Commander Henry Gallant (The Henry Gallant Saga Book 4)

by Alesso, H. Peter

  The major looked like he wanted to send out an alarm. This incentivized Gallant to move swiftly.

  “Relax, Major, you’re not going to do anything—for two reasons.”

  The major stopped and looked interested.

  “First, I’ve made a large deposit to your bank account. I’ve also sent a lot of messages to you inbox that discusses Resistance business as if you are a member of long standing. I’m sure you won’t imagine taking action against me without putting yourself in equally grave danger from your own Kamchatka police.”

  The major hit a red button and was immediate connected to his police squad. He said, “Send a squad to arrest computer security programmer third class Balazar and get a security detail to my home immediately.”

  Turning back to the avatar, he said, “I am not afraid of your blackmail threats. You’ll find the Kamchatka has ways of dealing with the likes of you. Just remain in your apartment. We will be right there.”

  “I’m sorry you did that,” said the avatar. “You didn’t even let me get to the second reason why you shouldn’t have done that.”

  The major looked inquisitively.

  The avatar brandished its weapon at the major. He laughed derisively, and said, “What? What’s that? You can’t shoot a gun over a video feed, you fool.”

  The avatar moved closer to an electrical panel and ‘fired’ the weapon. The panel immediately began sparking and a loud crackling sound erupted along with a blinding flash.

  The major dove behind the bed and put his hands over his head. Shocked, he asked, “How did you do that? An avatar can’t shoot a weapon into real space.”

  “You display your ignorance. You should never doubt the Resistance. The Resistance has developed advanced technology with the help of the humans. This was only a warning. Next time you will be eradicated.”

  “It is forbidden.”

  “What is forbidden?”

  The major was badly confused by this time.

  “What is that weapon you possess?”

  “It’s my property.”

  “You are not authorized to have it.”

  “Who says?”

  “Are you saying you are authorized?”

  “I’m giving you a friendly warning Major, watch your back. Bad things are going to happen to Kamchatka.”

  He guessed that anything abnormal from now on that happened to Kamchatka would be blamed on him.

  “What bad things? I will weigh your evidence.”

  “I have to go now, but I’ll be back.”

  He remained silent. He wasn’t inclined to take too much credit. He was certain that before long the Major would realize he was dealing with a world class liar.

  The Kamchatka security detail finally arrived at the major’s apartment.

  The avatar laughed. It was the worst moment to aggravate a heavily armed enemy.

  Together the officers marched into the room.

  “Officers arrest that thing,” said the major pointing at the avatar.

  The officers looked dumbfounded.

  They hesitated, but then stepped toward the avatar. They tried to grab the avatar, but to their consternation their arms passed through the projection.

  The Gallant/Balazar avatar did not raise his weapon.

  The avatar said, “I’ve been patient with you. I will go where I please. Remember what I’ve said.”

  Tiring of the game Gallant broke the connection.

  ***

  Gallant hotwired a connection into Balazar’s apartment and surreptitiously began observing the programmer without activating an avatar.

  There were two uniformed Kamchatka officers who had just entered Balazar’s room.

  “What’s the problem, officers?”

  “Your name is Balazar?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You are a security programmer?”

  “Yes, sir. What is happened?”

  “Never mind, show us your documents. Hurry up. What are you waiting for?”

  Balazar reached into his pocket and fumbled as he pulled out his ID card.

  They snatched it from him.

  “You work supplying network updates to the Midtown Bank database?”

  “Yes, officer.”

  Balazar liked order. When things became unruly he became frazzled, as he did now.

  The two officers exchanged glances as if to say, ‘this is too easy.’

  The larger Kamchatka policeman punched Balazar in the face causing him to stagger back.

  “Please, what is wrong? I’ve done nothing.”

  The other policeman kicked Balazar in the knee.

  Balazar put his arms up to fend off the following blows, but they kept coming until he fell to the floor.

  “You will cease resisting and surrender.”

  The major arrived at the apartment and the officers looked at him and asked, “What should we do?”

  Gallant listened to the attack realizing that his cover had been blown. He disconnected. The Kamchatka had smelled him out and now Balazar was a martyr to the Resistance.

  Gallant was sure to send several messages to public bulletin boards proclaiming the selfless sacrifice of Balazar to the Resistance and threatening the major with assassination.

  Finally, Gallant made his way back to Stedman in the waiting Wasp just a few kilometers from the communication junction box. He kept looking over his shoulder worried he might be tracked or ambushed. This paranoia was something new. He attributed it to another side effect of withdrawal from the network. He was sweating with reaction when he reached his destination and found his fears were not confirmed.

  CHAPTER 22

  Loyalty

  Gallant woke with Julie Ann McCall on his mind. He had seen little of her over the last few days, though they occasionally dined together in the wardroom, always with several other officers present. For the most part they were both busy—he with missions in the Wasp to the Titan bases—she with reviewing and analyzing the collected data, as well as his operational reports. Neither of them had the time, or energy, to carry on with their back-and-forth sparring. He was too absorbed in the rapidly mounting insights he was finding into the Titan character whereas she was exhibiting a growing fascination with his mental state.

