“Do you know what happened to him?”
“We confronted him at the top of the Tower of Akalon. After our discussion, he left.”
“Where did he go?” Susan inquired.
“I cannot say for certain,” Keris answered.
“But he was alive when you saw him last?”
“Yes.” Keris met Shann’s steady gaze. The girl made no attempt to contradict her. Each of Keris’s statements was true, but carefully worded; a patchwork quilt of facts, stitched together with the golden thread of a lie.
Susan Gilmer had a faraway expression. “I see.”
Lafontaine addressed her. “McCann is crew. He’s loyal to the Captain.”
“I’m not so sure of that,” the hu-man woman said. “I’ve talked to him. Mac doesn’t like what he’s being asked to do. He wants out.”
Lafontaine’s voice was gentle but firm. “We haven’t heard from him for over three weeks now.” Susan’s eyes dropped to the floor. The elderly hu-man turned to the others. “During his last transmission, McCann said that you claimed to have discovered something at an archaeological site—a device that could convert ordinary matter to negative matter—to lodestone.”
“We intend to use it to neutralize the lodestone weapon,” Lyall declared. Keris looked daggers at him, but said nothing.
Lafontaine nodded. “By converting all of the reactants to lodestone, thereby rendering them inert—yes, I see that. Of course, if the weapon is not dismantled, then positive matter could probably be re-introduced and the balance restored, but it would be tricky and would take quite a while.” The old man put a gnarled hand to his bony chin and started to pace the cabin. “You also realise that such a device, if it works, would have a potential far beyond that of deactivating the weapon. A mechanism that can be used to create negative matter at will would probably constitute the most valuable thing in the universe.”
“And the most dangerous,” Rael added. “That’s why we intend to destroy it as soon as it has been used.”
Lafontaine stopped in his tracks and regarded the tall boy. An odd look came over his face and passed just as quickly. “Yes, I see what you mean. A great pity, but I do understand. Long ago, my people acquired weapons of mass destruction, capable of destroying entire worlds. We did away with them in the end, but only after we had come close to annihilating ourselves.” He resumed his pacing. “How can you be certain that it will work?”
“A good friend has assured us that it will,” Lyall assured him.
“Your ‘friend’ wouldn’t happen to have a background in exotic matter physics, would he?” He cast an eye around the room, acknowledging the blank stares. “All I’m saying is, wouldn’t it make sense to test it first?”
“There is no point,” Keris replied flatly.
Lafontaine turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “And why is that?”
Because the plan involving Annata’s instrument has very little likelihood of success, so chances are that we will have to detonate the weapon anyway in order to destroy it. “Because whether it works or not, we have to try. The future of our entire race”—she glanced at Boxx—“of both of our races is at stake.”
“She’s right,” Susan Gilmer said. “We only have one chance at this—all of us.”
The bald hu-man looked at her and then at Lyall. “You will have to penetrate the weapon facility in order to use the device.”
“That’s the general idea, yes,” Lyall confirmed.
“I can help you,” Lafontaine said. “I can get you inside, at least.”
“Why would you do that?” Shann asked.
“Because if we time our efforts correctly, then we will both be able to achieve our goals. Your assault on the facility will draw off the Captain’s forces and give us the opportunity to charge the QDE and lift off from your world unchallenged. Once you have nullified the weapon, there will be nothing left for Wang and his people here. They too will leave and you will be safe.”
“He’s lying.”
Keris’s accusation split the room like a bolt of lightning. Lyall finally spoke into the shattered silence. “Keris?”
Keris rose to her feet once more. “What he’s not telling you is that there is not one weapon, but three. What is more, they are protected by some kind of... energy barrier. The barrier is impenetrable to Kelanni as well as any material object; it will only admit hu-mans. We would be slaughtered long before we could get anywhere near the weapons.”
Lafontaine blinked. “How—?”
Keris’s eyes widened and her nostrils flared. “I’ve been there and seen it with my own eyes.”
