Miyoko stared back at him, her gentle eyes showing real fear, like a rabbit cornered by a fox.
“Ed usually pulls through,” Leroy said hastily, trying to restore her confidence in the future somewhat. “The only time I saw him beaten was when those two kids escaped in that Citadel. And nothing we have indicates they could be in league with Latt’s Controllers. The fact that they left, when they could have done far more damage, is a real positive sign. Also, the technology of the huge ship that abducted Isaac, Ruth and Terry was far different from that of the apparently solid Citadel.” Leroy chose to ignore the similarity in power sources and the laser weaponry used with such dramatic effect by Richard and Karen, in his attempt to reassure. “I don’t think he will be caught off-guard again.”
Miyoko looked up at her husband’s rather angular face and responded to his confident smile with a nervous one of her own.
“That’s right, my dear, Leroy and his friends will pull it off, somehow,” Flying Officer Morton told his wife with more confidence than he felt, or could really justify. “And wherever we lack, there’s ‘Someone Upstairs’ to make up the difference.”
***
Terrance Stadt walked wearily through the double doors into the fast food restaurant and glanced automatically at the clock. Nine forty-five. Not only do I get stuck here in this isolated frozen wasteland for the night, but I don’t get invited to the fancy meal the base put on for the visiting brass. That’s justice for you!
What do the locals do for entertainment, I wonder? He ordered without much thought, and was gratified to see that everything he had requested was available on the heat rack. What a meeting! He began to review the day as he picked up the tray and searched for a vacant table to match his mood. If I hear one more -‘point of order’ or another request for ‘additional extensive testing and evaluation by several independent bodies’, I think I’ll-- His silent tirade was cut off by a casual wave of a hand from the table in the corner by the window.
“Well, Terry!” Ed Baynes began as he saw the recognition glimmer in the industrialist’s eyes. “Are you as surprised to find me here as I am to find you?”
Terry flopped down into the chair facing the chief of the NUIT and disengaged his artificial hand from the edge of the tray with a conscious effort. “Let’s just say I wonder what they will discuss over dinner, without our presence to remind them of the purpose of our extended stay in this ‘Grande Centre’,” he said sarcastically in reference to the neighbouring town, which from his point of view had such an inappropriate and ostentatious title.
“Probably go over yesterday’s sports headlines,” Ed joked easily, though it was clear he was still intensely frustrated.
“I couldn’t believe that talk about ‘weathering the current economic conditions’. Do they have some kind of mental blockage?”
“Could be. Most of them have been in ‘admin’ for a long time; that will do it to the most experienced field operatives! I spent some time trying to figure out Pat Rhee in particular. As he is the nearest thing to my boss in this strange set-up I’ve yet to come across, I was hoping I could count on his understanding and support; it might free up a few more dollars for NUIT, but he plays his cards so close to his chest, and I have the feeling he has an entire second set up his sleeves for use if the wind of opinion veers suddenly.”
Terry nodded, appreciative of the nautical analogy. “Isaac was hoping for solid backing from his old mentor, Professor Conroy, but I didn’t get the impression that his hopes were being realised. Weylin looked like he was expecting his flag to provide a patriotic high and start them in the right direction, when his sails were still furled.”
“Yes, that ‘thorough research will prevent an escalation of costs beyond those deemed appropriate by our administration’ did come across fairly like a lead balloon, didn’t it?” Ed dropped the nautical analogy easily in favour of a more graphic and popular one.
“I thought we had done enough with Latt’s Gravity Inducers to justify more confidence than was shown,” Terry said with an air of dejection.
“You’re right, and you have. But I think they were embarrassed by the success of your voluntary funding; such an action cuts deep into the traditions of federal procedures, and of course they worry about security, despite your involvement in the matter from the very beginning. I think your success worked against you in this case. And talking of cuts, General Spiner had that mournful hound-dog look that I’m told indicates he is preparing to terminate support for one of his favourite research programs. That’s an indication of partial confidence, at least. All because of you, Isaac and Latt – and your friends ‘upstairs’ whom we didn’t invite, but who will come anyway.”
“‘Friends’! Quite.” Terry still felt an odd tingling from the fingers he no longer possessed, whenever the Narlavs were mentioned. “I’ve made the briefest of acquaintances, and that’s enough for me!” He shook his head slowly and looked down at his hamburger with only the slightest of interest. “I’ve really found out who my friends are these past few weeks, and I don’t plan on counting those guys up there among them; I don’t think I’ll ever be that desperate. More to the point, I don’t think they’d ever be that desperate!”
Baynes grinned briefly at this.
“There are a few additions, though,” Stadt continued, “I wouldn’t have got anywhere without the help of your staff; Leroy keeps us all updated with the latest world-wide surveillance reports, giving us a little confidence that we still have some time. The very fact that there are others ‘out there somewhere’ with similar technology makes me more confident we can duplicate what we need. You’ve provided so much equipment and supplies, without any red tape delays. I know Latt was really impressed with the set-up in Edmonton, for example. I want to thank you for that.”
“Just another of my old contacts,” Ed said modestly. “He didn’t have any tenants for the laboratory, and he knows I can give him a fair shake at some contracts south of the border, if suitable ones materialise.”
