by Robert Boren
Aeon nodded. “Probably. They’re scared to death of me. They wouldn’t dare put me off if they had a choice.”
“Maybe they’re being watched, and they had to lay low for a little while.”
“Possible,” Aeon said. “That’s not what my intuition tells me, though, and it’s usually right.”
“So what do we do?”
“Did you get those temperature probes deployed?”
Corsi nodded. “Yes sir, but they aren’t that stealthy by today’s standards. They’ll be seen a long way off.”
“I hope they destroy one, so we can flood the area with our new mines.”
“Don’t expect them to do that near anything valuable,” Corsi said. “They’re not stupid. You know that.”
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised with our adversary’s stupidity many a time during this campaign.”
“Not to be disrespectful, but I don’t agree, Mr. Prime Minister. They’ve fought us to a standstill several times, and they’ve destroyed many of our ships without losing anything other than a few fighters.”
“Vermillion revealed that he and Simone have become allies,” Aeon said. “That was stupid. Then Pentant Simtar took in Central Authority defectors.”
“Are any of them agents?” Corsi asked. “I know about the two Senators.”
“That’s classified,” Aeon said. “Sorry, General, but I’m keeping that between myself and the Secret Police.”
“Okay, I understand,” Corsi said.
“That’s all I had,” Aeon said. “Make those temp sensors your priority. Make sure they’re placed near as many nursery planets as possible. Prioritize those that have Boron deposits. Understand?”
“Yes sir,” Corsi said, getting up. He left the office, his heartrate not back to normal until he was out of the bunker.
***
Simone and Kaleb finished their flight suit training on the New Jersey, and used them to fly back to the Spitfire, taking a group of twenty disks along for the other nano-trained people in her inner circle.
“This is the best thing yet,” Kaleb said, stepping off his disk in the bay, Simone already off hers.
“Yes, these are a nice capability,” she said. “They’ll make shuttling from one ship to another much easier.”
“I’m worried about the heat signature issue and our fuel supply,” Kaleb said. “If we can solve that, we’ll be in good shape.”
“Nolan and JJ will figure that out,” Simone said. “I need to meet with Hamilton Zenos.”
“You have a job for him?”
“Yes, I do.”
They walked to the bay doors, going through them, into the hallway beyond.
Kaleb glanced at Simone. “I think I’ll go to the bridge, see what’s been going on.”
“Do that,” Simone said. “I’ll see you later.” They arrived at the transit station, taking different tin cans. Simone’s let her off in an administrative sector. She walked to the Graphic Arts facilities. There was a receptionist there.
“Oh, Hello, Captain,” she said, standing.
“No need for formality,” Simone said. “I’d like to talk to Hamilton Zenos. Is he here?”
“I’ll check.” She looked at her PA. “Yes, he’s here. I’ll call him. You can take a seat on the couch.”
Hamilton arrived before she could sit down.
“Simone, how are you?”
“Good. Can we talk?”
“Sure, let’s go to my office.” He took her through a door in the waiting room, heading down a long hallway, sparsely populated, going into the last office on the left. “Welcome.”
Simone walked in, checking out the décor. “Wow, you’ve outdone yourself again, Hamilton.”
“This ship is so much more elegant than the Animus, but I miss those beds.”
“Me too. Have you decided about an AI?”
“Yeah, I’d rather not, if you don’t mind. One person in my head is more than enough.”
Simone chuckled. “I knew you were gonna say that. No problem, I’m certainly not going to force you, but that precludes you from getting the nano suit capability, so you’ll need to keep a low profile.”
“Only my office knows, and it’s just fifteen people who’ve been with me since before I was part of the Overlords.”
“Okay, as long as you understand that,” she said.
“This isn’t a social visit.”
“You got my message about our new alliance with Pentant Simtar?”
“I did.”
“They have some spies in their ranks. At least two of them are Senators, but there are others that defected from the Central Authority. I’ve got a list of names. I need you to investigate.”
“Ah, right up my alley,” he said. “I won’t find concrete proof, but I can tell you who I suspect. Have you sent the names yet?”
“No, I’ll send them after I get back to my stateroom, but I wanted you to know it was coming, and the importance of it.”
“I’ll watch for them. How’s it going with Vermillion and Captain Clarke?”
Simone smiled. “I feel like I’m home again. You know about Vermillion and me.”
“I sensed something in you whenever his name came up.”
“He was my first love,” she said. “I still have great affection for him. I’m so glad we’re on the same side now.”
“Well, he obviously trusts you, since he gave you this ship. Did that surprise you?”
“The timing surprised me,” Simone said.
“How do you feel about Captain Clarke?”
“He’s brilliant and charming. Why?”
“I sense something there too.”
She laughed. “Oh, please.”
“Probably nothing,” he said. “No matter.”
