by C. Gockel
Nilsson smiled tightly. “But keep Fleet from assisting.”
“What are the total number of forces aboard the gate?” Alaric asked. “And how many are infected?”
Turning to face him, Kim’s hologram replied, “There are approximately 3,000 troops aboard. They’ve just returned from an extended stint in System 6. Butter—” He touched the kitten on his shoulder. “—The One here estimate perhaps 75 percent of them are infected.” Kim took a deep breath. “There are one hundred police officers aboard the station.”
Alaric swallowed. Over 2,250 troops against one hundred…the gate would be overrun. And as he’d learned in System 33, control of the gate’s systems could come under manual control in certain circumstances.
“Is the rest of System 5 quarantined?” Alaric asked.
Kim gave a tight smile. “Officially? Yes. Unofficially…some private gate owners in other systems are declaring their gates open to refugees from System 5. They see no reason ordinary people should suffer for the failure of Fleet and System 5’s defense force.”
There was a moment of profound silence. A whole planet of potentially infected people was being invited to infect the rest of humanity? Had the Dark understood this would happen? Had he been wrong about the feint—should he not have warned Volka? But no, the volcano in Shinar couldn’t have been planned, and the attack on System 5 had to have been planned months in advance. As soon as the first planet was visible to the system’s population, the pirates would have been seen by amateur astronomers and commercial captains and would have had to act. The volcanic eruption on Shinar, and the potential takeover of Time Gate 5, was just bad luck.
“Can Time Gate 5 self-destruct?” Ran asked.
If Kim was uneasy with the suggestion that the gate he was on be destroyed with him on it, he showed no sign. “No, Time Gate 5 cannot command its own destruction—or destruction of its bands. Since Revelation, self-destruct can only be initiated if the gate and the Republic Senate approve. Since there are approximately 10,000 civilians aboard the gate at any given time, it seems unlikely the Senate would approve a self-destruct, even if the gate itself was in favor of the idea.”
Archbishop Sato raised his voice. “Trina—Time Gate 33—was a research gate at the edge of known space. With a small crew, she had considerably more autonomy than the gates in the inhabited systems. Gate 5 is complex and powerful enough it could eventually override Republic laws, but it would have to want to, and it would take time.”
Ran banged a fist on the table. “We have to be able to do something other than sit here and wait.”
Alaric’s heart rate quickened. He wanted to do more, but he didn’t want to start a war with the Republic. “Mr. Kim,” Alaric said, “How many men are in System 5’s Local Guard, and do we have any idea how many of those men may be infected?”
Kim gulped audibly. “Approximately 881,000 on active duty. There are also 152,000 reservists. As to how many are infected…of the reservists, Butter and I would estimate close to none…for the rest…it’s anyone’s guess.”
“How many ships does the local force have?” Alaric asked.
Kim nodded as though to reassure himself. He was more composed when he responded. “They have 430 active ships.”
It was nearly as many as the Luddeccean Guard...Alaric closed his eyes and reminded himself that not all System 5’s forces were infected.
The weere priest who had announced Kim’s transmission said, “Your Excellency, we have a transmission from Admiral Sato, the head of the Republic Senate, and New Grande’s Prime Minister.”
The last made Alaric start. The only reason New Grande’s Prime Minister would contact them would be if New Grande needed Luddeccean help. And if Luddeccean help was needed, it could only be because what little Fleet presence was in the system couldn’t help for some reason. Perhaps because they were protecting the real target—the target that the attack on New Grande was meant to obscure.
To Ran, Sato said, “We very well may be able to do more.” He dismissed Mr. Kim, saying, “God be with you, Mr. Kim,” and the table went dark. Gesturing with a hand to the weere priest he said, “Put the transmission through.”
Alaric stared at the dark table. What could be more dangerous in the hands of the Dark than a time gate? What in System 5 had they really wanted…the scene around him blurred, and he knew.
