The Terra Gambit (Empire of Bones Saga Book 8)

by Terry Mixon

  “Possibly. That’s something that people used to do. They’d set the computer to doing intensive work and have it forward the results back to the user.

  “Unfortunately, the princess’s program code is considered classified under her specific Raider protocols. It doesn’t want to move the program code off her implants.”

  “Could we cede part of the computer to her as a classified virtual machine? If her implants can verify the area is secure, it might allow the transfer.”

  Kelsey’s eyes lost focus for a moment. “My implants inform me that they will allow me to copy the programs to a dedicated virtual machine that only I have access to. It can be isolated from the rest of the computer, so you don’t need to worry that I have access I shouldn’t have.”

  “Work with her, Adonis,” Sean ordered. “Give her what she needs while maintaining operational security. No offense, Highness. I have my orders on that.”

  She snorted delicately. “I get it. I’m from another universe and you don’t know me all that well. If the situation was reversed, I’d do the same.”

  It took Commander Adonis five minutes to work out an acceptable compromise with the Raider implants. Once he dedicated and restricted the partition on the ship, Kelsey’s implants formatted and encrypted it.

  “I’ve offloaded the process,” Kelsey reported. “Wow. That’s fast. Much better.”

  “Any idea how long it might take?” he asked.

  “No clue. Maybe forever if this is unbreakable.”

  “Nothing is unbreakable,” Sean said with a laugh. “It just takes unrealistic amounts of time for the impossible stuff.”

  Admiral Mertz walked into the computer center, his hair slightly mussed and his eyes red with interrupted sleep.

  “What have you got?”

  Sean summarized the situation and his commanding officer grasped the significance as quickly as he had.

  “This is the real deal,” Mertz declared. “Excellent work.”

  “I haven’t done anything,” Kelsey objected. “We can’t read it.”

  “We certainly couldn’t have read it if you hadn’t found it,” Mertz disagreed. “Now we have a few days to let your programs crack the code. We still might not manage it, but life is often the art of the possible. I’ll take it.”

  Kelsey blinked. “The program just cracked the code.” She sounded shocked.

  “Even better,” Sean said. “Can you pass the plain text to us?”

  His implants received the file a moment later. He brought it up and began reading.

  The file was a diary with all the attendant meandering. The man who’d wrote it seemed to be a gossip, filling the pages with details about everyone around him. He made numerous complaints about the hyper secrecy they were under and how that negatively impacted his social life.

  His chatter restricted to this mission either. The date stamps went back several decades. Sean guessed the man had started this while at university. If he allowed himself to go all the way to the beginning, this would take a while.

  Sean restricted his search to six months before his arrival in the El Capitan system. If there was any restricted data, it would probably fall into that span of time.

  One entry led to another and he found several sections of the diary that seemed to be in a different code. At least they didn’t make any sense.

  “Can you bury code inside of code?” he asked. “I found something that looks odd.”

  He passed a link to the sections back to Princess Kelsey.

  Almost half an hour passed before she grinned triumphantly. “Cracked it! This sure looks like the brief for this mission.”

  Sean accepted the freshly decrypted text and smiled himself. It was exactly that.

  He skimmed the details until he found the most critical part: the data on who they were meeting and the codes to establish their bonafides.

  Well, they might just have a chance after all.

  Jared went over the information they’d gleaned from the dead man’s diary. It wasn’t much, but it included the information they most desperately needed: the contact codes to both verify the crew of this ship to the people they were to meet and the codes that verified the identities of those people.

  No names were mentioned, so he nursed the hope that the people he had to fool wouldn’t know precisely who they were meeting. After all, they really couldn’t expect that they needed to watch out for ringers. What kind of idiots would come walking in pretending to be part of some dastardly plot?

  The one thing that wasn’t included in the dead man’s ramblings was what these new people would be doing to advance the AIs’ plans. If they already had a deadly virus in their hold, what else did they need?

  Well, he’d find out soon enough.

  He had his people focused on getting the ship ready for visitors over the next four days. They cleaned up every sign of battle and got the external com systems back online.

  Olivia spent the same period of time coaching everyone on how to behave around the expected guests. Hopefully, the visit would be a brief one.

  Now that Jared knew what to expect, he could mitigate the potential damage these new people could inflict. Discreet jammers scattered throughout the ship would blanket all implant communications on his command. A second set would make certain that the deadly cargo received no orders to explode.

  Of course, they couldn’t do that straight off. They needed the new people to extend the detonation time of the plasma explosives. Otherwise, this would be a very short trip.

  The next five days simultaneously flew by and dragged interminably on. As they transitioned to the destination system, he sat tensely on Athena’s bridge. Just like at El Capitan, the defenses were internal to the system.

  That didn’t mean that there weren’t recon drones on station watching for approaching ships. During the approach to the first Rebel Empire system, he’d been cautious enough to keep his active scanners offline.

  Now he behaved more boldly, scanning the supposedly empty flip point leading to the new system—Raidon—with every tool he had available. The Rebel Empire probes scattered around the wormhole weren’t easy to see, but they were there.

