‘That and we don’t know when that something might come back. I’m not anxious to meet whatever it is if it can take out a dreadnought like that.’
‘So we’re bailing?’
Kade nodded. ‘Get everyone on shuttles and back to the Hope. Trin? Are you reading this?’
‘Loud and clear, Boss.’ The cat-girl had been left in command of the Hope since there seemed to be little need for her special brand of violence.
‘When we’re aboard, get us out to one of the Trojan points. We’ll wait it out a few hours and get some rest. Maybe if nothing else turns up we’ll come back.’
‘I’ll warm up the engines.’
Turning on her heel, Kade marched off in the direction of the hangar bay. ‘Come on. I want off this tomb. And I want a drink. I want several drinks.’
‘I could do with something to forget the corpses myself,’ Ella mumbled.
Apparently Kade had good hearing. ‘Great. I hate drinking alone. Not that I won’t.’
Hope of Sanctuary.
Kade slammed back her first glass of rum and immediately poured a second. Ella considered the flickering images of dead bodies littering the station which kept flashing through her mind for a fraction of a second and then drained her own glass.
‘You’re really getting used to this,’ Kade said, pouring her more.
‘I’ve seen bodies before. Lots of bodies. That was… carnage.’
‘And it should have been us. Someone set us up. Eight cruisers and a dreadnought, plus the station. We’d have been debris before we knew what hit us.’
‘But if they were planning to attack Iyonvrie… maybe?’
‘Doesn’t work. There were no warheads, and that fleet is too small for an invasion. The Pinnacle have ten of those hulking bastards. Had ten. They’d have sent six, and a lot more cruisers, and logistics vessels, transports for troops… No, those were there because they were expecting us. They dangled a big, juicy worm in front of me and they knew I’d have to take it and then… What the fuck happened to them?’ She slammed back her second glass of rum, shaking her head as it burned down her throat.
‘I don’t know. Something major. Something very coordinated. Meticulous.’ Ella watched as Kade reached for the bottle and then stopped, thinking. ‘I’d almost say… But that would be crazy.’ Kade was not listening. She got to her feet and Ella put her glass down because she could see what was coming next.
Stepping forward, Kade grabbed Ella’s wrists and pulled her off the cushions. Ella lifted her face and their lips met. The captain was hungry, frustrated, and worried and wanting to redirect her tension.
‘I know a better way of making the ghosts go away,’ Kade said, her voice low and breathy. ‘And I’m not drunk this time.’
Ella looked at her for a second and then grabbed her head to pull their mouths together again.
21.12.559 FSC.
Ella’s brain swam into consciousness as light hit her eyelids. Kade had set the lights to a dim setting soon after she had got Ella out of her clothes and they had fallen asleep after the second burst of frantic sex. And now there was bright light. Was it morning? No, she had been asleep for less than an hour.
She heard Kade say something which sounded a bit like ‘What the fuck? Oh shit!’ Forcing her eyelids open, she looked around at Kade’s face, which was wearing a shocked, slightly fearful expression. The reason for it was probably the large gun pointed right between her eyes. Ella recognised the gun, but it could not be there. There was no way…
She turned over onto her back, eyes tracking past the hand holding the gun, up the arm and to the face. The angry face with the piercing blue eyes and the shock of white hair…
‘Aneka!’
‘Oh yes,’ Aneka said, her gun remaining quite level. ‘“Oh shit, it’s Aneka.”’
‘But–’
‘First I hear you’ve been kidnapped. Then I hear you’ve been shagging Ian fucking Devor behind my back. Then I find out the people that grabbed you were probably Pinnacle. And when I finally track you down you’re shacked up with Pirate Queen Barbie here!’
‘Yes, but how are you here? How the Hell did you find me?’
Aneka barked out a mirthless laugh. ‘Oh, that was actually pretty damn easy.’
Part Five: Making Omelette
Gwy, Ariadne System, 18.11.559 FSC.
‘So what do we have?’ Aneka asked as the cabin’s airspace filled with a tactical model of the system.
‘A single inhabited planet,’ Gwy replied. ‘Nothing else in the system is remotely habitable. There are four gas giants and two asteroid belts.’
‘Orbital facilities?’
‘Not extensive, but reasonable for a newly established settlement. Military presence is larger than one might expect, but not excessive. I am detecting no militarised stations. There are three vessels in orbit which are likely to be cruisers.’
‘No chance they’ll see through the cloak?’
‘It is extremely unlikely.’
‘Then let’s get in closer.’
‘I have plotted a course which will loop us in over the least populated region. There is a lower chance of detection and the settlements seem to be entirely concentrated on the opposite side.’
Aneka looked at Cassandra, who had apparently picked up on the same thing. ‘You seem to be uncertain, Gwy,’ the android said. ‘This is most unlike you.’
‘The sensor readings from this planet are unusual. Perhaps you and Al could examine the EM readings. That is the element concerning me.’
Aneka watched as the ship accelerated through a semi-orbital arc towards the planet while the others analysed sensor readouts. The fact that it was taking so long was interesting, but she figured letting them work was the best bet and focussed her attention on the visible wavelengths.