23
High Tech
Galactic Republic: System 5
Aboard Sundancer, 75 billion kilometers from System 5’s sun, 15,000 kilometers from the ecliptic plane, Volka blinked through the ship’s transparent hull at the drones attaching the ship’s armor. The sun from this distance was only the largest star in the heavens. The brightest lights were the lights of the drones themselves, but Jerome had established a local ether hub, and it was blinking faintly, as were lights here and there in the Marines’ suits and in the enormous neural port of the scientist who’d come along, Dr. Patrick someone…Shore maybe? She had begun thinking of him as Doctor So-and-so…Her mother would have been horrified by her disrespect. He was a civilian who worked for Fleet—like Okoro, presumably. He had been the leader in developing Sundancer’s armor, and now, weaponry. He hadn’t said half a dozen words to Volka. Since Shinar, she wasn’t sure a doctorate was a reason enough to warrant respect.
There was a flurry of activity around her. Marines checking weapons, Sundancer’s position, and presumably other secrets over the ether. They tapped their ports regularly. Sixty had been shocked by the Dark calling him out personally over the ether; she knew it bothered him, but they’d had no time to discuss it, and maybe Sixty was too busy to think about it. At the moment, his eyes were glazed, and he nodded as though at some silent communication.
Volka was trying to keep out of the way. She stood at the bow with Carl in her arms. He was wearing his sausage suit. His eyes were closed. Presumably he was talking to The One.
Carl’s eyes fluttered open at that thought. Confirming her suspicions, he said, “Butterball says the situation aboard Time Gate 5 is tenuous. There is a great deal of confusion among the police force there—some don’t believe System 5’s forces are compromised, others want to let the non-infected leave the quarantine, but they don’t have the manpower or weaponry to keep an evacuation from turning into an invasion. The quarantined Guard is much better armed…which will be a problem. On the planet, the police forces are doing their best, but…” He sighed. “One of my kind, Al-whalid, has a pet that is a former admiral—Admiral William Mitchel. He lives on the planet Gate 5 orbits, but far from New Grande on the nearly uninhabited flats. Mitchel’s quite popular among the System 5 Guard—Al-whalid hopes his pet can rally the non-infected among System 5’s forces until Fleet arrives.”
Volka gazed out at the vast sea of black. Fleet couldn’t enter the system through Time Gate 5 and were entering through smaller, private gates. But they hadn’t been able to bring in the large fighter carriers, and their smaller ships were already pinned by infected squadrons of System 5’s Local Guard. One of the larger Fleet vessels that had been in system couldn’t go to New Grande; it was busy protecting Fleet’s faster-than-light research facility. Of course, that left…
“Six private corporate facilities are researching gate-less travel in System 5 alone!” Volka shook her head and squeezed Carl tighter. On Luddeccea, that would never have happened. Research was coordinated between the seminaries, the Luddeccean Guard, and the Ruling Council. “How can the Republic allow there to be so many…so many…mad scientists!”
Once she would have thought of scientists as at least logical, if Godless. After the events on Shinar, she just thought they were humans who were talented, like she was talented at art. Maybe they were smarter, maybe that was their talent. But being “smarter” wasn’t the same as being “wise,” or even logical. By spreading their activities, they were sowing chaos throughout the galaxy. With each passing moment, there was an ever-increasing chance the Dark would win, and the unsupervised antics of the Republ
ic’s scientists would be at fault.
Outside the ship, the armor finished covering the keel like a shroud.
Carl spoke into her mind. “You’re being unjust because of your experiences in Shinar. Personally, since two of my favorite pets are the results of mad scientists and might save the galaxy from the Dark, I think it comes to a draw.”
Before Volka could think on that, Sixty came over. “Volka, Carl, we’re ready to go.”
Blue light from a holo behind him made him a shadow. Volka turned to the projection. It came from a holosphere the scientist had brought. Highlighted in the blue holo was a tin can shaped structure that orbited S5O10M33, an icy-white moon streaked with orange. From her paperback education, she guessed that the moon would be a source of iron and water.
