by TR Cameron
He countered, “Who decides what counts as noble?”
Cia answered, “I do. And I’m fully comfortable with my moral compass. Can you say the same?”
That shut him up, and they unearthed the rest of the gear. Included were toys for each of them that would probably come in very handy during the operation. Assuming we get through the door, at least. A lot is riding on Cia’s family being as good as she’s said they are. Hope she’s right.
The inspection landed in the middle of the two extremes. They’d hoped for bored bureaucrats, feared a full military contingent, and wound up with a bored officer and a couple of guards who didn’t seem all that concerned with the interior of the ship. The Confederacy representatives stomped through the Grace, peering into each cabin and requiring them to open each container, from the smallest briefcase to the cargo crates in the hold. Sirenno jokingly asked if they wanted him to open up all the prepackaged meals as well, causing the only tense moment of the visit. The flat glare he’d gotten in reply was a sufficient answer to keep him quiet for the rest of the encounter.
They didn’t know the ship as the Grace, of course. She was in disguise, the movable panels on her hull repositioned to change her profile, and the alterations to her engine’s signature activated. The note on the bow had been replaced by a quartet of fanned playing cards, and she was now the Fours are Wild, a vessel owned on paper by their fictitious company, Quartet Robotics. A whole backstory existed that he hoped he wouldn’t be called upon to relate about four friends who started a business with the proceeds from a card game, blah blah blah.
Fortunately, the inspectors didn’t seem the least interested in their paperwork. Once they’d discovered no obvious contraband, they gave the ship their stamp of approval and headed out to check on the next arrival. The Confederacy had several points along their border like this one, to ensure that vessels coming in were given a once-over before being permitted into their systems. The UCCA handled it differently, doing inspections at each destination rather than creating the bottleneck in specific locations. Neither seemed all that secure to Jax.
He was in the right-hand seat for the jump into their target system and the descent to the Confederacy homeworld. When the faction had splintered from the Alliance and set out to create their utopia, some of the best minds in the UCCA had been part of the movement. The system they’d chosen, Esutis, was unique in the galaxy as far as they knew, as it had three habitable worlds all equidistant from the sun, locked into a synchronous orbit. The distance between them stayed the same as they circled the star, essentially resulting in three versions of Earth traveling together. More planets and moons filled out the rest of the system, but none of them were as perfect or as connected as the trio.
He asked, “Which one is ours?”
She tapped her control panel, and a planet glowed in yellow on his screen. “That’s the primary homeworld. It’s where the king and his family live, where Parliament gathers, and where most of the main government functions are located. For comfort, they’d want to do it there, thinking it’s more secret and secure.” She shrugged. “They might be right. No telling what we’ll find on the ground. If it were me, though, I’d put it on an alien world.”
“You’re assuming the aliens are less interested in stealing it than we are. Who knows, they could have whole infiltration teams on the way.”
She laughed. “They’d blend right in down there, I’m sure.” As far as humanity knew, no aliens could effectively disguise themselves as humans. Again, some serious assumptions bound up in that one. Maybe the Professor is a super-intelligent alien. That would explain a lot.
The planet was lovely, very much like an unspoiled Earth with blue oceans, green and brown lands, and wispy clouds they plunged through on the way down. Those who had formed the Confederacy had sworn not to make the same mistakes in industrialization that had plagued the UCCA homeworld and had the luxury of starting with modern technology that had mostly eliminated damaging waste products. Those that remained were generally small, extremely hazardous, and routinely shot into the closest sun, which gobbled them up without complaint.
The spaceport was a notable distance from the nearest populated areas and was surrounded by warehouses and other trade and cargo services. The nearer they got, the larger it grew, with Jax eventually realizing that they were essentially the size of an ant on a picnic table compared to the overall installation. He said as much, and Cia laughed. “But a fire ant. A nasty, biting, fire ant. Gawr.” The growl was predictably silly and set off a competition as to who could do it better. She pronounced herself the victor before landing, and he surrendered the field with a comment about her potential as a barbarian.
By the time they’d received clearance to disembark, the sun was disappearing over the horizon, casting a golden glow over the metal hulls of the surrounding vessels. He frowned as he stepped off the cargo ramp. “No alien ships here. Why did I think there would be?”
Kimmel replied, “Because you know they welcome the Coalition here. Because I told you that.” He sounded slightly snippy, doubtless because they’d been treating him like the intern he was pretending to be for the entire trip, making him get coffee, run messages back and forth, and so on. He’d generally been good-natured about it, but couldn’t fully hide his annoyance. One of his tasks had been to research the planet for them. “But they have a separate spaceport, all the way on the far side of the city center from where we’re headed. Equally well-defended, though.”
Jax’s eyes were drawn to the towers that surrounded the installation, each with two turret arrays that reminded him of the killer robot’s head, four barrels covering the cardinal directions mounted on a rotating ring. If one was energy and the other missiles, which was how he’d do it, a single tower could give any lawbreaker a bad day. Many more than that were placed around the facility, at least a dozen in the part of the field he could see. He wouldn’t want to try to take the spaceport with anything less than an all-out assault on the heels of some serious sabotage.