The old man’s jaw dropped. “You’re telling me you got in and out of the facility without anyone noticing?” He chuckled to himself, much to Keris’s annoyance. “Wang would be furious. I’d love to tell him.”
“Emile,” Susan rebuked him.
“No, of course... Sorry,” he said. “Look, I was going to share all of that with you when we discussed the plan in detail. I can only ask that you believe that. It’s one reason why I wanted to contact you. I can help you get through the ‘barrier’, as you call it.”
“Keris says it will only allow access to hu-mans,” Shann pointed out.
“Only allow... ? Yes well, I suppose I can see why you would think that. The Accumulator Devices are protected by something called a plasma window. It’s a force field—a kind of fence, made up of invisible particles.”
“Invisible... ?” Shann began.
“Yes, well, I suppose you are just going to have to trust me on that. Suffice to say that it packs a pretty mean punch if you come into contact with it.”
“That much is true.” Keris massaged her upper arm, recalling the intense pinpricks that had assaulted her skin at the point of contact.
“Didn’t you read the clearly posted warning signs?” Lafontaine asked.
“I don’t read your language,” Keris pointed out.
The old man pressed his lips together. “No. No, I suppose not... Anyway, penetrating the plasma window has nothing to do with what race you are. All you need is one of these.” He pulled back the sleeve of his white overall and raised his hand. A green band etched with complex gold and silver patterns was wrapped around his wrist. “As long as you are wearing this, the window will open and allow you to pass.”
Keris’s mind worked rapidly. This is all too easy. These hu-mans are up to something. She could not recall seeing such a band on any of the hu-mans that had passed through the barrier at the weapons facility, but then she had been observing from high above. They could have been wearing it under their clothing like Lafontaine. Still, the idea that an impenetrable barrier could be foiled by a little green bracelet seemed—well, it seemed just the sort of story that might have been concocted for autochthonous peoples to swallow. If that were true, then this was undoubtedly part of some elaborate trap.
But why? The hu-man had led them all here—to this cabin halfway up the side of a gorge. Why not just have a large force here, ready to kill them or take them into custody? Why pretend to help them? Why the charade?
Annata’s instrument. That must be it. What was it the old hu-man had called it? The most valuable thing in the universe. A person would do anything to get their hands on something like that. But this hu-man was clever. He no doubt realised that if he showed his hand now, he might never discover where the instrument was hidden. Better to wait until the assault on the facility, when he could be certain that it would be in their possession.
Still, exposing the hu-man scheme at this stage would be counterproductive. They still needed a way to gain access to the weapon. If Lafontaine was lying and the green band proved to be useless, they would know soon enough. However, her original plan had been to use a hu-man hostage to get past the barrier. If she played along, there might still be a way to put that into effect...
“Perhaps you could come with us,” Keris ventured, “to ensure the success of our mission.”
“I’m sorry,” L
afontaine said. “I will be fully occupied powering up the ship for our departure.”
“I’ll go.” All eyes turned towards the hu-man woman. She suddenly looked very small and frail. “I’ll go with them,” she repeated.
“Susan... you... you can’t,” Lafontaine blustered. “Once the Osiris leaves, we won’t have enough power to come back for you and lift off again. Your only hope will be to join the Captain and the others on the shuttle. If you miss that, then you’ll be stranded here on this world.”
“So will Mac,” Susan Gilmer reminded him.
“Look, Susan,” Lafontaine said. “We don’t even know if McCann is... if he’s... ”
“Still alive?” she completed. “I’m aware of that. But I know Mac. He’s a survivor. I’d wager my eighteen years’ back pay that he’s out there somewhere. I won’t leave him on his own.” Lafontaine looked like a drowning man. Susan’s voice softened. “I’ve thought about this, Emile, and I’ve decided to stay. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll... make sure you get a beacon,” the old hu-man said, “and I’ll try and persuade the Company to send a ship to pick you up when we reach Eridani.”
“No.” Susan’s eyes were resolute. “Humans have interfered too much in this world already. We owe it to these people to leave them alone.”