“We need to get to the space station—the cylindrical object orbiting the moon,” Sixty said. “It belongs to Echelon Industries. They have no members of The One aboard, and they’re working on faster-than-light travel.” Volka nodded. All six of the private companies researching faster-than-light travel had Fleet spies embedded in their workforce. All of the spies had checked in and reported no difficulties—but someone infected with the Dark would lie. Three of the research facilities had The One aboard and were deemed safe. Sundancer and the team were going to pay visits to the rest. Located far from the system core, and farther from each other, there was the real possibility the Dark could seize valuable research.
Volka’s brow furrowed, and she looked up at Sixty. “If the Dark really isn’t creative, if it seized research, it wouldn’t be an issue. It won’t be able to develop it fully.” She put a hand on his arm. “Maybe we shouldn’t be here. Maybe we should be ferrying Marines to Time Gate 5 and New Grande. Are we putting an unknown potential breakthrough above the lives of humans and machines?”
Carl’s necklace crackled. “Hey, yeah! I didn’t think of that.”
Sixty tilted his head, and his lips quirked up.
Flicking her ears, heart rate quickening, Volka whispered. “It’s not funny.”
“No, it’s not,” Sixty whispered. “It’s just…you put machine and human ‘lives’ in the same sentence. Most people don’t.”
Volka’s cheeks flushed. “Well, I suppose that is why you asked me to marry you.” It hadn’t been illogical on his part even if it had been…startlingly fast. She blinked and Sixty beamed. He had the widest open, angelic features—how could she be sad for the mad science experiment he was?
“I think it probably is.” He bent forward, as though he might kiss her, but caught himself, and his expression turned serious. “But it is a good question.” And strangely, that made her heart lift more than if he had kissed her. He didn’t think she was simple. He thought her ideas were important.
Sixty half-turned toward the others, lips parting.
Before he said a word, James answered Volka’s question. “Excuse me, but I couldn’t help overhear. We have no idea where these companies are in development. Fleet’s spies are too low in the companies’ hierarchies to provide reliable intel.”
Volka felt as though the temperature had dropped. Her ears curled.
“Oh,” said Carl. “Well…”
James gave a smile that was a bit awkward, like he wasn’t used to smiling. “Also, congratulations. If you need someone to officiate, I know an admiral who’d do the job.” But Volka was hardly listening; she was focused on the hologram. Sundancer could see it, but before the ship moved, she’d need to feel Volka or Carl’s will. She imbued herself with that will…
Sundancer couldn’t leap through time and space with her armor on—well, not without leaving the armor behind. She could still go amazingly fast. Volka felt the gentle pressure of acceleration.
In the holo, one end of the “tin can” space station flashed. Jerome reported, “Received lightbeam request for identification…responding…”
Volka tensed. Two fighters emerged from the tin can. She blinked, and there the two fighters were outside Sundancer headed in the opposite direction, but in a few pounds of her heart, they’d turned around and flew just a few ship lengths back—where they could easily open fire on Sundancer. Volka’s breath caught…
“I feel no trace of the Dark in the fighters,” Carl said.
“They are not happy about us being here,” Jerome said.
“Get them to put you through to Tusker, their CEO,” said Young. “Let them know we’ve got an Intel Officer aboard.” His eyes slid to James.
James’s eyes slid to Volka and Carl. “Would it be easier for you to detect the Dark if you see who you’re talking to?”
“I... I... maybe?” Volka stammered.
Carl’s whiskers twitched. “It is actually helpful for focus.”
James turned to Jerome. “Switch the holo over to Tusker as soon as you reach him—short circuits!”
Outside Sundancer, phaser fire ripped by, just meters from the ship’s delicate wings. Warning shots, obviously. Even if they had hit, they wouldn’t have hurt Sundancer, but a few passes would destroy her armor.
“Volka, Carl, bring Sundancer to a halt,” James ordered.
“Done!” said Carl, and Volka felt the pressure of deceleration. They were still very far away from Echelon. Too far for Carl to detect the Dark.
Jerome shook his head. “I’m getting the runaround...they’re saying Tusker is not going to respond unless you have a warrant.”
“Do we have a warrant?” Sixty asked.
