Tawn said, “The colonel and his men are looking into it.”
“We can’t grab a wellhead from one of the other sites?”
Tawn shook her head. “He says the pacies would shut down a claim if we remove the water. We have to get a new one.”
“They have one at the Retreat,” said Trish. “The one we installed. They can’t be using it right now as half the people are out here.”
Harris nodded. “Excellent suggestion, Miss Boleman.”
Harris opened a comm. “Colonel, can we snag the wellhead from the Retreat as a temporary fix? We can replace it when a new one has been produced.”
“Have at it, Mr. Gruberg. The old well remains functional and is all that’s currently needed.”
Harris turned to Trish. “Take us to the Retreat.”
The two-ton item was retrieved, returned to Eden and installed. Eight hours and four minutes after the explosion, water was being pumped again.
Harris grinned as the flow meter showed green. “You know what this means?”
Tawn replied, “The ground breaking can go off tomorrow as planned?”
Harris laughed. “No. It means we can go eat.”
Tawn shook her head. “That’s getting old.”
Harris pulled back. “You enjoy it as much as I do.”
Tawn sighed. “I’m not talking about the actual eating. I’m talking about the jokes. You need new material.”
Harris returned a fake frown. “Just when I thought I had it nailed.”
“Sounds like a malfunction in your programming.”
“Speaking of programming, Farker doesn’t seem to want to hump your leg anymore. You two have a falling out? He only has eyes for the slug out at the Retreat now?”
Tawn returned a worried look. “Don’t know. I mean, I’m glad he stopped, but I don’t know why. Hasn’t done it since his last visit to the building on Midelon. We should go back and take another look at exploring that place.”
Harris gave a half scowl. “That place makes me nervous. When’s the last time we did a sweep of the Bangor for DDI bugs?”
Tawn shrugged. “Have to ask Gandy about that. Last I knew was a couple weeks ago.”
The twins were commed and soon joined the two Biomarines in the cafeteria.
Trish asked, “Any reason we have to join you for your tri-daily feeding at the trough?”
“When was the last time we swept the ship for bugs?” Harris asked.
“Four days ago,” replied Gandy. “As far as I can tell we only have the one locator that’s running. You said to leave it alone.”
“We were thinking of a visit out to Midelon. Before we go we’ll have to make sure that ship is clean. If Admiral Warmouth knew we had been out there more than once he would come in and take everything we have. Including Farker.”
The dinner was cut short by a visit from the colonel. “We have our guy. Came in with the first crew of recruits from Domicile. He’s already confessed to being an Earther spy. My people are working him over right now. We’ll know what he knows in the next day or so.”
Harris asked, “Can we talk to him?”
The colonel gestured toward the door. “He’s awake at the moment. Might not be for long. Come with me.”
Tawn stood behind Harris. “You think that’s a good idea, given our interrogation record?”
Harris replied as he walked: “I just want to make sure he’s asked about Rumford. We know she’s here on the planet and she’s bad, but we don’t know any of her connections here. If we can get a few names, maybe we can piece together her network at some point. Our other prisoner knew who she was. And he gave up a name or two.”
Tawn chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Harris asked.
“I was just thinking about how bad our last interrogation went. If it hadn’t been for that cracked rib I’m not sure we would have gotten anything. I still don’t trust what he told us.”
“The colonel’s men got the same intel. He told us what he knew.”
Tawn again chuckled. “You think the colonel will let me crack a rib?”
Harris shook his head. “You slugs can be ruthless when you want to be.”
The attempted interrogation lasted all of fifteen minutes.
Harris pulled Tawn over to the door. “We aren’t getting anywhere. Let the colonel’s men handle this. I’ll let them know to dig up as much as they can about Bax.”
Tawn shrugged. “So where to now?”
Harris nodded toward the hall’s end. “We go clean up our ship and pay a visit to Midelon. We can let the colonel know we’ll be gone for a few hours.”
“We ever gonna tell him about that place?”
Harris shook his head. “We aren’t telling anyone about that place. The less people who know the better.”
Two hours were spent searching the Bangor from top to bottom. An additional tracker was found on the outer hull. Gandy had seen a suspicious person lurking near the back of the ship after they had just come into the dome’s docking bay three days before.
Harris opened a comm to the colonel as they moved out into the harsh Eden sunlight from the bay. “Colonel, we’ll be gone for a few hours. If anyone asks, we’re out getting supplies.”
“You’re covered, Mr. Gruberg. Just remember we have the official groundbreaking in the morning.”
Harris nodded. “We’ll be there.”
The Bangor rocketed skyward and was soon into free space. A jump to the Rabid System was followed by a jump to Midelon. Trish piloted the ship through the atmosphere, pulling to a stop half a meter from the ground. An easy set-down followed.
“That was about as good as it could be done,” Harris commented.
Trish smiled. “Maybe someday we can actually make use of my new skill. You know I could have piloted her against those gunships—my reactions are good. And I went back through the logs of that fight to study what you did and when you did it. A few of those moves were marginal at best.”
Harris patted her on the back as he stood. “The fog of war will make you take actions that don’t always turn out to be the best. My flying back there was as good as any.”