Lafontaine gazed at the floor. “I’m not sure that’s possible. Too many people have seen too much. When we get back to the Station, I don’t think I’m going to be able to keep a lid on this. But... I will try.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
A convincing little display, Keris told herself. The philanthropist willing to sacrifice all for the welfare of the native population. For a moment, she almost believed it—but only for a moment.
Lyall spoke into the silence. “We are going to need more than one of those bracelets.”
Lafontaine shook his head. “I’m sorry; this one is all I have. Their use is strictly controlled. They are only issued to those who are currently
working on the AD and are never normally taken out of the facility.”
“Then how come you have that one?” Shann inquired.
“Very occasionally, one of the ‘bracelets’, as you call them, malfunctions. They contain some pretty complex electronics. So they get turned over to me for repair. I fixed this several days ago, but I... haven’t got around to returning it yet.”
Just one. And when it doesn’t get us past the barrier, the hu-man woman can conveniently claim that it’s broken again.
Lyall jolted Keris out of her musing. “You say that there are three of these weapons?”
“Three large spheres are set in a metal grid at the centre of the facility,” she reported. “The spheres are accessed by walkways, but they are surrounded on all sides by the invisible barrier.”
“Then the four component carriers will each have to go in one at a time,” Lyall said, “set their component, leave, and then pass the bracelet to the next carrier until all four components are set and the weapon has been neutralised.”
“And then they will have to do the same thing all over again twice more,” Alondo commented gloomily.
“Four?” Lafontaine saw that the others were staring at him. “You mean the instrument you have is divided into four parts?”
Yes, and they’re keyed to the four operators. You weren’t expecting that, were you? Keris suppressed a smile. Even if the bracelet worked, the fact that they only had one would slow them down considerably. Maybe that was the hu-man’s intention all along? However, it also provided Keris with an opportunity. If the bracelet did not work, then she would have to force the cooperation of the hu-man, Susan Gilmer. Either way, it meant that only one of them could gain access to the three weapons at any given time. If the first plan went awry—and that was starting to look increasingly likely—then she could go in and detonate the devices prematurely. And even if the others figured out what she was trying to do, they would not be able to stop her.
“You do have one advantage,” the hu-man woman was saying. “Wang’s people will have gammas, but once you get near the Accumulator Devices, they won’t be able to discharge them—it would be too dangerous. Your primitive weapons on the other hand, will still be effective... uh, well, not primitive exactly. I mean... ”
Alondo grinned. “Never fear, dear lady. We primitives will protect you.”
Susan Gilmer relaxed and permitted herself a smile.
“You mentioned before that something was going to happen tomorrow,” Lyall prompted her.
Susan’s smile vanished and a cloud passed over her features. “I’m afraid so. The ADs will be ready sooner than expected. The first one is due to be loaded onto the shuttle tomorrow. Then the shuttle will be flown to the target area and the device will be dropped.”
“What’s the target?” Lyall asked.
“Kieroth,” Susan replied. “But the blast should be sufficient to obliterate all of the Kelanni towns and settlements in the western part of Skell.”
A shock wave passed through the cabin, paralysing each of them in their own private thoughts. What would it be like? Keris recalled the smooth cobbled streets of Kieroth. Neat buildings huddled together against the chill. Families clad in thick furs, thronging pavements covered in snow. Parents chiding small children who gazed wide-eyed into bay windows filled with unknown delights, palms pressed eagerly against the glass. A bright light. A searing flash. Then nothing. Would there be any pain?
“That settles it,” Lyall said. “We go tonight. Any questions?”
“Just one,” Alondo said. “Assuming we manage to evade the humans and destroy those things, then how do we get out?”
Keris looked around at the roomful of lives that she was about to extinguish and felt the terrible weight of it on her shoulders.
“Leave it to me,” she said.