A brisk stroll delivered them to the moving walkway, and from there they made the transition to the train that would carry them into the city proper. Each of them dragged a large rolling suitcase behind them, filled with the essentials for their disguises, plus the extra toys the Academy had provided. He felt naked without a weapon, but the rules had been quite clear on that topic. None were permitted off the ship, and although he hadn’t spotted the well-hidden sensors, he had little doubt they’d been scanned repeatedly on the way to the clean and comfortable carriage they relaxed into for the ride. Even the printed blades had been left on board, on the off chance that the team might wind up catching the eye of security personnel.
He reclined in his cushy chair and closed his eyes after taking a last look at the glowing countryside speeding past them in the final rays of the day’s sun. By this time tomorrow, we’ll be comfortably on the way back to the Grace, er, the Fours, or we’ll be on the run. His mind started calculating probabilities, but he shut it down and thought instead about his second date with Juno. Better come back with the goods. No one wants to ask out a loser.
Chapter Thirty
The hotel wasn’t as luxurious as the resort had been, and didn’t even approach the league of the Rearden mansion, but it was elegant in a business sort of way. They’d made all the final decisions on the ship, under the assumption that the Confederacy would have surveillance devices everywhere. From here on out, they would stay in their roles unless and until things went to hell. As always, Jax hoped everything would go off according to plan but certainly didn’t expect it.
They checked in together, the Academy’s people having arranged all the details for them ahead of time. In a twist on their original design, instead of their company already having an office on the planet, they were ostensibly there to consider setting one up. An appointment had been made with the trade minister for the day after next to bolster their cover story. If any of them were still around to make that meeting,
bad things would have happened in the interim. Another set of Academy personnel would be checking into a similar hotel in order to maintain the fictional real estate plans with plentiful excuses as to why the primary contacts had to depart unexpectedly.
They ate a late dinner together, practicing their roles and pushing each other to come up with viable details so they’d be less likely to be caught off-guard the next day. He bid the others goodbye and asked Cia to stay for a drink, announcing that they had a couple of things to finalize. The rest departed in a group, none of them at all concerned except for Ethan Kimmel, who gave him a suspicious glare as he left.
Jax ordered cider for both of them and laughed. “Our intern is carrying a torch for you. You’re aware of that, right?”
She nodded. “He’s pretty cute. If it all works out, maybe it’ll be something, eventually. You know, assuming the company is successful and I still have a job and all.”
“Any additional concerns pop up on your radar?”
She took a solid drink before replying. “Mainly the things we’ve talked about before. Making sure our presentation goes well, convincing them to allow us access to their proprietary stuff. I don’t see why they wouldn’t, but you never know with corporate people.”
“I think we’ve done all we can do on that front. Any more rehearsals and we’d be doing it in our sleep. Frankly, if they’re able to resist this group’s persuasive abilities, we never had a chance anyway.” His smile faded a touch. “I’m a little concerned about the timing of the trip back to the Fours. We could be on kind of a tight schedule afterward, depending on how the meeting goes.”
She shrugged. “I saw an advertisement at the concierge downstairs about renting all-terrain vehicles for sightseeing. I suppose if there’s a delayed train or something, we could get some and drive there.” If their foes wound up getting suspicious, the train was the weak point of their exit strategy. She’d had the task of figuring out another option, and he liked her choice.
“Maybe reserve a few in case. Put it on the corporate card. We can afford to lose a deposit to ensure we make it to our next meeting on time.”
Cia nodded. “Anything else, boss?” She stressed the last word, turning it into a derogatory term.
“I don’t suppose there’s a seedy bar with loose women nearby, is there?” He laughed at her glare. “Okay, fine, be that way. But you stay away from the intern. That boy is off-limits. We don’t need to get sued because you think he’s pretty.”
“Cute. He’s cute. Something you will never, ever, in your wildest dreams, be.” She rose and stalked off, leaving him to pay the tab.
The bartender shook his head and observed, “Couldn’t help but overhear. She’s got a sharp tongue, that one.”
He nodded as he stood. “And a sharper brain to go with it. Wouldn’t trade her for the world.”
They didn’t meet for breakfast, opting instead to have food bars in their rooms while preparing for the operation. Jax donned his suit, with a t-shirt, button-down, and tie beneath the jacket. Polished black shoes with secret items stashed in the heels finished off the outfit. Part of his disguise was a hard-sided briefcase in supple brown leather. The note that had accompanied it claimed it would defeat sensors and scans of every sort, and only his index finger making a specific gesture at a specific spot would allow it to open. Only in a true emergency would he have to go for the gear inside, which escalated from simply damaging to decidedly lethal. The Academy had provided him with a couple of less extreme tools as well, and he tucked a pen concealing a sonic weapon into his jacket’s inner pocket and patted his thigh to be sure that the electronic lockpick disguised as a metallic business card was in his trousers pocket.