Trish nodded. “If you say so.”
Harris sighed. “OK. You and Tawn are gonna be good friends for the next couple hours. Gandy and I will be looking around with Farker. I would suggest doing a full scan of this planet. Encrypt whatever recording you get. We don’t want anyone seeing the data later.”
Harris hopped to the ground, with Farker and Gandy just behind. The dog sprinted for the door of the bunker. Harris sprinted after. As the dog approached, the door opened. Harris dove, slipping inside before tumbling to a stop. The hardened door closed before Gandy arrived.
A comm opened. “You made it in! Are you OK?”
Harris replied, “So far as I know.”
“What do you see?”
“A door to a hallway going away from me. Farker disappeared down it already. And there’s an open table to my right with a single chair in front of it. It’s facing a blank wall.”
“No computers or anything? Nothing to greet you? Oh, and look for a door handle. Any way to let me in?”
Harris glanced back. “Nothing visible. Think I’ll go check that hall.”
As he took the first step, the door slid shut, sealing off the hall and enclosing the Biomarine in the outer room.
“Scratch that. Looks like I’m stuck here until Farker returns.”
“Anything else in there? I’m not getting any video.”
Harris replied, “Four blank concrete walls with a concrete ceiling and a concrete floor. Other than the table and chair we have the two doors and that’s it. And a single dome-shaped light in the ceiling. I don’t see a switch for it.”
The light shut off, leaving Harris Gruberg standing in the dark. “OK. That’s not good. They switched the light off on me.”
“Who?”
Harris chuckled. “They, the building, whatever AI is running this place. Could ju
st be on a timer, but it’s pitch black in here right now. Hang on. I’m feeling my way over to that chair. If I’m gonna be stuck here in the dark, I can at least sit.”
Several seconds later, Harris blurted out. “Got it.”
The chair was turned around to face the door and the stump-shaped Biomarine took a seat.
Gandy sighed. “Well, we really don’t know any more than we did before you went in.”
Harris chuckled. “We know not to dive in here after the mutt. Guess I should have followed him down that hall.”
“What do we do now?”
Harris rubbed the back of his neck. “You could walk over to the cave and see if you can find anything else. Check all the walls to see if any others are holograms.”
“What are you gonna do?”
Harris laughed. “I’m gonna sit here in the dark. Kind of reminds me of the sensory deprivation training I had years ago. Only there wasn’t some squeaky-voiced kid badgering me with questions… just peace and quiet.”
Gandy huffed. “My voice isn’t squeaky.”
Harris replied, “I guess that depends on if you are listening to it or me. For me it’s squeaky. Don’t be alarmed or offended though. Most regulars sound that way to me. Has something to do with our hearing being enhanced in the upper frequencies.”
Tawn came over the comm. “If you two ladies are finished chatting… we found something.”
“Tell us,” said Harris.
“It looks like an underwater structure. It’s just below the cliffs on the north side of the island. About a half kilometer under the surface.”
“That ship is waterproof, you know. Take it down and have a closer look. Maybe it’s a back way into this place. Meanwhile, I’ll just sit here and enjoy the dark.”
Gandy walked off toward the caves as the girls dropped the Bangor into the Midelon waters. At five hundred meters depth, the structure came into view. A large door, they deemed possibly used for launching submarines, covered the center, while a series of what looked to be intake and exhaust pipes surrounded it.
Tawn said, “We have another door. I’m sitting directly in front of it and nothing is happening. Looks like we could easily fit through it.”
“You mean you and Trish or the ship?”
Tawn laughed. “The ship. Your neurons stop firing when you’re in the dark or what?”
“Could be. What’s bothering me at the moment is I keep thinking I’m hearing noises in here. Like some little creature is sniffing around and about to take a chunk out of my ankles.”
“You scared of the dark?” Trish asked.
“No. But I may be scared of the little creature sniffing around in the dark.”
Tawn asked, “You do have your boots on, right?”
Harris was quiet for several seconds. “I do now. And that helps, thanks.”
“Why were they off in the first place?”
Harris sighed. “Thought the cool concrete might feel good. It does, but not so good I’m willing to risk my toes over it.”
Harris sat in the dark, intently listening for the sound of whatever it was that was in there with him. Twice he had sworn he felt something brush against his leg. Twice his fast reach down came back with nothing but air.
Gandy broke the silence: “I’m going into the cave. Last time we lost comm while in there. So if you don’t hear from me shortly you know where to look.”
Trish replied, “We’ve got you covered. Nothing else to see down here. If you can wait a couple minutes, we’ll join you.”
“Come on up.”
The Bangor, dripping with water from the Midelon ocean, came to rest at the bottom of the hill below the cave. A quick hike had Tawn and Trish standing beside Gandy.
He gestured toward the opening. “Ladies first?”
“Way to man-up on this expedition,” said Tawn.
Tawn looked at the other cave. “What about that one?”
Gandy shook his head. “Shallow. You can see it all from out front.”
Tawn asked, “Did you check the walls in there for false doors like you found in here?”
Gandy shook his head. “No.”