<><><><><>
Chapter 12
As the cart carrying McCann bucked and pitched over the rugged terrain, the bearded human struggled, knotting his arm muscles and flexing his wrists against the restraints. The cords that bound his hands and feet were of some sort of native fibre—like coarse twine. His Kelanni captor had tied them as tightly as he could manage, and they chafed against his skin whenever he attempted to move. However, if he was going to loose the bindings, then move he must. McCann gritted his teeth, ignoring the discomfort.
A sturdy knife—even a penknife—and he would have been free in seconds. Trouble was, McCann didn’t have a knife. He didn’t have his gamma either. The datapad he had been using just before being knocked senseless was probably still lying on the floor of the bedroom in the house from which he had been taken. He still wore the same undershirt although, mercifully, he had somehow acquired rugged leggings and a pair of native boots while he was unconscious. He supposed he had his young Kelanni friend to thank for that.
The alien boy reminded him of his cousin Max. Mac and Max—it had been something of a joke when they were growing up. Max was a nervous kid with bulging eyes—the result of a thyroid condition—and a quick smile. He and Mac were known for getting into trouble together. When the war with the outer colonies broke out, Max had signed on, against his mother’s wishes. His ship was blown up over a craggy moon known as Himalia on the outer edge of the Jovian system. He was seventeen.
McCann had no wish to harm the kid, but that created a problem. Assuming he managed to free himself and overpower this Yaron, then what? Letting him go wasn’t an option; there was too much of a risk that the boy would get in touch with the authorities and raise the alarm before McCann could arrange passage back to Helice. On the other hand, if he contacted Wang’s Kelanni agents with Yaron in custody, they were just as likely to view the kid as a loose end and arrange for his ‘disappearance’.
If the Captain could hear me now, he’d think I’d gone mad. Why chew your nails over the demise of one Kelanni youngster when you were preparing to eradicate the whole brood? It was like saving one ant, only to pour
boiling water over the nest. Pointless.
Of course, it was not the first time McCann had been involved in such wholesale destruction. Shortly after they had arrived on this planet—before the war with the Kelanni began—Wang ordered him and some others to test a chemical weapon on a remote forest beyond the mountains. The testing was eventually abandoned in favour of developing the Accumulator Device, but not before the forest, with its huge tree at the centre, had withered and died. He remembered flying over the scene. Blasted trunks; grey, leafless branches; soil turned to dust and ash. Even from high up, the devastation and death were all too evident. It almost felt as though he could hear the forest scream.
That was sixteen years ago. He had been much younger then, and everything had seemed so much simpler. If his Captain commanded him to do such a thing now... ? You’re getting soft in your old age, Mac.
It took fewer than ten more minutes of grunting and grimacing before one of his embattled wrists suddenly pulled free. He sat up, ripped the loose twine from his other hand and from around his legs, massaged the red welts acquired during his struggles, and contemplated his next move.
The wooden cart groaned and the axle creaked. The path they were travelling on was scarcely more than a track—jagged stones poking up through a mixture of mud and slush. McCann wondered briefly why they were not travelling by avionic. It would have been so much faster than this bumpy crawl. Perhaps the boy was too young to pilot it. Or perhaps the family was too poor to own one. Whatever the reason, he was grateful. If it were not for that, then he would likely already have been in Kieroth and in custody.
Time to take charge. McCann’s gaze rested on the discarded length of twine at his feet. He picked it up and snapped the rough fibre taut between his fists. A grimace played briefly about his lips. Carefully, he crept up to the backboard. The youngster sat hunched over in his fur coverings, fully occupied with the task of controlling the draught animal and trying to avoid an upset. McCann reared up behind him, looped the cord around the boy’s neck, and jerked as hard as he could.
Yaron let out a strangled cry and fell backwards. McCann saw a flash of the young Kelanni’s bulging eyes and wide-open mouth before the alien boy toppled backwards onto him. The two of them fell in a heap and rolled off the back of the cart, landing on the muddy trail with a thick splat.
The Lodestone Trilogy (Limited Edition) (The Lodestone Series) Page 81
