"Oh I think I know who it might be, and this time he's gone way over the top. Charlie, I think it's time to call in the cavalry."
The Ascendant, Behemoth and Fair Passage cruised on in convoy, the final Orion Portal less than an Earth day away and with that last wormhole leap behind them Rexis would be less than three days away.
* * *
The Lazy Journey, in transit to the Gliese Star System
Marin drew Leah close as they observed the couple talking in the distance. It was unnecessary but enjoyable and he pressed in to surreptitiously sniff her hair, an act that was quite obvious with the difference in their heights. She twisted her head to catch his eye and smiled, a look he had begun to recognize as her 'come hither' look, and he pulled her even tighter.
"Who is he, Leah?"
"That's Leith, the cousin she told me about. He's the guy that Hilary said tied down Aaron in some legal commitment, via Moriah of course; Aaron wouldn't have been remotely interested."
"Hmm, well she might have a point; Aaron does have some fantastic ideas. Maybe he does need to protect himself."
Leah pushed away slightly to eyeball him. "Marin, Aaron is only working off research that was provided to him. He can't claim it for himself, and he wouldn't have even tried without Moriah's intervention."
"Babe, I hear you, but I've worked with Aaron and truly, the technological leaps he makes from getting a tiny bit of information could hardly be claimed by the original source. Maybe there is a connection but sometimes it's tenuous; the man does deserve something for his insights."
"Well, he does get something - doesn't he?"
Marin looked doubtful. "Seriously, I'm not so sure. I guess it depends on your definition of 'something'. Regan doesn't worry too much about rewards from developments because she truly doesn't care about them . . . but she does like to control the developments."
She looked slightly shocked. "Babe, it's not like you to question things like that. What, are you saying that Regan's being unfair?"
"No, no, I don't mean it like that at all, Regan isn't interested in riches; but she does like to control things around her, not as much as Ham but she does nonetheless. They're like two peas in a pod in that regard. Sometimes, maybe without thinking about it, she controls an idea believing she's doing what's best for everyone. I'm just saying that perhaps occasionally some of those ideas might be worth something to Aaron too, and that would be okay, don't you think?"
She turned back to follow the chatting couple. "I'd bottle those ideas up and keep them to yourself babe, that's what I think. Now - how can we find out what they're saying?"
"Ham's already recording everything from the transport." He nodded down the flight deck where they could see the Saucer resting, hundreds of meters from the whispering couple.
"He can record from there?"
"Leah, how long have you been on this team? You should always, always assume Ham is following everything."
"In that case weren't you just being a tad indiscreet by saying . . ."
"Exactly," he interrupted and chuckled, "that's how I get some of my more difficult thoughts back to the powers that be."
[He thinks I don't know he plays this game.] Ham's subbed message broke into the conversation.
Marin smiled. [Ham my friend; you know I know you play this game. Now, what are they talking about?]
[He's recommending they stay at his compound on Fifino until they can leave for Cora to see family. He feels it would be best to get the business out of the way first, and then they can relax for the rest of the trip.]
[Yeah right!] Leah's skepticism radiated. [What's Moriah saying?]
[She's in agreement, right now she's asking about how royalties are paid, and to whom?]
Leah screwed up her mouth sadly. [I can hardly believe it, she is my friend, but Moriah is proving such a disappointment.] She looked thoughtful for a moment. [This compound Ham, do you know anything about it?]
[Not this iteration of me, but I'm sure when I merge and update in Gliese I'll have uncovered something. My instincts tell me this guy is an agent; he's not a key player, not smart enough by half. And he's simply not as familiar with this patent stuff as he should be; she's just not savvy enough to know it.]
[Are they headed into a trap?]
[Who knows really Marin, and even if they were you will never convince Moriah not to go, she's got gold fever.]
[So we just have to wait, and then do a rescue if the worst happens?] Leah shrugged in frustration. [It's Ruben I'm most worried about; once they have him, they have Aaron and Moriah locked up.]
Marin was still following Moriah and Leith as they talked. The two were looking directly toward the STEIN Transport, he noticed. [How is it she hasn't even noticed the Transport there. It has to be the only saucer she's ever seen?]
[Marin, she only has interest in one thing at the moment, she's just not looking beyond the money.] Ham answered.
Leah seemed to be losing interest. [Well, there's nothing we can do for now, how long before we get there Ham?]
[We're nearing the last Portal now, and from the exit it will be five earth days, no more. The first stop is Fifino before the ship then moves on to Tihan. You two might as well rest up, I'll track them.]
It was the release Marin was waiting for and he tugged at Leah's arm. She didn't resist.
* * *
Rexis, Palace of the Founders
Bob surveyed the assembled delegates pessimistically. They were gathered for the Triennial briefing and from this group they would select the representatives to attend the meetings in orbit. He sighed with dismay as he knew the youngest of the group was seventy six and only three others were under eighty. Worse, they showed the results of a decadent, lazy life with none being in good physical shape and all looking as if, despite the best that medical science could offer, they may not survive the trip. He sighed again; not survive the trip, a cynical hope? The ship that would take them into orbit was the latest technology and would displace effortlessly, they probably wouldn't even pause from their refreshments to enjoy the visuals. No, they were quite safe.