Terry grinned. “I like your style of work! You know, the presence of each member of your NUIT team has made a big difference, but most especially I think I appreciate Judy. She really has enough enthusiasm to keep a car running on vapours alone.”
Ed looked back at him with a far-away expression for a moment, then he took a deep breath. “Our meeting like this has convinced me to attempt something risky.” He glanced around, confirming once more that there was no one within earshot of his low voice. “I believe we can perform a two-tiered research program which might go a long way towards satisfying both the conservatives and those who have their eyes open and their backs to the wall.”
“Why didn’t you mention this during the meeting?”
“Because I can’t do something if I am expressly ordered not to. On the other hand, I am allowed a lot of latitude in my decisions as the head of the NUIT; it’s inevitable, considering the nature of my organisation.” Ed shrugged, and Terry started to see a hint of what was coming.
“Do go on,” he urged.
“Well, I will, but how far I can go on depends on whether I can count on continued support for my actions from certain nongovernmental organisations. I can arrange for facilities, as there always seem to be a fair number of buildings and sites not fully utilised in my circle, and I can organise security clearance for personnel and equipment, but…” Ed raised his eyebrows expressively.
“Do you mean that development of a prototype, ah, ‘flyer’, could be started without fanfare in parallel with the detailed examination of our ‘non-local’ artefacts which has just been given the go-ahead?”
Ed nodded. “We’d have to be suitably vague in our reports, at least the official ones. Then, once we really have something, we can disclose it, if the wind seems favourable, and finally get the grants and backing we need for full-scale, mass-production.”
“We do have a lot of facilities available to turn out vehicles… Just like in the Second World War, when the automobil
e manufacturers turned out fighter planes, and bombers! I’ll find a way to provide the necessary financial support for such a two-tier program!” Terry assured him sincerely.
“I thought you’d say that,” Ed grinned and reached out to shake Terry’s hand to confirm their gentlemen’s agreement, then hesitated as he remembered the wealthy industrialist’s close call with fate.
“Go ahead,” Terry encouraged him, stretching out the artificial limb with the ease of much practice. “Let’s not be daunted in our resolve by the presence of vinyl instead of skin. This arm incorporates some of the finest examples of current, state-of-the-art human technology. That’s where our hope lies, right now.”
“Sorry.” Ed squeezed the artificial hand tentatively.
“Don’t mention it.” Terry picked up his milk shake with his left hand and took a long, cool sip as he rested the prosthesis on the table next to his tray of half-eaten convenience foods. “It’s got to be better from your end, anyway, despite the money I spent on this thing.”
Ed smiled. “It looks really convincing; that’s my problem, I forgot all about the… He paused again, unable to find a suitable euphemism for the near-deadly attack that had occurred on Mars just a couple of months before.
“Thanks for the feedback. It’s important to me not to draw any unnecessary attention.”
“I see.” Ed pushed the notion that Terry was overly vain finally and firmly out of his mind. “We’ll have to do this all verbally of course; perhaps you can stay up here a little longer and help set it all up?”
Terry shook his head regretfully. “If you want that monetary support to keep coming, I’m afraid I’ll have to get back to where the action is, financially speaking. Companies don’t run themselves, you know.” He looked at Baynes and saw the concern written clearly on his face. “Don’t worry, we can still make the deal work; my good friend Isaac will act as my agent in this matter. Just talk directly to him. I’ll give him the word before I leave tomorrow morning.”
Ed Baynes smiled in relief and picked up the remains of his meal, taking a hearty bite and chewing it enthusiastically. “This stuff never tasted so good!” he mumbled cheerfully.
Chapter Twenty
Jolts from inter-personal interactions can sometimes redefine our reality – Antoinette
“I still haven’t managed to get the navigation aids back on line,” Richard explained as he absently ran his hand over his newly restored forehead and cheeks, and then lowered it to his now-unblemished neck and chest. “So I don’t know if we are coming in too fast or not.”
Karen’s thoughts came back to him clearly now as she continued to monitor the visual displays in the Moss Room. The planet is looking bigger every minute. I haven’t seen any ships like the one you vaporised, thank goodness. There was a pause as she tried to project the image she was seeing into his mind. It nearly fills the viewscreen now. You haven’t got any response to your message yet?
“No, there’s nothing coming in at all. Of course there could be an undetected fault in the communications system, but…” he shrugged his shoulders, forgetting in his preoccupation that Karen could not see him.
“So, even though the planet’s Shell Field is still working, and therefore obviously must have withstood the invaders earlier attempts to break through, there probably isn’t anyone there.” Karen made the statement sound like it still contained the merest hint of a doubt in it.
“It would seem so. I’m keeping our broadcast going, though, in case there is some kind of automatic defence mechanism. I hope that will convince them or it that we are friendly; I don’t want to hit that Shell Field, I want it to open for us.”
“How about that scanner I tried to fix?”
