Casimir Bridge: A Science Fiction Thriller (Anghazi Series Book 1)

by Darren Beyer

  In an instant it was gone, and nausea began to take hold. Frantically, she released her straps.

  “Please hurry, Ms. Nkosi,” Captain Stanton said without turning.

  Mandi scowled at the back of his head. She breathed steadily as she closed her eyes, willing the nausea under control.

  “Captain, verifying successful jump and position,” the navigation officer announced.

  “Very well,” responded Captain Stanton. He turned his head subtly toward Mandi with a slight smile. “Sophia, you have sensors. Let’s find ourselves those neutrinos.”

  Chapter 51

  Eridani

  “Mr. Andrews.” Jans stood with effort and extended his hand, as Gregory Andrews and Erik Hallerson entered his office.

  “Greg, please,” Andrews replied with a spurious smile on his face. Shifting his weight, he shook Jans’ hand and took a seat across from him, while Erik stood at his shoulder.

  “Thank you for taking this—shall we say—‘unofficial’ meeting. I could understand if you’d declined.” Andrews gestured to Jans’ cane with his own. “I am saddened by the event that caused your injury.” Andrews’ sentiment seemed sincere, and Jans picked up the slightest trace of something else in his demeanor. Anger?

  “It’s been a trial.” Jans winced as he shifted position. “We’ve been through many trials lately. This pales by comparison.”

  “I am sorry about the people you lost.”

  “Thank you.” Jans nodded. “But somehow I don’t think that’s why you’ve asked for this meeting.”

  “Have you considered my proposal? Now more than ever, it must appeal to you. AIC stock price has taken a significant fall, and yet my offer stands. If it becomes public knowledge, your Board would have no choice but to accept.”

  “You underestimate them. We could certainly turn down a sale at the lowest price point our stock has ever seen.”

  “I’m not offering the lowest, and I think it’s the best you’ll get for quite some time. But why quibble over details? This isn’t about money. Money is for shareholders. It’s not what drives you, and it certainly isn’t what drives me. I’m offering something money can’t buy: an opportunity to unite in the greatest company in history, a company that will stand the test of time.”

  “What makes you think AIC can’t achieve that greatness on its own?”

  “I won’t deny it. You’ve done more than I would have thought possible. All this—” Andrews looked around Jans’ office. “I must say, it’s impressive. And your technology? There is no doubt you’ve made strides that only a few decades ago we would have called impossible. But you are missing one key piece—the one that ensures your success can’t continue.”

  “And that would be?” Jans cocked his head.

  “Are you a student of history, Mr. Mikel?”

  “I’ve had my share of schooling.”

  “Then I’m sure you are familiar with the Knights Templar.”

  Jans nodded.

  “Most believe them to have been a religious order of soldier-priests, devout crusaders, even—” Andrews cracked a thin smile. “—protectors of the Holy Grail. However, first and foremost, they were a company. In fact, they were the first multinational company. They founded the first modern banking system, fielded military forces to protect their assets, monopolized commerce to and from the Holy Land. They became more powerful than nations. But they also became too much of a threat. They were brought down by those in power.”

  “I know the story.”

  “Then I’m assuming you know another story…that of the British East India Company.”

  Jans let slip a knowing smile.

  Andrews momentarily paused and narrowed his eyes before continuing. “It was the first true global corporation, and it lasted hundreds of years. Like the Knights Templar centuries earlier, the British East India Company grew its power, fielded armies and fleets, deposed kings, and monopolized trade with the East. It fought wars to maintain and protect its vast trade network. But, like its predecessor, it had no real influence in the halls of power. And in the end, this shortcoming brought it down as well.”

  “You didn’t come all this way to give me a history lesson.”

  “Actually, I did.” Andrews smiled. “Humanity has a very short memory. And, regardless of whether or not we know our history, we seem doomed to repeat it. You have built the first interstellar entity. History is indeed on track. I came to explain to you the cycle that has destroyed the greatest companies on Earth, and offer a way to break it. My offer is far more than money can buy. My offer carries something otherwise unattainable: influence—control even—at the highest levels of power. Together we can make the greatest interstellar entity ever seen, unfettered by the limits imposed on the others.”

  Jans sat still, studying Gregory Andrews and Erik Hallerson standing behind him. In Andrews’ face, Jans saw sincere belief in the path he proposed, a path that Jans would willingly tread. Jans also saw unbridled ambition, an embodiment of everything that Jans was not.

  “Mr. Andrews,” Jans said strongly, stoically. “You make compelling points, and the lessons of history are not lost on me. But I see different lessons. I must admit that when I received your offer, I was intrigued. Now recent events have given me clarity of thought. While your offer is both sound and generous, I must decline.”

  “Surely we can come to an arrangement.”

  “I’m sorry, but my decision is final.”

  “Well,” Andrews breathed in deeply, standing up on the support of his cane. “Then there is nothing else to discuss.” He turned, Erik at his side, and made his way partway to the door before stopping and half-turning. “You should know I have information showing that AIC has falsified their uranium distributions. Should this information become public, the consequences would be dire.”