Ariadne was a fair match for Earth. It was smaller and closer to its star, but the star itself was a match for the Sun. She figured it was fairly warm down there. As they got closer, she thought she was wrong as a lot of the ground seemed to be covered by snow, which would indicate a very odd atmosphere. Closer still and the ‘snow’ was the wrong colour, more grey or silver than white. ‘What the Hell is that? It’s not rock. There’s something covering the surface.’
‘Except where the Pinnacle have stripped it back, yes,’ Cassandra replied. ‘It also seems to be the source of the confusing readings. The entire mass seems to be giving off low levels of radio waves which makes it almost seem that the whole planet is populated.’
‘I am glad it is not simply an error in my analysis routines,’ Gwy said.
‘There is nothing wrong with your programming, or the sensors,’ Al stated from his avatar. ‘The radiation is actually modulated. This is no simple natural phenomena. It may be natural, but it is complex and perplexing.’
‘We’re on a rescue mission,’ Aneka began and then sagged a little. ‘Someone at the University would shout at us if we didn’t at least get good scans.’
‘And we will need to run quite detailed, low-orbital transits to locate Ella’s transceiver,’ Gwy added.
‘Okay. Keep us above the atmosphere and insert us into orbit. Full passive scans. If you can be absolutely sure they won’t detect us, run some active scans on the unpopulated side.’
‘What degree of absolutely would you be willing to accept?’
Aneka grinned; AIs tended to have a different view of probability to organics. ‘I think we can ignore scatter from random meteorites and quantum effects.’
‘Thank you, Aneka. I should be able to get some quite extensive scans with those parameters.’
‘Just try not to forget Ella.’
19.11.559 FSC.
‘And that’s what’s giving off the radio signals?’ Aneka peered at a high-definition picture of what looked like spider webbing which seemed to be covering a lot of the ground down on Ariadne. ‘Explains the name.’
‘Yes, and yes,’ Al replied. ‘The material is very interesting. It is an organ
ic polymer with certain similarities to myelin.’
‘Forgive my lack of chemical background.’
‘Myelin forms the electrical insulator around nerve fibres. It ensures rapid signal transmission along the axon.’
Aneka frowned. ‘You’re saying that those things are nerves?’
‘Yes,’ Cassandra replied. ‘Or, they are acting in a similar manner to nerves. Each terminates in a cluster, as you can see in the picture. At these clusters, signals are transmitted between fibres. The ion channels in these fibres are sufficiently large that the potential across them is quite considerable, and their length makes them act like aerials. Even the brain of a normal animal gives very low levels of EM transmission, but this… We are essentially looking at a brain the size of a planet.’
‘And the Pinnacle have been performing brain surgery.’
‘With flame throwers, yes.’
‘Damn. Do you think it’s actually conscious?’
‘Al has been attempting to determine patterns in the signals and perhaps decode them.’
‘And having very little luck,’ Al said. ‘The patterns suggest the firing of neurons, and they are not entirely random, but I suspect the information is highly context-sensitive. What we need is a neurological map and I have no idea where we would start to generate one.’
‘I have many ideas on how to start one,’ Cassandra stated, ‘but most require at least some cooperation from the subject. I believe this is a mystery which must remain unsolved at this time. Perhaps Shadataga can shed light on it when we get the data back there.’
‘Okay, and there have been no urgent messages so I’m going to assume Ella’s transceiver hasn’t shown up.’
‘There has been no sign of it,’ Gwy replied. ‘This does not mean she is not here. They could have fitted her with something to jam it, or disabled it. I believe we would do the same in their position.’
‘Assuming they could figure out how.’
‘Yes, but their technology should be sufficient.’
‘Okay, so we need to find out where she is, and trying to do that remotely is almost bound to get us spotted. I’m going to need a method of insertion and a disguise.’
‘I believe I have noted patterns in orbital traffic which should provide the former,’ Al said.
‘And I shall start up the fabricator,’ Gwy added.
~~~
‘This brings back memories,’ Aneka commented as she clung to the side of a transport on the way in to the orbital starport hanging above Ariadne.
‘The last time we did this, there was a little more stress,’ Al replied.
‘I suppose there was the outcome of a war hanging on it. You’re sure you can override the airlock controls without us being noticed?’
‘Analysis of their wireless network traffic indicates somewhat lax security on civilian systems, and this station is considered a civilian facility.’
‘Right. Here goes.’ She pushed off from the transport and glided through space, bracing herself for the impact with the side of the station. The speed was not high, and she caught herself easily and began moving across the outside to an airlock they had determined was suitably out of the way.
‘As I said, lax,’ Al commented. ‘I’ve negotiated the network and the airlock will be opening when you get there.’
‘How have these people managed to take over as much space as they have?’
‘Superior firepower.’
With the airlock door closed behind her, Aneka shrank her nanosuit into a belt even before the air had flowed back in. She was going to be naked until she got her disguise out of its camouflaged bag, and she wanted to be dressed as soon as possible.
The records they had indicated that the Pinnacle employed women in the military. Never in frontline roles, generally as analysts or technicians, but that was good enough. The bag became just a black bag, and by the time the airlock door opened, Aneka was finishing closing her uniform jacket and her hair was black. Checking there was no one about, she set off into the corridors of the station as though she belonged there.