  That was actually something of a relief. He’d had trouble believing the enemy was comprised of idiots. This made their actions understandable, if lazy.

  In their shoes, he’d have stationed several ships in the systems leading up to their population centers. Probes in all the flip points leading into the buffer systems, destroyers to monitor them and intercept any intruders, and ships positioned directly in the flip points leading to the population centers that were ready to run and scream for help as soon as trouble came calling.

  In fact, that was pretty much what Admiral Yeats had done on the border systems of the New Terran Empire and in critical systems deeper into their interior. Not that it would help them if the Rebel Empire came calling in force.

  Thankfully, the time required to get information across something as vast as the Old Terran Empire was significant. The people in this section of the Rebel Empire would get the word of the raid on Dresden in three or four weeks. Then their defense patterns might change. Until then, it was business as usual.

  Jared worried about how the AI leadership of the Rebel Empire would respond. They wouldn’t take the loss of the Dresden research facility lightly. Or that of the equipment used to manufacture Marine Raider implants or sentient AIs.

  To put it lightly, they would lose their digital minds. They wouldn’t rest until they got to the bottom of the raid.

  The reaction force from Dresden had already pursued Jared and his fleet to Erorsi. They’d run headlong into the flip-point jammer.

  They had no frame of reference about that kind of technology or the faster than light communications his people had with the drones he’d left monitoring the buffer system.

  Jared was shocked with how quickly the enemy commander had grasped the threat. He hadn’t poured ships into the flip point when none of his pro
bes returned.

  He’d sent a few cruisers—probably with orders to immediately flip back with a report. When none of them returned, he’d settled into a siege. Smart.

  The AIs would heavily reinforce that system as soon as they caught up with events. They wouldn’t hesitate to keep probing Erorsi. The jammer had to be given regular maintenance. That would allow the enemy a window of time to take advantage of.

  Jared really hoped Admiral Yeats took a risk and moved one of the jammers from Harrison’s World to Erorsi to minimize the danger. That left that system vulnerable, but the enemy had no reason to probe it. Yet.

  He shook himself out of his thoughts. No amount of worry would help that situation now. He’d best focus on the problems at hand.

  Commander Hall turned away from the helm console. “We’re almost ready to transition, Admiral. Five minutes.”

  They’d switched to civilian clothes. None of the intruders had been Fleet officers, so his people needed to fit the new profile.

  Olivia had gone over each outfit and made changes she declared necessary. She hadn’t shied away from robbing the bags of the dead Rebel Empire nobles to make up for any lacking.

  Jared felt faintly ridiculous in his new outfit, but he’d manage. He rose to his feet and stepped away from his console. As they’d already discussed, Olivia took his seat, looking a little uncomfortable.

  “I’m still not very happy with this change,” she said softly. “I’m not a Fleet officer. What if something goes wrong?”

  “I’ll be right here,” he reassured her. “If they call, I want you already settled in. Trust me, they’ll notice you fidgeting if you wait until the last moment to sit down.”

  The remaining few minutes passed in silence until Hall announced that they were ready to flip.

  “Take us across,” he ordered.

  This was it. The moment of truth. Rather than fighting or hiding, now they had to fool knowledgeable and canny enemies in their own territory.

  Any slip would doom them and potentially the people of Terra, too. It would certainly stop the AI in charge of the Terra system from inviting them in with open arms.

  In a word, everything had to go right from here on.

  33

  Olivia felt a bit overwhelmed. That hadn’t happened to her in a long time. She was used to being in charge of any situation.

  Seated at the command console of a warship sneaking into the very heart of the enemy was something outside her range of experience, though.

  Fooling people into thinking she was their ally in serving the Rebel Empire and the Lords, that she could do. She’d done it her entire life.

  “Flip complete,” Commander Hall said calmly. “Enemy warships and fortifications detected. Transmitting our ID code.”

  That had been something different than the secret recognition codes they’d found in the diary. These had been left on the command console by the woman sent by the System Lord of El Capitan to command the ship. Basic recognition and authorization codes allowing for the ship to transit the Rebel Empire in pursuit of its goals.

  The System Lord at Harrison’s World had provided similar codes for their use. Rather, the data it had stored away before they’d beaten it had provided them.

  “How do the defenses stack up against what we saw at El Capitan,” Jared asked.

  “Somewhat heavier,” Hall said. “Perhaps fifteen percent more firepower and a greater allocation of heavy cruisers. The battle stations are about the same size. They’ve accepted our codes and have allowed us passage.”

  “How long until we reach the main planet in the system?” Olivia asked.

  “We’re not going there,” Hall said. “We’ve been directed to a station orbiting a gas giant in the outer system. ETA six hours.”

  Olivia supposed that made sense. Better not to allow a biological weapon near an inhabited world. She’d thought the System Lord at El Capitan had been taking a terrible risk. If something went wrong, it would’ve killed billions. Not that she suspected it cared.

  “Once we’re an hour away from the flip point,” Jared said, “I want to start rotating people off station for food and rest. Everyone but you, Olivia. If they call, we need you right here. Welcome to the joys of a space command.”