“I do like him,” she said. “We had a nice walk this morning, to inspect the agriculture on the New Jersey.”
“Yes, I’ve heard we’re setting that up here.”
“We are,” Simone said. “Makes total sense. I’d better get going, or I’ll sit around here and chat all day.”
“Oh, you have to go already?”
Simone smiled. “Yes, but we’ll have time for socializing soon, I promise.” She stood.
“I’ll walk you out,” Hamilton said.
“No need, it’s just down one hallway. Watch for that list.”
“Okay, Simone. Take care.”
She left, heading out into the hallway, taking a tin can back to her stateroom. She needed to relax and cleanse.
“Silver, compile the names I got from Katerinolia and send them to Hamilton Zeno’s PA, please.”
“I know, but I didn’t want to discuss them. His intuition is amazing, but only if he’s allowed to digest the subject on his own. He defers to me too much.”
“That was my plan. I’m going to cleanse, then I’ll take a nap before dinner. Run a check on all the items I’ve highlighted, please, and be ready for discussion after I’ve slept.”
Simone took off her uniform, then unzipped the nano suit, peeling it off and draping it over the chair, wishing she could forget about the cleanse, but thinking better of it. She stepped into the booth, turning it on, the water jets starting, the cleansing fluid lathering her up. She rubbed it onto her body, and her mind wandered, her heart beating a little faster. No. Trey? She tried to shake his image out of her mind as her hands caressed, running up her sides to her breasts. She shuddered, feeling helpless, wanton, yearning. No, he belongs to somebody else. She finally chuckled to herself, and turned the unit off. “This is ridiculous. Hamilton planted that.”
“Stop it,” she said. “I need sleep. Start one of the relaxation algorithms, please, but don’t let me sleep more th
an two hours.”
“I said stop.” She got into her bed.
***
Trey Clarke was sitting in his captain’s chair, going over plans for the Valla Cappos ruse.
“Having a conversation, Captain?” Sondra asked.
“Just meeting setup. I’ve got to leave for a while. Where’s Skip?”
“Slipped out for breakfast, of course,” she said. “He’ll be back in a few minutes, though. I can handle things until then.”
“If he doesn’t show up in ten minutes, get Izzy or Tim up here. That’s an order.”
“Aye, Captain.”
Trey left the bridge, heading down the hallway to the small conference room, his mind wandering between the heat signature problem and the new alliance. His world was getting more complex, and he’d get put to the test. It was scary and exciting at the same time.
Deacon was waiting for him in the hallway. “Hey, Cappy, we in trouble again?”
“Of course,” Captain Clarke answered as they walked into the conference room. “I was meaning to talk to you.”
“What about?”
“You can move back onto the New Jersey now, and take over the main shop.”
“What about the Zephyrus position?”
“I was thinking about giving your old job to Caraway, with Barney and Deneuve as apprentices. I’d want you to help with some additional training from time to time, of course.”
Deacon smiled. “I’d love to be back here. Good choice on Caraway, he’s ready. You’ve obviously looked at Barney’s aptitude tests. He’s a gear monkey for sure. Natural talent.”
“I like that better than his other aptitude,” Captain Clarke said. “We’ve got enough warriors.”
“Deneuve will be happy. I know you’re probably planning to spread these guys out on the freighters, but I don’t think you’ll be able to put Deneuve and Barney on separate ships.”
Captain Clarke grinned. “Think bigger.”
“You’re training them for the New Jersey Class ships,” Deacon said.
“Yes, eventually. I also saw Barney’s aptitude for training, and we’ve already known that Deneuve has that aptitude. They’ll build our organization going forward.”
“Caraway isn’t like that.”
“He’s going to be your second, after I make you Technical Chief of the fleet.”
“Cappy, really?”
“Do you mind?” Captain Clarke asked.
“I’ll do whatever you ask me to do, Cappy. You know that. I would like to serve on the ship you’re on, if possible.”
“The New Jersey is the flagship,” Captain Clarke said, “but you already knew that.”
Commander Klemperer entered the room, Nolan and JJ following after a moment.
“Thanks for coming,” Captain Clarke said. “AIs on speaker, please. We’ll be spit-balling here. Butch, start up the video and tell Cyrus, Simone, and Kaleb we’re ready.”
The screen lit up, broken into two panes, Cyrus on the right, Simone and Kaleb on the left.
“Good morning, Captain,” Simone said.
“Greetings,” Cyrus said. “AIs on speaker?”
“Yes,” Captain Clarke said. “You’ve got the floor, Cyrus. Tell us about these probes.”
“Your AIs probably know more about them than I do,” Cyrus said. “I’ve got to hand it to the sensors on the Razor ships. These are small probes, and they didn’t get by.”