‘I have located data on Ella’s arrival,’ Al informed her after a few seconds. ‘She was transferred to the planet immediately and there is some note about her being taken to a reception facility at the spaceport.’
‘Nothing on where she went from there?’
‘Not in these records. You are now Ensign Samantha Curtis, transferring to the planet on the next shuttle, which will be leaving in fifteen minutes from docking bay nine. Two levels down, there is a transport tube at the end of the hall.’
‘You’d have made a great travel agent, Al.’
‘I only do travel in and out of terribly dangerous locations.’
‘There was a market for that kind of thing in my time. Never understood it myself, but then I’d been to them.’
They ran shuttles on a regular basis from the station down to the planetary spaceport. Going in this way made everything look like a normal transit from a ship to the ground and it seemed like it was working. There was no trouble getting aboard and no one asked questions as she sat quietly in her seat and waited to be taken into enemy territory. Except that she was, effectively, already in and the Pinnacle had an issue with believing that people could penetrate their security.
‘I believe,’ Al commented, ‘that they don’t think anyone would try. They have gone to a lot of trouble to scare people. They squash resistance with undue force, enslave entire populations and generally act to ensure that they have a reputation for extreme retaliation.’
‘It can be a successful strategy. Make someone think you’re going to wipe them out entirely if they fight, and they may just give up rather than trying. Of course, sometimes it makes them more determined and it wins you no friends.’
‘I don’t believe the Pinnacle want friends.’
‘No. Good point.’
It was all very organised. Everyone actually waited for the shuttle to come to a complete stop at the gate before leaving their seats. There was no pushing in the aisle. The passengers disembarked in an excessively orderly fashion and Aneka began to wonder whether the Pinnacle routinely brainwashed their citizens.
‘We need to plug in somewhere,’ Al informed her. ‘I can access their net from here, but searching for what we need will be faster over a wired connection.’
‘Okay… See that door over there, the one with the “employees only” sign?’
‘It will open when you push.’
‘Excellent.’ And looking like she knew exactly what she was doing, Aneka strode over to the door, swept her hand over a card reader beside it as though swiping her pass, and stepped through.
The corridor beyond was not especially useful, but at the end of it there was a door which let them out into an area which looked like it had something to do with baggage handling. There were people there, not many, but a few. None of them seemed to feel it necessary to ask the military officer what she was doing there.
‘Got to love militarised societies,’ Aneka commented as she located a terminal which seemed to have some sort of security use. She took a small, folding computer from her bag, plugged a cable from it into the terminal and then connected it to another fibre which ran up her sleeve to the port in her neck. High collars had their uses too. Then she busied herself looking like she was running diagnostic programs while Al went to work.
‘I have her recorded arrival and transfer to holding,’ he said after a minute or so. ‘They commuted her sentence, as we knew they would do, and she was transferred to–’
‘What are you doing?’ The voice came from behind Aneka and she did not look up as its owner moved to her right side.
‘What does it look like I’m doing?’
‘Some sort of diagnostics?’
‘Very good.’
‘We weren’t informed of anything wrong with that terminal. I should call–’
Aneka popped a small notepad app to the front of her terminal display and said, ‘What’s your
name?’ Her fingers hovered over the keys, waiting to type.
‘What?’
‘Your name?’ She lifted her head and looked at him, noting with some satisfaction the expression of rising panic on his face. She looked down at his name tag, nodded, and typed. ‘Thank you, Mister Prust. You have correctly followed security procedures. You will, of course, mention my presence to none of your colleagues otherwise the diagnostic test I am running on the staff here will be voided.’
‘Oh, uh, of course.’
‘Very good. Back to work, Mister Prust.’
‘She was transferred into the care of one Commander Arundal,’ Al continued as if nothing had happened.
‘Got an address?’
‘Of course.’
‘Then I guess we go see if she’s still there.’
~~~
‘I’m assuming that you can’t detect her transceiver?’ Aneka asked as they walked past the house.
‘I am not detecting it, no.’
‘But that doesn’t mean she isn’t in there… I guess this is now a surveillance op. Get me positions for optimal placement of the cameras, please.’
‘Of course. The map I was able to obtain suggests that there are rear gardens abutting the property behind. It might be wise to arrange something covering that area.’
‘Can be arranged. We’ve got a directional mic, so might be an idea to point that at the place too.’
‘And then we will need somewhere to hole up while we gather intel. I believe there is a region of new construction to the north which will provide adequate cover.’
‘Okay.’ Reaching the end of the street, Aneka turned left to circle around to the road behind their target. ‘Then I guess we contact Gwy and let them know this is going to take a while.’
Ariadne, 21.11.559 FSC.
‘She’s not in there,’ Aneka said as the latest data burst from the cameras and sound system streamed through. ‘We should have heard her or seen her by now.’
‘Agreed. The household is asleep now so we will get nothing further until morning. However, I suggest retrieving the equipment and deciding upon another course of action.’
Aneka Jansen 7: Hope Page 12