
“I have a mission for your special ops, General. It’s a difficult one, but I’m sure not beyond your resources.”
She outlined her plan, and the officer stood in the holo in silent thought.
“And how much time do I have to plan this takeover?”
“I know it takes time to put something like this together,” said Pallion. “But I need it done yesterday. So let us say, one week.”
“I think we can put something together in that time frame, Director,” said the General with a frown. “I can’t guarantee that there won’t be casualties.”
And if we get the wormholes, that really won’t matter. “Kill every single one of them if you have to. Just get me what I want.”
* * *
CAPITULU, JEWEL.
Why won’t that bitch leave me in peace? thought Angel as he poured particle beam fire into the last of the men who had come to take him out. The hitman’s body converted into superheated steam as the fast moving protons slammed into his matter, boring deep into the tissues before converting their kinetic energy into extreme heat that totally disrupted the biomatter of the target. It was like the disintegrator beam out of ancient scifi, except that it didn’t actually make the matter go away without a trace. Mass had to go somewhere, and a body was made of mostly water, so steam, contaminated with the other elements of the body, was the logical result.
Angel played the beam over the body, his intent to leave nothing behind but that steam and the ash of bone, none of it containing the slightest remnant of proteins, including the DNA. There were three other bodies in the apartment, the others of the hit team who had tried to take out a man more dangerous than the four of them together. He would deal with their bodies in a moment, as soon as he was done with his last kill. Checking his pistol, he saw the warning lights on both the proton store and the batteries were red. He would need to replenish both before he could deal with all of the bodies. That was not a problem, as his suit carried plenty of both.
I understand that she doesn’t want her part in the assassination revealed, he thought, shaking his head, then raising the visor of his suit to protect himself from the rising steam. Doesn’t she realize I’m a professional, and would, under ordinary circumstances, never reveal an employer’s information to the authorities. I guess that means these are no longer ordinary circumstances.
Angel went to work on the next body, thinking about the problem as he converted what had been a human being to its basic constituents. The authorities were always a
problem, but one that he had always been able to stay ahead of. Adding another nemesis to the equation increased the problem exponentially. Which meant that one or the other of the pursuing forces would eventually get him.
Which means I have to get rid of one of those forces. And since I can’t get rid of Imperial Law Enforcement, that leaves the Countess. But first I need to contact someone.
* * *
“I’d like to bring you in, Mr. Martinez,” said Director Ekaterina Sergiov into the secure com. She was glancing at a holo screen that showed the efforts of her technicians to trace the call. Nodes were linking up, looking as if they were going to reach the point of origin, when they hit a blank wall. The trace started over again at her com node and started to work its way out again, only to again run into a dead end. I’ve never seen a com system with such advanced anti-tracking, she thought, scowling at the holo. Her people had the most advanced com tracking systems in the known Galaxy, but whatever it was that Martinez was using, it was a generation more advanced.
“I’m not sure I can trust you, Director,” said Angel. “How do I know you won’t just have me arrested? I really don’t want to end up in jail.”
“I think I can guarantee that,” said Ekaterina, knowing that even if she couldn’t, it would be what she would say. And Martinez had to know it. “You have skills that we can use, Mr. Martinez.”
“And the Emperor is just going to forget that I had him and his Empress in my sights?”
“You didn’t fire, which has to go in your favor. But no, I really don’t expect he’s going to forget it, which is why this would have to be buried inside of a black op so obscure he wouldn’t be likely to pay attention to it.”
“I’ll have to think about that, Director. And I have to be going. I know my system is hard to trace. And I also know that given enough time you will trace it. Which means I have to go. But remember what I told you about who was behind this.”
“I need more than your word about who did it before I can act. I…”
“If you don’t do something about her, I will. And when I’m done, she won’t be a bother for anyone else.”
“Wait,” yelled Sergiov, but the com was already dead.
“Get me the Chief Justice on the com,” she said into the air, knowing that her request would be transmitted to that man in an instant.
“This had better be important, Director,” came the voice of the man who sat at the head of the Imperial Supreme Court, the highest judicial post in the Empire. “Do you know what time it is?”
“I’m sorry, Chief Justice, but I didn’t think this could wait until morning. You know that surveillance warrant I asked for just the other day? I need an upgrade to house and office search.”
“I hope you have enough probable cause to allow for such a warrant, Director. If not, there’s going to be hell to pay with Parliament.”
A moment later the warrant came in over the com, and Sergiov soon had it transmitted to all the Imperial Law Enforcement Agencies, calling for a special task force to investigate Countess Esmerelda Zhee.
* * *
KLAVARTA SPACE: MAY 27TH, 1002.
“We are thirty-nine hours Galactic Absolute Time from entry into the target system, my Lord,” said the Chief of Staff, approaching the Great Admiral’s command chair.
Or about fourteen hours ship’s time, thought the Great Admiral, looking over at the tactical holo. For the moment that plot only showed his own ships. This was one of the relatively quiet periods of the voyage, when the fleet was not under one of the numerous stinging hits launched by the enemy.
That enemy was still out there. As soon as any number of ships were within striking distance, they would strike. He was also sure that they had sent some ships ahead to their home system, the target, to warn of their coming.