  He saw her sitting alone in the wardroom when he entered and sat across from her. He punched his order for breakfast into the food dispenser and started sipping on a cup of hot stim-coffee.

  “Good morning, Captain. I trust you slept well?” she said smiling.

  He felt a prick of shame for having overslept while there was so much to be done.

  “Yes, thank you,” he said, smiling back feebly, trying to compensate for scowling so often during their recent encounters.

  “Are you planning another excursion today?”

  “I shall be away in less than an hour.”

  “You’re a fine officer,” she said bobbing her head up and down. “I doubt there’s another officer in the fleet who could have accomplished what you have in this system.”

  “I’m glad you think so,” he said, but her out-of-character complement made him self-conscious. He looked at his breakfast plate awkwardly. “I’ve done only what was necessary—what I was able to do.”

  “Many men would have tried if required, but I wonder whether any others could have done what you have? The UP owes you a great debt.”

  Gallant’s thought. . .

  Is it because I’m a Natural?

  McCall’s face was troubled. She said, “It’s a strange circumstance I find myself in.”

  He looked puzzled, but made no reply. Finally, he asked, “What circumstance?”

  She studied him with tentative eyes. “I don’t wish to diminish what you’ve accomplished so far.”

  She paused.

  Gallant prodded, “But . . .?”

  “I want to discuss your mental experience linking to the Titan network.”

  She got no further, apparently uneasy about what she was undertaking.
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  “Go on,” he said. He felt her inspection, the same surreptitious examination she had given him whenever he returned from a trip in the Wasp. “You have concerns about this last mission?”

  “Not so much the mission. I’ve become concerned about you.”

  “I’ve been well. The side effects of the neural connection have been less severe with each attempt. I think I’m building up immunity. And the aftereffects seem to disappear completely within a few hours. They don’t linger as they did before.”

  “So you feel you are becoming more accustomed to the network link?”

  “Yes.”

  “You like being connected to the network?”

  There was a red glare in her fixed stare.

  “Well, not like . . ., I . . ., well . . ., when I’m interfacing, I’m able to assimilate huge volumes of data and reach instant understanding. I feel exhilarated and powerful. My mind is crystal clear and I . . .,” he stopped, ill at ease from revealing too much.

  Rather than relieved, she seemed more distressed.

  “What exactly is your concern?”

  “I’m . . .,” she hesitated. “I’m concerned about the implications of superintelligence.”

  “Superintelligence as an abstract capability for the UP to use? Or just my access to it?”

  “Yes, to both questions, but primarily its exclusivity to you.”

  Gallant had known for several minutes what was coming, but the words were disturbing nonetheless.

  “In other words, you are concerned about my . . . reliability?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “My dependability?”

  Again she didn’t answer.

  “My loyalty?”

  “It’s not so much that I doubt your loyalty to the United Planets, as your . . .”

  “My what? My loyalty to particular individuals in authority? Such as you? Or Neumann?”

  Her face froze—the truth exposed.

  “I’ve given you no reason to worry. You have no actionable basis to investigate me. In fact, you’re exceeding your authority, Commander.”

  “Our mission is over as far as Gliese is concerned, but the superintelligence effects of the Titan network on you may persist. We don’t know.”

  She paused and moved closer to him.

  “This situation falls under a different mandate that I was given, called Enigma.”

  Gallant pushed back in his chair until it struck the bulkhead with a resounding bang. He stood up and glared at her. “I refuse to discuss this any farther.”

  She paled.

  “Why in blazes should you add to my burdens with innuendo and accusation?” he asked. “Don’t I have enough to worry about?”

  Normally resourceful and resilient, McCall was nonplussed for a moment. Her expression changed from tension to apprehensive.

  She started, “You’re making a mistake . . .,”

  “I can’t imagine, why in the midst of a sensitive operation, you would come to me with this nonsense.”

  “Are you so sure that this isn’t an issue? Have you not had concerns about it yourself?”

  Gallant reddened and returned to his chair. His sense was that he clung to the edge of a precipice—afraid the SIA agent might dislodge him. He had had thoughts along this line and he was diligently avoiding dealing with them. He recognized that his avoidance had not gone unnoticed by others and he had been tactfully omitted from discussions until now. McCall and others had probably shared the view that he was in some mysterious anguish over the alien interface.

  It was on his lips to rail against her once more, but instead he said, “Why are you confronting me now?”

  “I want you to stop.”

  Gallant was astonished. “There is more to do.”

  “I’ve listened to your reports and I’ve come to the conclusion that we have accomplished enough for now. We’d be better served if you didn’t continue.”

  In a flash of insight, he said, “You have special orders from Admiral Collingsworth—about me?”

  “Yes. Didn’t you imagine that he would put safeguards in place for a mission like this?”

  “You’re his safeguard—against aberrant conduct on my part?”

  “Not necessarily aberrant—only questionable.”

  Gallant’s gaze wandered. He realized he was staring at the ship’s plaque.