And what is the purpose of these meetings now anyway, he thought. Surely they only serve as an opportunity for Regis to gather intelligence and for the Regis delegates to decide their timing for attack. He knew with each Triennial the future became more and more obvious as these Rexis delegates aged. Taking another long look at the senile group he gave a last long groan before assuming his most diplomatic smile and strolling over to join them.
There will won't be another Triennial in three years, of that I am certain. If Regan's plans don't succeed there will be no time to repopulate this planet. We've left things too late.
Regan, you must succeed.
As he quietly joined the fringe the irony of his particular work did not escape him. Here he was working to save a society that still largely ignored him and his kind. And as he strolled further amongst the delegates it also struck him that here he was like the invisible Mind.
This group was far too intent on each other, and the food.
* * * * *
Chapter Nine
Young Perin was bored. Although he had looked forward to his first trip to space the journey to Rexis had been uneventful, monotonous and repetitive. While interesting men and women the delegates had little time for him and even if he had hoped for opportunity to lobby for support he could now see it would have been a waste of time anyway. Several of the group clearly saw themselves as the natural successor to Darius and none of them would back youth over experience, not at their own expense.
From the second day out he determined to have as little to do with the delegates as possible, not because of their lack of interest in him but for another reason entirely; his conscience. It didn't sit comfortably that each of the delegates, men and women he had known since childhood, would all be soon dead. What had seemed a noble, if unpalatable plan when Maynard had first spoken to him now seemed appalling. Perin had no wish to develop re
lationships and perhaps like any of the delegates as they would all die within days. Instead he concentrated more and more on the task ahead, developing a regular exercise routine that took him several times per day past the escape pods. He wanted to establish a pattern that lessened the chance of drawing suspicion at the crucial time.
He got on well with the crew unlike most of the delegates who ignored them. They kept him well informed on progress, likely arrival times at the rendezvous and any changes in ship schedules. So today he knew he could take his time with the walk, chatting with the odd crew member as he passed and practicing the calm he hoped would radiate from him when the moment came. Slipping into the familiar corridor lined with escape pods he glanced back to check he was alone then slowed beside his specific transport to glory. Reaching to the pod he stroked it, and then padded the release so that the door clicked and slowly ratcheted open. Placing both hands on the door he returned it slowly to the closed position but gently enough to ensure the locking mechanism didn't engage. Seconds could make all the difference and he wanted no delay when he decided to move. Examining the door he could see no evidence that it was open and patted it with satisfaction. Unconsciously he felt again for the small processor carrying the genovirus, fingering it nervously as he did so. He could only hope there would be no problems, and that once triggered the wireless transmission of the virus would work to wreak its devastating effect. His challenge . . . to ensure it was downloaded to some public system, not some isolated machine.
He shuddered in a moment of panic as he recalled the near disaster of the day before.
Rehearsing nervously he had taken out the tube and rolled it in his hands as he sat on the edge of the bunk. It had seemed so innocuous, an object no larger than a small test tube. Would it work? He fingered the small button, testing it with the faintest pressure, wondering and considering how much was at stake, whether he could risk not knowing.
And then it had been a conscious press, a stupid action driven more by curiosity than doubt, nevertheless when the small button lit up and began to blink he knew immediately what was happening; it was searching for a signal, an opportunity to link and upload. And in a flash he saw the danger; if the ship downloaded the virus they could all be lost. Scrabbling in panic he had almost dropped the tube before blindly pressing the button hard while having no idea whether it could be stopped. It did stop blinking and mercifully nothing happened. Now, reliving the moment he again broke into a sweat as he remembered sitting there for several minutes with his heart pounding as he had anxiously watched the ceiling lights, imagining everything going black. It took him several hours to recover and later in the darkness he woke with a nightmare sweat determining not to even take the thing out again until the right time.
Now, with one final wipe of the pod surface to remove his sweaty prints he decided to go straight to control and see how long it would be before arrival. He was far too nervous to eat.
* * *
The Fair Passage, in convoy, the Orion Nebula
Regan joined them from the Behemoth immediately on exiting the final portal by taking a Pod from the STEIN traveler and shuttling across in person. Charlotte couldn't quite see how Regan represented the cavalry but nevertheless was pleased to have the support. A familiar panic over being exposed in her key role of ship Commander quickly dissipated as she saw Regan's focus was on the possible stowaway and she seemed to have no other concerns. In any case, Charlotte knew from keeping one eye on the ship, everything was running well with her hard work in the lead up to departure paying dividends. Senior crew all seemed to like her and they were working overtime to impress. To date there had been no passenger complaints and general reports showed that everything had gone well, no one being aware of the drama going on behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, using the STEIN Pod as his cyber base, Ham was already cruising the ship as a silent observer, operating alongside Lucas but unnoticed, passive yet powerful and already he could see this was a path that had been well travelled before him. In fact he could tell his insinuation into the system was made all the easier by the work of another, clearly brilliant Mind. It peeved him slightly that he could also detect the passing of Jared who had also roamed here undetected. At the same time he quietly gloried in the fact that Jared and Mori hadn't, as far as he could tell, been quite so aware of the intricate deception that had been perpetrated on Lucas by their unofficial passenger. Nor were they aware that they too were enjoying the fruit of the stowaway’s work in staying hidden. He smiled inwardly, yes grasshopper, you still have much to learn.