  “You can keep it,” she said tartly. “I’ll stick to planetary leadership. The sleeping quarters and perks are better.”

  “No doubt,” he agreed.

  His caution proved warranted when someone called for them two hours out from the station.

  “Incoming priority communication,” Hall said. “They’re using the recognition code.”

  “We’re on,” Jared said, straightening. “Take it away, Olivia.”

  She’s took a deep breath and nodded toward Hall. “Accept the call and put it on the main screen.”

  The image of the star field faded and was replaced by what appeared to be opulent quarters. A man with the eyes of someone used to being obeyed sat at a desk made of dark wood.

  “Greetings and welcome to Raidon,” he said in a low, melodious voice. “My name is Oscar Fielding. You’ve received my code. I’ll have yours now.”

  This was the moment of truth. If they’d misinterpreted the significance of the data in the encrypted file, it was all over.

  She sent him the code and sat there with an artificially calm expression as he reviewed something on his console.

  He smiled. “All in order, just as I expected. If I might be so bold, who are you?”

  “Jaleesa Keaton,” Olivia lied with a smile of her own.

  “Welcome, Jaleesa. I have a list of your people, but it didn’t include complete files. I had your name but not your picture.

  “We need to discuss the next steps we must take to meet the operational requirements for the Lords. I will come to your ship and examine your equipment. That will also allow me to extend the timer on the security system.”

  “Hopefully enough for us to meet our obligations without worrying about any unexpected delays,” she said dryly.

  He frowned. “What makes you worry about delays?”

  “Nothing in specific, but life has a way of dealing you an unexpected hand when you can least afford it.”

  Fielding grunted. “True enough. I’ll want Jocelyn Oldfield on hand to assist me with the examination of the equipment. She oversaw its assembly so she knows it better than all of us.”

  “Of course,” Olivia assured him. “She’ll be standing by when you come aboard.”

  “Excellent,” he said with a superior smile. “I’ll see you as soon as you reach orbit. I’ll send out a pair of system defense patrol craft out to meet you, so don’t be alarmed. They’ll insure safety for us both.”

  The transmission terminated without another word.

  Olivia turned to Jared. “What now?”

  “We meet in him in orbit,” the Fleet officer said. “Good work, by the way. You got us past the chanciest part.”

  “Did I?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “It seems as if the in-person meeting is far riskier.”

  “At least we understand what’s happening, to a degree,” Jared said. “He might have known what the person he was meeting looked like or we had the wrong code. Damned perilous, if you ask me.

  “Not to say the next stage of this game is without its dangers. We can still screw up. Who shall we use for Jocelyn Oldfield? Elise?”

  Olivia shook her head. “She has the coolness, but her accent would give her away. It sounds pleasant to the ear but her delivery is distinctly different than any I’ve ever heard in the Rebel Empire. It needs to be Kelsey.”

  Jared didn’t seem convinced. “She’s not used to playing that kind of game.”

  “She’s stronger than you give her credit for,” Olivia disagreed. “She can pull this off.”

  After a long moment, he shrugged. “If you say so. I guess we’d best brief her together. At least we can monitor the situation when she meets with this guy and give her pointers over her implant coms.�
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  Olivia wasn’t certain that was necessary. Kelsey—even the one from another universe—was more resourceful than her brother gave her credit for.

  “You’ve lost your mind,” Kelsey told Mertz firmly. “What makes you think I can fool someone like that? He’ll see right through me.”

  “Necessity is the mother of invention,” he responded coolly. “We don’t have much choice in the matter.”

  “Surely you have someone else. Anyone would be better than me.”

  Olivia shook her head. “We’ve considered everyone else aboard. Maybe Doctor Stone, but I still think you’re the right choice. You grew up in a position of power. Even though you never acted as the emperor of the Terran Empire, you had a lifetime to observe your father and brother. You know how to behave.”

  “This is insane,” Kelsey muttered. “What do you need me to do?”

  “Honestly, we have no idea. You’ll be meeting with the senior man in this system as far as this project goes. He wants to inspect our cargo and you’re supposed to know all about it.”

  “What could possibly go wrong? I have no idea what the cargo is or how to inspect it. If this really is a biological weapon, Doctor Stone is a far better choice. What if he expects me to open the cargo?”

  “We’re not expecting that,” Mertz said. “He has the codes for the antitampering charges, so he’ll have the codes to get it open.”

  This sounded like a huge gamble to her, but what choice did she have?

  “If we all die, it’s your fault,” she said darkly. “There’s something more to this. Stone would be a far superior choice for this. Why me?”

  Mertz and Olivia shared a glance.

  The other woman smiled sadly. “We know you have what it takes to pull this. We’ve both seen it. You can do this.”

  “I’m not your Kelsey,” she disagreed. “She has skills and confidence that I just don’t have. If you put me in there, I might blow this entire mission sky high.”

  “And you might save it from some unexpected occurrence,” Mertz said. “Our Kelsey felt exactly the same way in the beginning. She found a way forward to success. You will too. We’ll help you.”