Tawn laughed. “Well, go do it. We’ve got everything covered here.”
Gandy took three minutes to work his way around the inside of the cave. No new passages were revealed.
Tawn walked into the other, touching the wall with her hand. “Feels like a cave. Smells like a cave.”
Trish piped up: “So good thing we didn’t step in it? I haven’t heard that one since seventh grade.”
Tawn replied, “I have no idea what you’re talking about, hon.”
Gandy walked around them. “It’s up here around the corner.”
He entered the room where the false wall had been found.
“Door is right in here. I patted the other walls before, but I’ll do it again just in case.”
Tawn walked into the previously hidden passage. “We have a door and nothing much of anything else. I assume you knocked, pushed, and pulled on it?”
Gandy walked in beside her. “Yep. Got no response. And for whatever reason, Farker didn’t seem to like it in here.”
Tawn scratched her ear. “Let’s head back and see if Harris is out yet.”
Trish said, “Too bad we can’t bring a scanner in here.”
Gandy replied, “Who says we can’t? They’re detachable. You just need a power source. The record buffer is with the sensor and easily keeps several minutes of scan data. What do we have with a battery?”
Trish thought for a moment. “Our biosuits have a power source. You think we could rig one up to one of those?”
Gandy shrugged. “We can give it a shot.”
Tawn stared at the twins for several seconds. “Well, go. You don’t need me to hold your hands, do you?”
A short walk had the twins outside and moving down the hill to the ship. Tawn stopped at the cave entrance.
“Harris, everything still OK in there?”
“If boredom is OK, then yeah.”
“The twins are rigging a scanner to a power source. We’re gonna take it back into the cave and see what we can find.”
Harris sighed. “Tell you what, I’ll just hang out here.”
Tawn chuckled. “You do that.”
Chapter 9
_______________________
Harris sat with his hands on his knees as he leaned forward in the chair. Several scooches had the chair turned toward the table. As he moved his elbows onto the table in an attempt to prop up his head, a light came on above him.
Seconds later, a hologram image of Alexander Gaerten’s face floated just on the other side of the table. “Hello. I am Doctor Alexander Gaerten. I designed the facility you now occupy. Welcome. I hope your journey here was pleasant.”
The door behind Harris opened and Farker trotted out. The mechanical pet sat on its haunches beside the chair, staring up at the doctor with his usual grin.
Harris replied, “Hello?”
The hologram continued, “Hello. Welcome.”
“What is this place?”
“This is engineering facility number two. An identical facility exists on the planet Paeton. This facility and the other control the boson fields, which allow wormhole travel with starships. The field generators are located in this facility.”
“What’s behind the door over there?”
The doctor’s image replied, “The inner working of this facility will be revealed after the individual seated in that chair properly answers a series of questions.”
Harris smirked. “Ask me the questions.”
“Do you understand the nature of the boson field?”
“No.”
The hologram replied, “I’m afraid that answer is not satisfactory.”
Harris huffed. “Yes then. I meant yes.”
The doctor slowly shook his head. “I’m afraid my algorithms are quite adept at identifying a dishonest answer. Perhaps you can return when you have an understandi
ng of the boson field.”
Harris rubbed the back of his neck. “I know it’s a field that permeates all matter. You and your team of scientists discovered it. The generators in our ships allow a portal to be created between any two points within the boson field.”
The image smiled. “That is a satisfactory answer. What is your name?”
“Harris Gruberg. You can call me Harris.”
“Very well, Mr. Gruberg.”
“I said Harris.”
“I am sorry, Mr. Gruberg. We are not yet on a first name basis.”
Harris chuckled. “What? You’re a program. Am I supposed to be your friend first or something?”
“Are you a friend or foe, Mr. Harris?”
“Well, that’s a stupid question. Why would anyone say foe?”
“Replying to a question with a question is not an answer, Mr. Gruberg. Please answer the question. Friend or foe?”
Harris threw up his hands. “Friend.”
The hologram frowned. “Your expressions and audible tone indicate otherwise.”
Harris sighed as he sat his hands on the table. “I apologize. We aren’t taught good manners in the Biomarines.”
The doctor returned an inquisitive expression. “Biomarine? I am unfamiliar with that term. Please explain.”
“I’m a Biomarine. A genetically engineered Human. I was designed and trained specifically for fighting wars.”
“I see. So you are hostile?”
Harris shook his head. “No. I’m a defender of my world, Domicile. I fight only to defend Domicile.”
“Understood, Mr. Gruberg. Your answer, tone, demeanor and bodily functions, such as heart rate and eye movements, suggest that you are telling the truth. Honesty is seen as a friendly quality.”
“So you’ll call me Harris?”
The image frowned. “I’m afraid not, Mr. Gruberg. Friendship comes after a minimum level of trust has been established. Continue with the honest answers and we may reach that level in the future.”
Harris huffed. “Are we talking ten minutes or ten days?”
“That would depend on your honesty and demeanor, Mr. Gruberg. Shall we continue?”
Harris slowly nodded. “Sure… why not.”
“Have you ever taken a life, Mr. Gruberg?”
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