Wiping his face, James said, “No.”
Staring at the holo, Volka bit her lip. They might be close enough for Sundancer to detect the Dark, or not…True, Sundancer had detected the Dark in System 33, but it had infected large swathes of the planet and everyone aboard Gate 33. Within Echelon’s research station, it could be a single mind that was infected—and the mind might belong to something as small as a rat or a cockroach. They needed to get closer. They could get closer, but not without losing the armor, and they needed the armor. The people of New Grande needed Sundancer to be protected—as soon as this mission was finished, they were going back to New Grande to fight.
She blinked and became aware that Young, James, Sixty, and Carl were discussing the very question on her mind.
Her nostrils flared. They didn’t have time for this lizzar snot. “Sixty, show me a picture of this Tusker person.”
Sixty’s brow furrowed, but the image on the hologram changed. It showed a man who looked to be about thirty. He was conventionally handsome, augmented to look middle aged, and muscular, with longish light-brown hair, glowing green eyes—or the hue color-blind Volka saw as “green.” He had a neural port that glowed the same shade.
James said, “No matter the risk, we need to get closer to the station.”
“No,” said Volka, eyes focused on the holo of Tusker. “We let Sundancer bring Tusker here.”
“What? How?” said Young.
Carl squeaked. “Telepathically! Of course. Volka, you are a genius. My once-mom can eat soy pellets next time he brags about Alaric.” Telepathically, she felt a devious glee from the werfle bloom in her heart. “Excellennnt,” he hissed, ignoring—or not caring—about the confused look on Young’s face.
Volka explained to Young, “Remember the telepathic nightmare Sundancer shared with you and your team?”
“I don’t think any of us can forget it,” Young said. Some of the Marines still had scars where they’d wounded themselves in their terror.
Volka took a deep breath. “Sundancer is so powerful she can telepathically communicate with humans. Or…” she bit her lip and tried to choose her words carefully, painfully aware of the seconds passing by. “Or…it’s more like she can allow us to talk to each other. She can’t talk, except in pictures, but she can give us a…telepathic conference call.” That’s what Alaric had called it, wasn’t it?
“It’s like an ether meeting,” Carl said. “But without the ether. It’s a quantum thing. Captain Alaric Darmadi has already communicated with us this wa
y several times.”
“It’s safe?” James asked.
“Oh,” said Carl. “Well, we haven’t really tested the limits—”
“I’ll do it,” said Young. A muscle in his jaw jumped. And then he shook his head. “If you need me—or would it just be you?”
Volka’s eyes slid to Sixty. His face was expressionless. She wished she could take him. He always believed in her. “Sundancer can’t connect with machines yet…” she whispered. Shaking herself, she looked back to Young. “I think it would help if we had a military mind there—” She scanned the bridge. “Maybe a few.” She’d be dealing with a man with authority and power. A show of force might be more likely to get his attention than her tiny, obviously non-ethered self.
Sixty spoke, “Lieutenant, while you’re in Sundancer’s...dream...you won’t be conscious here, and it will take you a few minutes to wake up. Keep that in mind when choosing how many of you we can spare.”
Volka hadn’t been aware that it took that long to “wake” after a telepathic episode. It was an excellent point. She met Sixty’s eyes. His face remained expressionless...which maybe was an expression of an emotion...only she wasn’t sure what.
Lieutenant Young tapped his head and seven men stepped forward, all from their previous trip to System 33. Ramirez was among them, and the man who’d kept her from running into the hospital. She was reassured by that. As the comm guy, Jerome had to stay. She thought about bringing the scientist—Patrick whoever-he-was—currently staring at Young with an eyebrow hitched high. But Patrick’s specialty was Sundancer’s armor and weapons. It might be better if he stayed alert. Or might not. What did she know about this sort of thing?
“What do we do?” Young asked.
Young would have suggested the scientist accompany the “dream team” if he thought he was needed in conference with Tusker. Volka gave one last glance to Sixty. His eyes were on her, his face still unreadable. He and James would have said something if the scientists were needed, too.