“It provided garbled information for about an hour, then it gave out again. I’d like to think I could fix it, but there just aren’t enough undamaged Macrals left to operate anything more than the basic manoeuvring controls,” Richard said sadly as he surveyed the meagre collection of instruments available on the panels in front of his seat and the Captain’s chair on his right. Karen’s image was hard to concentrate on, as it was almost entirely dark due to their approach from the outer edge of the system. “How’s the alien doing? Do you think he’ll live to answer our questions?”
I think I’ve stopped the bleeding of our prisoner – Karen returned to a totally non-verbal response; the only difference detectable from Richard’s end was an increased transmission rate – but the Medic cannot synthesise any repairs, as his metabolism is so different from ours. He doesn’t seem to be getting any worse, but I think some of the bullets are still lodged in his spiral torso bone structure. It’s hard to tell, as his internal organs are confusing the analysis – the Medic doesn’t know what they’re like when undamaged, either.
Richard nodded absently. “So you don’t need the Medic anymore?”
That’s correct.
“Can you get any of the Macrals out of the Medic?” Richard continued to speak out loud to help focus his thoughts. “I might be able to use them up here.”
Sorry, I was just trying that. It seems they are uniquely designed to function only here. Karen closed up the panel and concentrated on the viewscreens once more. The view ‘ahead’ showing the planet was actually the view back, past the Drive sphere of Scout Craft Seven, as the forward scanners and viewers had been destroyed in the attack, and the oblique view Richard had obtained while checking the damage done to the Control sphere was inadequate for the tricky job of landing a largely unresponsive ship. This meant that Citadel was going in tail-first, something that Karen knew was making Richard even more nervous. I think you should divert and take us around to the sunlit side; I can’t really make out any useful features down there.
“I’m working on that now,” Richard told her eagerly. “Let me know when you start to notice some drifting on the viewscreens.” He held the yellow and black navigation ball off to the side slightly, sifting through his memories to recall the limited experience he had acquired on the approach to Dee-Two. He sat staring at the dull viewscreens to his left, trying to avoid looking into the ghostly green gloom of the invaders’ boarding vessel on his right. After a few minutes the image that Karen was sending to him changed significantly; a bright crescent of gold appeared to hang in the air before him.
I can see the far side now; I think you are about right on the lateral movement. Karen stared at the viewscreens, trying to distinguish some surface features through the glare and the haze. Nothing was said for several minutes; finally it was clear that the approach was good, as the surface drew nearer but the far edge of the planet stayed in view and flattened out until it became the horizon. “Something terrible has happened to this planet,” Karen said with a touch of emotion in her voice. “It’s covered with what looks like melted rock and slag, but there aren’t any volcano-shaped hills visible, or any sign of current volcanic activity, just cold lava flows and a few small craters.”
Richard concentrated even harder, and managed to get a clear image over their mental link. “Why would the Arshonnans want to build an outpost here, amid this hellish environment?”
“It does seem strange, doesn’t it? That’s why I said something must have happened here; I don’t remember the description in the computer mentioning anything this extreme.” Karen glanced back down at her terminal and saw a warning light flashing. “Keep us going the same direction; I have to check out something.”
Richard laughed nervously. “Make it quick,” he urged her. “I don’t like flying blind; I feel like a deaf bat!”
Karen’s hands ran over the keyboard rapidly as she tried to locate the problem. As she did she groaned to herself. I need to check out the shunt. She looked at the viewscreens until she felt Richard’s grateful response confirming he had caught enough of the image to enable him to fly on an extrapolation of the memory for another brief period, then she dashed into the Drive Chamber and ran her eyes quickly over the instruments. She jumped up on the cube and levered herself pa
rt-way into the access tunnel. Five feet ahead, the violet glow of the anonymous component at the receiving end of the hasty, insertion tool shunt gave warning of a massive overload. I’m coming back in; get ready to land this thing quickly. I think my shunt is doing a number to the Star Drive. Karen slid back out of the cramped hole and dived back through the exit in a blue blur of speed.
“Thanks!” Richard murmured gratefully as Karen’s mental image of the planet’s rapidly approaching surface reappeared in his mind. “I can see the Outpost ahead and to our left; I’m making some course corrections.”
Karen stared at the centre of the viewscreen in order to give Richard a stable image to navigate by, but this did not stop her from noticing the terrible devastation below. She felt increasingly certain that the murky gases and raw volcanic rubble were not an original feature of the planet. “How could anyone accomplish this’?” she wondered out loud, as the full scope of the damage became clear.
Richard pulled up on the navigation sphere as the Scout Craft started to deviate from its gentle descent. After a few seconds the course correction proved effective, and his heart rate dropped slightly again. “They must have weapons even more effective than the Negatruction beam, to cause this much havoc to an entire planet.”
“The Shell Field still withstood it all,” Karen said with profound respect. “I can see the edge of the protected area now.”
Richard struggled to keep her mental image clear before him; the strain of maintaining the contact at such an intense level was beginning to wear him down. The ship wavered in its course as the communication module flashed a green sequence. He looked down for a moment. “I think the defences just requested our authorisation code,” he hazarded a guess. “I hope the computer knows what it is.”
Back in the Drive Chamber, the violet glow had intensified until the interior of the access-way glowed with a dazzling white light. Warning lights on the panel below flashed on and off like the decorations at a fairground.
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