For all the good it will do them, thought the large male, a carnivore’s smile stretching his snout. His fleet had been plowing ahead through hyper VII at just a smidgeon above point nine six light. At such a velocity, there was some radiation getting past the forward electromag shields. Fortunately, since very few of the crew needed to work in that section, and they could be rotated back for nanite treatment for the radiation they did absorb, he expected the casualties from rad poisoning to be very light.
They had plotted the Klavarta ships at point nine seven light, and with their relatively small size, they had to be soaking up the rads. Any ships that reached their home system would be crewed by the dead and dying. Still, if they got the message out, they would have accomplished their mission.
They will be able to track us through hyper from the system when we are five hours out, he thought. And the first of their messengers will arrive in the system two hours before they can begin tracking us. So they will have seven hours warning.
That suited his plan. His ships would be coming in on vectors that brought them to a surround of the system. Transiting at point three light, a little lower than the Klavarta were capable of, they would vector in until, within an hour of the first ship entering normal space, his trap would be set. Any ships within the inner system would not have time to escape, and he was hoping the ships in the outer system would also stay and fight. And die. He didn’t want to have to chase down too many of their ships, though he was sure that some would get away. And hopefully those would bring in more fleets and squadrons, arriving in dribbles and drabs to be picked off by his force.
And when I am done, they will be finished as a military power. I can then send my fleet out to conquer their other military and industrial installations at my leisure.
Everything was going according to plan. Which in and of itself was worrisome, since in his experience no plan ever went completely as expected.
Chapter Twenty-one
I trust no one, not even myself.
Joseph Stalin.
NEW EARTH SPACE: MAY 29TH, 1002.
“We have another Alpha on-board, Ma’am,” said the Duty Officer from the bridge.
“What?” stumbled out of the mouth of Admiral Sung as she sat up in her bed, activating the cabin light through her implant. “Did the Chairwoman send him, or her?”
“No, Ma’am. The Alpha, and it’s a her, landed on the hull in an excursion suit.”
“So, she came with a message, without the Chairwoman knowing she came aboard.” Sung jumped out of bed as the thought struck that since their ships were under constant observation, there was the possibility that the Alpha was still observed, no matter how stealthy her approach.
She brought the holo up, to the picture of the Alpha in an excursion suit, looking somewhat like the ones used by the Empire, if a little more primitive. There were units on the skin that appeared to be stealth field generators, as well as some fins that had the appearance of grabber units. “I’ll be there in a moment,” she said over the com as she grabbed clothing from her closet.
The Commodore dressed as quickly as she could and headed for the briefing room. She still wasn’t sure why the Alpha had snuck to their ship, but was pretty sure that it was something she wouldn’t like.
“This is Marttra,” said the officer who waited with the Alpha in the briefing room. “I think you’re going to want to hear what she says.”
“Welcome aboard, Marttra,” said Sung, waving the Alpha to a seat. “And may I ask what your position is in your fleet?”
“I am a staff officer in the home fleet,” said the Alpha, who looked like Slardra’s twin. “The Admiral ordered me to get this information to you as fast as possible. I coasted for three hours to get here, landing at a time when the sensors scanning a specific part of your hull would not be on target.”
“Sounds like this took a bit of planning, so it must have been important. So, what’s the message?”
“The Council has decided to take your ships away from you,” said the Alpha, frowning. “They have learned that you have technology that they want, and well as the means to communicate with your home across the thousands of light years. Chairwoman Pa
llion wishes the technology, the means to contact your Empire, and does not want you around to contradict what she means to say.”
“Shit,” said Sung, her heart sinking in her chest. “When is she going to launch this attack?”
“The tasking order went out three days ago, with an engagement date of one week,” said the Alpha.
“Four days?”
“Is there any way we can fight them off? Or give her something to delay her?”
“I don’t see how, Commodore,” said the Alpha, giving a human head shake. “Anything you offer her will just arouse her suspicions. As far as fighting them off goes, you know your capabilities better than any of my people, but you are heavily outnumbered. So fighting them off, I think not. But you will have time to contact your Empire, which may help.”
“Any other details you can give us?”
“No. We were lucky to have someone far enough inside to give us that information. And they risked much getting it to us.”
“As did you in coming here,” said Sung, smiling at the brave Alpha. “And the Klavarta who got you the information.”
“Oh, it wasn’t one of us. It was a Pure. I don’t know who, but they must have been firmly committed to our side.”
“Do you have a plan for getting back?”
“The same way I came,” said the Alpha, closing her eyes for a moment. “An hour after I arrived, my escape will be set in place.”
“You’re welcome to stay here, Marrtra. While we figure out what we are going to do.”
“I might be missed,” said the Alpha, rising from her seat.
“Very well. Thank you for risking so much to help us.”
The Alpha started for the door to the corridor, then stopped and turned. “Will you still be able to free us from our servitude? Make us the masters of our own destiny?”
“We will do the best we can, but what your Chairwoman is planning may put a stop to our plans. And what will your people do?”
Exodus: Empires at War: Book 9: Second Front Page 28