  “You see me as changed?” he asked quietly.

  “Yes. You shouldn’t mistake intelligence, even superintelligence, for wisdom.”

  “Only a fool would believe that.”

  “I don’t care what a fool believes,” said McCall. “I only care about doing my job.”

  “Dammit all,” he said.

  Nevertheless, he reluctantly agreed to end the mission and return to Tau Ceti.

  CHAPTER 23

  Cruisers

  It was not long after four bells into the morning watch that Lieutenant Commander Henry Gallant came onto the bridge of the Warrior. His second in command, Lieutenant John Roberts was already discussing the coming evolution with the Officer of the Deck. The abrupt end to the Gliese mission had caused significant changes to the ship’s routine—requiring the XO’s personal attention.

  It was usual for Gallant to occupy his command chair during significant ship evolutions, though the crew had become accustomed to his remaining silent, apparently lost in thought, until it was necessary to disturb him.

  “We’ve reached the Tau Ceti threshold, sir,” reported the sensor tech in an enthusiastic voice.

  There was a stir of excitement on the bridge in anticipation of the coming exercise.

  Gallant was eager himself, but he made every effort to appear unperturbed and ordered, “Helm, collapse the warp bubble.”

  A flurry of activity ensued while various adjustments were made throughout the ship.

  “Warp bubble collapsed, sir.”

  The subtle changes to the surrounding space-time fabric went unnoticed as they emerged from warp to find the familiar yellow dwarf star system.

  “Very well. Ahead standard.”

  “Aye, aye, sir,” said the helmsman as propulsion was transferred from the FTL dark matter engine to the sub-light antimatter reactors.

  The OOD reported, “Sir, we’re twenty light-minutes from Tau Ceti. We’ll reach Elysium in about one hundred hours on this heading.”

  “Very well,” said Gallant. He conjured up an image of Elysium’s sandy beaches.

  The OOD said, “Request permission to conduct a long range scan, sir.”

  “Granted,” said Gallant. At once his mind calculated the limits of a long range scan and concluded that they would get meaningful results for only the nearby fifth planet—a gas giant with numerous volcanic methane moons.

  “I’m getting indication of several bases and satellites near the fifth planet’s moons,” reported the sensor tech. A few minutes later he added, “Sir, I’m detecting ships near the largest moon.”

  Gallant muttered, “I wonder why the Achilles didn’t destroy those bases while she had the chance?”

  “Recommend entering stealth mode and investigating, Skipper,” said Roberts. “The Titans may have received reinforcements while we were away.”

  Another calculation came to his mind. He balanced the necessity of gathering immediate and detailed information about the new alien force against delaying his return to Elysium. He ordered, “Enter stealth mode. Set course for the fifth planet.”

  “Aye, aye, sir,” said the OOD.

  ***

  Located aft of the officers’ quarters, the Warrior’s wardroom could accommodate the majority of the ship’s officers at one time. A plaque inscribed with UP Warrior SS 519 hung over the head of the table. The room was empty when Gallant arrived, but as he settled into his chair at the head of table, the room quickly filled up with the off-duty officers.

  Roberts began, “Our scans reveal four Titan cruisers orbiting the largest moon of the fifth planet. There are several missile batteries and
a couple of satellites. The data shows that the enemy cruisers are protected by overlaying fields of fire from the various bases. There also appears to be mine fields protecting the approaches to the bases and the orbiting ships.”

  Gallant said, “The combination of cruisers and missile bases outguns our forces by a considerable margin.”

  “We need to notify Commander Neumann,” said McCall.

  “I’ve already done that,” said Gallant. “He acknowledged the report, but gave no indication of his intentions.”

  Several of the officers shifted in their seats.

  “Then we should remain in stealth mode and await his orders,” said McCall.

  “On the contrary, I intend to move the Warrior to behind the fifth planet. From there we can send the Wasp to the moon base and tap into their communications network. I may be able to penetrate their defense network and get valuable information,” Gallant suggested.

  McCall looked wary, but Roberts and many of the other officers nodded enthusiastically.

  ***

  It was twenty four hours before they received a response from the Achilles. By that time, Gallant had infiltrated the Titan moon base’s communication network. He set up a fake identity and gained access to several sensitive computer controlled areas. He identified the sensor arrays’ and missile batteries’ communication networks. It took him several hours of work to gain access to their controls.

  When he returned to the Warrior, he met with McCall and Roberts in CIC.

  Roberts said, “The Achilles and its four destroyers are on their way to join us. I guess Commander Neumann means to fight ship-to-ship, despite the odds.”

  “Maybe we can even those odds up a bit,” said Gallant.

  McCall asked, “What do you mean?”

  “I think I can distort the base’s sensors to keep them from identifying the Achilles task force as it approaches.”

  “That would give us the element of surprise,” said Roberts approvingly, “and definitely improve our chances.”

  Gallant was pleased with himself for that.

  ***

  For five days, the Warrior operated near the Titan base in stealth mode. When necessary, the Wasp hid in the shadow of the fifth planet near the Warrior to recharge its batteries.