“He’s right, Cappy,” Deacon said. “Cyrus saw them before we did. Even when our AIs got the word from Samson, it took a while for us to see them.”
“That’s a tuning issue,” Nolan said. “We could adjust to see small, close objects, but if we do it compromises the ability to see larger distant ships.”
Captain Clarke leaned back in his chair. “Then I’d say we have a good mix, for now.”
“As long as the Razors and New Jersey ships are together, I agree,” Simone said. “That won’t always be the case.”
“That will somewhat reduce our capabilities for both,” Nolan said. “Best to keep that in mind.”
“You have a proposal, Cyrus?” Captain Clarke asked.
Commander Klemperer cleared his throat.
“Have something to say?” JJ asked him.
“We should send out probes of our own to look for these things, concentrating on nursery planets. Then we destroy one in a location far away with a flight suit.”
“Destroy?” Kaleb asked. “Instead of capture?”
“Well, you are basically me,” Klemperer said.
“Please explain,” Captain Clarke said.
“If we kill one of these, Aeon will probably respond. My guess is that he’ll respond with those new mines of his. We’ve wanted to know if their new mines have burst capability. This is a good way to find out.”
Nolan chuckled. “That’s brilliant, and we probably won’t even lose the flight suit, now that we know how well-protected they are in disk mode.”
“This is a good idea,” Simone said. “I think we should do it.”
“I agree,” Captain Clarke said. “Something’s bothering you.”
“What’s the fuel status on the ships, and the status of fuel storage on our supply planet?” Simone asked. “Spitfire is full, and so are the Razors. How about the New Jersey and the freighters?”
Nolan smiled. “That’s a good question to ask, but we’re in good shape. We’re full up, and we still have the Zephyrus making fuel.”
“I wouldn’t be too confident,” Captain Clarke said. “You never know when we’ll be in another battle. The key is the entry heat suppression. How’s that going?”
“We’re just getting started, but we do have some ideas,” JJ said.
“Okay, I think we have a way forward,” Captain Clarke said. “Cyrus, take the lead, working with Commander Klemperer. Any objections?”
“Not from me,” Simone said.
“I’m ready,” Cyrus said. “We might want to space the Razor ships out a little further, with their sensors running full tilt.”
“That is prudent,” Simone said. “Would you like my help in coordinating that?”
“Yes, please,” Cyrus said.
“Okay, that’s it,” Captain Clarke said. “Thanks, everybody.”
He ended the meeting.
{ 12 }
Free Zone
E cason woke from dreams of the creatures, chasing him through corridors of the Ophelia. Elizabeth shook him awake.
“You’re having a bad dream, Ecason.” She sat on the edge of his bed.
“Oh. Wow. It’s a relief to be awake, even here.”
“What was it?”
Ecason sat up. “Those creatures. Chasing me around my old ship.”
She eyed h
im a moment. “So sorry. It’s morning. Maybe you should get up.”
“Good idea,” he said, not moving.
“Well?”
“I sleep naked, remember?”
She smiled. “Oh, sorry.” She left the room, and Ecason got dressed, going out into the lab, the smell of fresh coffee hitting him.
“I made you some,” she said, handing him a cup.
“Thanks.” He sat down. “It’s nice to have you here. I was alone for so long.”
“Do you need more from me?” she asked.
He glanced at her, questioning.
“Comfort,” she said. “I know it’s been a long time. It’s been a long time for me too.”
He smiled. “I don’t even know if I could, but thanks so much for the offer.”
“No pressure,” she said. “XC22272 could be back today.”
“If he didn’t stick around there.”
“Will you be able to tell if he’s infected?”
Ecason took another sip of his coffee. “Assuming his brother made contact, he’s been taking Vitamin D. He hasn’t been gone long enough to get eggs implanted. If he does get back today, I’ll be less worried.”
“So there’s no test?”
“Janiza designed a test,” Ecason said. “She sent it to me. Probably still on my PA.” He raised his arm, looking at it, speaking search criteria. The data came up right away, along with a video. “I still have it.”
“What’s the video?” Elizabeth asked, looking over his shoulder at the PA screen.
“It’ll be her,” Ecason said, feeling himself tremble.
“You never looked at it?”
He looked up at her, shaking his head. “I’ll fall apart if I see her.”
Elizabeth sat next to him. “I’ll watch it if you don’t want to.”
“Let’s look at the text first. It might not be necessary to watch the video. I’ll cast it to the screen.”
“Do that,” Elizabeth said.
Ecason moved his finger on the PA a few times, and a document appeared on the screen in front of them. They both read.
“This is a non-invasive test,” Elizabeth said. “All we have to do is measure the temp, and look for the oscillation.”
“Yes, this will be easy to measure. 36.1 degrees to 37.8 Celsius, with an oscillation span of 26.3 seconds.”