  A cold shock shot though Jans’ heart. “If such information existed—” With a changeless expression, he stared Andrews down. “—and could be proven, it would indeed be damning. But there is no such proof.”

  “It’s there,” Andrews countered, “along with the destination of the hidden uranium.”

  Now Jans betrayed a look.

  “Helios Station.” Andrews stretched his lips in a cold smile.

  Chapter 52

  Rho Indi System

  Mandi reached over to adjust the gravity of her bunk back to full. Grae was right. She’d found that she slept much better in low g. Rolling open the door of her bunk, she kicked out her legs and jumped down to the floor. She extended her arms and clasped her hands above her head in an exaggerated stretch. Grae’s bunk was closed. She checked the time and realized she was running late.

  She and Sophia had agreed to meet after their eight-hour sleep cycle to finish the neutrino analysis. Mandi had little to offer, but Sophia welcomed her presence and kept her in the loop every step of the way.

  When Mandi reached the bridge, she wasn’t surprised to see Sophia already hard at work with headphones over her ears. Despite her calm demeanor and stoic approach, Sophia had proven to be a machine at the auxiliary sensor station. When Sophia turned and removed her headphones, Mandi was shocked. Fatigue was written all over her face, dark circles pulling down her eyes. Sophia gently smiled.

  “You look as though you’ve been up since I left, Sophia.”

  “I couldn’t sleep.” Sophia’s voice was tired and she managed only a meager smile.

  “Have you made progress on the neutrino analysis?”

  “I completed that hours ago. There are possibilities. I’m just waiting on the captain. Now I’m working through the Gaussian’s sensor logs, looking for anything I might have missed before the attack.”

  “Does music help you concentrate?” Mandi gestured toward the headphones.

  “I’m listening to the sensors.”

  “Listening?”

  “The sensors pick up all types of signals. Most are background noise. Some are real hits. The frequency of the raw gravitational wave signals
actually falls within the human auditory range, and I listen. I guess, to me, it actually is music of a sort. I’ve found I can pick up minute variances and zero in. Then I isolate the sound and feed the pattern back to the sensors, and they track it.”

  “Can’t you program the sensors to do all this for you?”

  “I’ve tried, but very light sounds are like snowflakes. No two are the same. The sensors can’t lock it down until the signal is strong enough to become more of a tone. I’m trying to isolate patterns. So far, the solution eludes me.” Sophia reached for a second headset and handed it to Mandi. “Listen to this.”

  “What is it?” Mandi put the headphones on and heard a hiss with an occasional low pitch, a disorganized rumble.

  “That’s background noise, with a signal from a piece of space debris about the size of a flea. Now let me isolate the debris signal.”

  The hiss went away, leaving only the warbling rumble.

  “Now, listen.”

  The sound was replaced with another, which kept the same low pitch but became cyclical, almost rhythmic.

  “It sounds mechanical,” Mandi said. “What is it?”

  “It’s from the recovered Gaussian logs. It’s the NMO I was tracking right before we were attacked, the one that suddenly became a nuclear missile when we ran from it.” Sophia’s mood turned somber. She looked down. “I knew something was up. I knew it was all wrong.”

  “You couldn’t have known what would happen—”

  “Maybe not.” Sophia looked up; her eyes glistened. “But if I had done something —” She paused, regaining her composure. “My theory is that—unlike abnormally shaped natural debris—whatever cloaked that thing repeats the same signal.”

  “So if we run into it again, you could hear it?”

  “That’s the idea.”

  The door to the bridge opened, and Grae entered, speaking with animation to Captain Stanton at his side. They stopped at the sight of Sophia.

  “Looks like someone has been burning the midnight oil,” Grae said.

  “It hurt too much to get up,” Sophia said with a light smile. “So I decided not to lie down.”

  “Sophia, we need you sharp. You need rest—”

  “I know what I need,” Sophia interrupted. It was as close as Mandi had ever seen her to losing her temper. “I’ve come up with possibilities for the jump target.” She sighed and turned back to her station. Her findings appeared on the main screen. “Last shift, Mandi helped me narrow down parameters to systems within single-jump distance of Earth and Rho Indi. We had candidates outside that range, but all were triple jumps or more, making the logistical issues impossible. We also felt that the attackers must use some form of planetary body as a base. Constructing a free space station carries a host of challenges, including sourcing material and fuel. In a system with no planets, you might as well build it in deep space.”

  Captain Stanton nodded, grunting his approval as three solar systems appeared on the screen.

  “The first candidate is 47 Ursae Majoris: 47 Uma.”

  The system highlighted on the screen.

  “It is eighty-seven light-years from here and about forty-eight from Earth. It is extraordinary in that it has four large gas giants. One of them plays host to the Enya-1 mining and scientific station on one of its moons.”

  “I know that system,” Mandi said. “That’s where they discovered that crystalline life. We ran a story on it.”

  “That’s right. I actually know the chief medical officer and her husband.” Sophia turned back to her screen, and the second system became highlighted. “This is Gliese 279. It is interesting because it’s a white sub-giant star with two gas giants and three known terrestrial planets. It has been the target of two manned exploration missions. The gas giants are relatively close to the star. The farthest gas giant is about the same distance that Mars is from Sol.”