He checked his looks in the mirror, ensured he had everything he needed if a fast getaway was required and that nothing incriminating remained in the room, then headed for the elevator. His team gathered in the lobby, each of them carrying some sort of bag or briefcase and dressed to impress. Damn it. I’m going to have to thank the quartermaster for doing such a good job. She’ll stare at me with that look the whole time I do it, too. He shook his head. Maybe I can con Cia into that, too. “All right, folks. Let’s go do our best to convince these people to give us what we want.”
The hotel was only a few blocks away from their destination, a deliberate choice to eliminate potential transport problems. The train station lay in between, giving them the option to appear to be heading back to their lodging, which was still booked for the night, while making their escape. Their support staff at the Academy had arranged reserved seats under fictitious names for all the trains that day and the next, which could be easily changed to match their new identities. They walked mostly in silence, only Cia and Kimmel in the rear rank holding a low conversation. His biggest regret about the operation was the lack of audio comms. The plan called for them to separate, and they’d only be able to communicate via text. Disguised earbuds had been part of the kits, but he’d nixed them as not being hidden enough.
The building they’d slept in the night before had twenty floors, according to the elevator; the one housing Nenroth Cybernetics rose to at least double that. Its exterior was all metal and mirror, reflecting the images of the surrounding buildings. Each floor was a continuous strip, making the structure resemble giant rectangular blocks stacked upon one another. A thin line of silver chrome separated each layer. The front doors were transparent glass, fortunately, or they might never have found them in the unbroken sameness of it all. The portal slid open at their approach to reveal a huge lobby teeming with people.
Jax plastered a grin on his face and strode forward with his hand outstretched toward the assistant of the person they’d come to meet, who he’d identified from the company’s public-facing marketing information. He was tall, thin, sandy-haired, and otherwise a completely unremarkable corporate drone. Maybe the corporations hire these guys from the same factory that produces the butlers. “Hi there. Jack Reyes, Quartet Robotics. Allow me to introduce my team.” He did so, using their assumed identities. When he finished, the man nodded.
“Very good. I’m Carson, and I’ll take you up to see Ms. Brecken. First, you’ll need to clear security. You understand I’m sure.”
He laughed. “It’s the same way in our place. Can’t be too careful with our intellectual property, right? We’re more than willing to do whatever it takes to set your minds at ease so we can have a fruitful discussion about how to increase the profit margins for both our companies.” He’d worked hard on the business lingo, speaking it aloud on the trip to the planet and in his room the night before to practice.
The company’s security routine was impressive. They passed through three different scanning devices, and their bags were subjected to two more. Then each was unpacked, every item examined, and carefully repacked by officers with a sense of intense awareness about them. Jax focused on keeping his breathing steady, not wanting to give away any anxiety to the biometric scanners that had doubtless been watching them since the moment they’d entered. And maybe outside, too, who knows? We’re proof that they have good reason for paranoia.
They were each given a visitor badge to clip on their lapels. Jax was certain that not only would they allow the systems to track them, but would transmit at least audio and probably video back to some central AI in charge of building security. They’d anticipated the badges and had come up with workarounds in addition to what the Academy quartermaster had provided. Carson led them to a lift with no buttons, and announced, “Thirty-seven, please.”
A perky female voice that was almost certainly a computer replied, “Of course, Carson.” The assistant rolled his eyes but didn’t speak. Jax avoided looking at Kimmel, who would be beginning their play against the company during the ride up, hopefully unnoticed. When the doors opened again, the man led them through a reception area that was posh without being overly impressive, and into a conference room with a large dark wood table down the center surrounded by black chairs. Displays covered
two walls, and windows a third. He gestured at the table. “Please, take a seat. Ms. Brecken will be with you shortly. She’s delayed by about three minutes.”
Jax offered a wide smile. “Perfect, that’s three more minutes we can use to polish our presentation.” He turned to his people, effectively dismissing the assistant. “Let’s get to it, folks.” He placed his briefcase on the wooden surface and started removing documents, and his team did the same with theirs. Each had items appropriate to their position: Cia a small tablet to take notes, the others larger tablets for heavier work and display purposes. Jax carried a holographic projector, which he set in the center of the table and powered on.
A moment later, Sirenno said, “Link is good,” and routed an image of the company’s playing card logo to the device. Jax walked to where their host would likely sit, making sure the view was perfect and turned the disc slightly to align it better. If someone had diagrammed their plan, it would be full of possible branches based upon outcomes that couldn’t be guaranteed in advance. The hope was that this meeting would go well enough that they’d be invited down to the research and development area their investigation suggested lay beneath the building. If not, other possibilities existed, but none of them with as significant a likelihood of success as if Ellena Brecken escorted them down herself.
She strode into the room with a brisk, “Thank you, Carson,” and walked straight to him. With a nod, she said, “Ellena Brecken.” The woman was short, maybe only a few inches past five feet, and had long black hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her nose was notably pointed, adding a fierceness to her face that the intense green eyes above it amplified. Her outfit, accessories, and personal care regimen were all appropriate to her station. Her sense of power and authority spread out from her like a wave.