No matter, he thought, concentrate on the job in hand; you could meet the interloper at any moment. Where are you; you bastard? He kept searching.
As Charlotte and Jared summarized for Regan the known facts and their theories to date Charlotte couldn't help noticing that she was being distracted by the occasional interjections from Lucas.
"Is there something wrong Regan, is Lucas bothering you?"
Regan's attention snapped back to Charlotte, embarrassed like a naughty schoolgirl. "I'm sorry Charlie, I am listening, it's just so off putting to hear Lucas’s voice coming from Ham's android. It's kind of creepy actually."
"It won't be for long Ms Stein." He crossed his arms smugly. "Charlie has offered me my own android if I make the team, and I intend to."
The words drew another strange look from Regan. "Hmm, is that right Lucas; and this team would be . . .?"
"The STEIN team Regan." Charlotte quickly replied. "As I said to Lucas when we were seeking his support, members of the team would probably qualify for one of those android things."
Regan smiled. "Yes, well I'm sure it's a possibility, Minds who join our team certainly enjoy special privileges." She blushed slightly at the words and quickly subbed an apology to Hilary, [I'm sorry Hilary, and we both know it's not like that, you and Ham give me the special privileges.]
She could sense Hilary's smile before Lucas replied.
"Ms Stein, you don't need to bribe me, I understand how things work and I would have supported this anyway. It distresses me that anyone could mess with my mind like this and I feel as if, to put it in your human parlance, I have been hypnotized without my permission. I have been violated!"
"Thank you for your support then Lucas, and that your support is unconditional means a lot. It is good to have you on trial in the team. Now Charlie, what's the plan?"
"Regan, we believe as I've said that this stowaway will still be on the ship. If the objective as we suspect is to reach the Orion Nebula then it's likely they are sitting dormant somewhere waiting to wake. As far as I'm concerned, regardless of whether their intentions for getting there are benign, this Mind or whatever it is is a killer, the murderer of Tyrian Juno - and I want them. We need a plan to find that processor."
"Hmm," Regan massaged her chin, "well, we can't search from in here, we need to come out of the closet, and that includes Lucas."
Charlotte looked concerned at the suggestion. "Lucas was clearly worried, and I tend to agree Regan - if the stowaway became aware we were on to them . . . well, something could happen. They've already killed once after all."
"I hear you Charlie, both of you in fact," she nodded in Lucas’s direction. "But that's not a concern now, Ham is in the ship system and he will be on to any stowaway quicker than a robber's dog if they poke their head up. No, the real worry to me is if they keep their head down. Not knowing their intentions I'm more worried about carrying them to Rexis and acting as their Trojan horse." She noticed Lucas had his hand in the air. "Yes Lucas? You have a question?"
"Did you say Ham is already in the system, that means I've been violated again - that is outrageous!"
"Oh don't worry Lucas, I'm absolutely certain he won't bother you, in fact you won't even know he's there until he lets you know."
The android’s head slumped. "And that is supposed to make me feel better? It's disturbing beyond belief."
"Oh come now, you've been riding there in Ham's androi
d for a while, he can ride you in the ship’s system can't he - for the good of the team?" Not waiting for an answer she turned to Jared. "Now my son," and she smiled warmly at the word, "this is your territory, what are we likely to be looking for?"
"Something small that would fit in the palm of this hand," With just a thought he brought up a large wall visual of Leith's clenched fist, "and this object, whatever it looks like, could be anywhere on the ship with the ability to operate independently and wirelessly."
"Oh." Regan was looking at the fist. "So it'll be simple then." Charlotte broke the tension with a throaty laugh.
"Let's examine that fist people," Regan prompted, "what does it tell you about the object?" All eyes were drawn to the visual and Charlie spoke first.
"Nothing protrudes from the fist so it must be shorter than the width of his hand."
"It's less than ten centimeters then." Hilary added.
Regan smiled happily, "Good, anything else?"
"He's clenching his hand quite tightly," Charlotte noticed, "could we zoom back to bring in his face?"
The visual instantly changed to show Leith in mid stride and then without request zoomed back in to focus on the face.
"What are you thinking Charlie?"
"Well, he's gripping like his life depends on it, but look at his face, it's relaxed, no grimace."
"So?" Jared asked.
"So, I'm thinking the object probably doesn't have any sharp edges, not a box for example; can we go back to the fist?"
Again the visual resumed on the fist.
"Look at the hand." Charlotte continued. "It's not a grip like holding a ball, definitely more like an object that has length rather than bulk, and look at the thumb - it looks as if it's pressed over the end of something. At a guess I'd say it's a tube shape, something not unlike this." And reaching to her desk she pulled out a small drawer and retrieved a small plastic tube with a smooth bullet end. Unconsciously she thumbed the end and it began to buzz. Quickly she shut it off.
Regan's Reach 4: Avarice Page 20