  “How far from here?”

  “One hundred and ten light-years, which puts it at extreme range of standard drives.”

  Captain Stanton wrinkled his brow.

  “The last is Alnair. It’s nothing of note, except that it is extremely bright—almost three hundred times brighter than Sol. It is a very young star with an inner-system circumstellar debris disc, several dwarf planets, and planetoids spread out to fifty-five astronomical units. It is within jump distance from here, at forty-one light-years and one hundred and one from Earth.”

  “I’m inclined to discount 47 Uma,” said Captain Stanton. “While it’s within range, the presence of a well-documented colony makes it a little too exposed, even with all of those gas giants to hide among. I like Gliese 279 for the gas giants. They provide a local fuel source, and the absence of any large mass outside the orbit of the outermost means free jump access in many directions. With Alnair, the fuel needs alone would require a significant logistical exercise.”

  “I’m not an expert on space travel,” Mandi interjected, “but isn’t it difficult to jump from near a gas giant.” Mandi caught Grae’s eye.

  “True,” the captain replied.

  “If Grae is right about them stealing uranium from the AIC ships, wouldn’t they need the ability to jump in a hurry? To do that from Gliese, wouldn’t they need a free-floating station well away from a gas giant?” Mandi paused.

  “Your thoughts?” Captain Stanton turned to Sophia.

  “I think Mandi’s suggestion has merit. Any base needs both raw materials and the flexibility to move quickly. With Alnair, any of those scattered planetoids could make a perfect base with limitless ingress and egress routes. The outermost is small enough that a ship could jump in and out of the system without traveling too far to get out of the effect of its gravity well. None of the planetoids at Alnair have been surveyed, but it’s entirely possible, probable even, that there is ice on or within any of them to serve as a fuel source.”

  “I like Alnair too,” Grae added. “There is nothing there that might draw a survey probe.”

  Captain Stanton rubbed his chin, staring at the three star systems on the screen. “Another time I might debate the subject.” He paused. “But our situation dictates only one course of action. At Gliese, we could spend months searching among the gas giants and open space for a free station. Your logic on Alnair is sound. It gives us a finite list of possible base locations.” Captain Stanton turned to the navigation officer. “Lay in a course. Engineering, bridge, prepare for jump.”

  Chapter 53

  Eridani

  A number of AIC personnel were already seated along one side of the massive table when Gregory Andrews led the nuclear inspection delegation into the AIC boardroom. Seats opposite them were open, awaiting the inspectors, lawyers, scientists, and politicians that made up the nuclear inspection team. Andrews noted the empty chair at the end of the table. Jans Mikel was absent.

  Danny Dagan sat next to it with an unreadable expression on his face. “Please take your places,” Dagan said without standing.

  “And where is Mr. Mikel?” Andrews smirked before moving to his seat.

  “Jans Mikel will be joining us later. If you will please be seated, I should think we could begin.”

  “Very well.” Andrews shrugged with a half-smile. “We don’t need Mr. Mikel here to present our findings.” He sat down heavily. “We have found a litany of discrepancies.”

  Dagan leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers. The lead inspector proceeded to walk point-by-point through a long list of violations at the AIC uranium facility, while Dagan listened without expression. When the inspector was finished, a legal expert took over, enumerating exactly how AIC had failed to comply with specific nuclear disclosure laws. Dagan was silent and still.

  “The final discrepancy—” Andrews leaned forward, elbows on the table. “—is the most serious. I will deliver it myself—”

  Andrews’ head jerked up as the boardroom door burst open, and Jans Mikel entered with a woman and two men in charcoal business suits in tow. Gone was the cane and s
omber attitude. Only a minor limp remained.

  “Good afternoon. Please forgive my tardiness, but I was otherwise detained.”

  “Is this delegation unworthy of your attention?” Andrews spoke sharply.

  “It has had my undivided attention ever since you arrived.” Jans took a seat at the head of the table, flanked by the others. “I’ve obtained legal and technical opinions before responding to this farce of a delegation and the announcement you are about to make.”

  “And what announcement is that?” Andrews chuckled dryly and spread his arms.

  “That AIC falsified nuclear material distribution reports regarding a secret enrichment facility called Helios Station,” Jans answered.

  “You have good information.”

  “As do you,” Mikel responded. “As a matter of fact, a little too good. We have discovered that you illegally obtained trade secrets from AIC data files. The list of discrepancies you have provided is largely fabricated. We have filed an injunction against any further collection of our data by any means.”

  “This delegation is not bound by any injunctions you may file. I demand immediate access to this Helios Station, as allowed by the delegation charter.”

  “I’m sorry, but you’re not getting access to Helios Station. Nor anything else.”

  “So you think.” Andrews smiled and stood with the help of his cane. “Then I have one final action. Under the powers afforded me by this delegation and the Nuclear Regulatory Inspection Act of 2097, I must inform you that you are in breach of said act and subject to any and all appropriate actions allowed by such.”

  “So noted,” Jans said with a sneer. “Now kindly get the hell out of my building.”