Hesitantly, she accepted Marceau’s connection request as they walked. A diagram, entitled ‘Rosen Station’ appeared, sections of it blacked out.
“The identified areas on that map are free for you to roam,” Marceau told her, his hand dropping from her arm. “The rest are restricted.”
Sam nodded wordlessly. “And network access?”
Marceau’s hand struck his forehead. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Completely forgot.”
A few seconds later, the network icon on her wire flashed a status of ‘limited connectivity’.
Sam angled a look toward the colonel. “Limited connectivity?”
Marceau’s pleasant expression faltered. Looking down at her, he said, “That… requires a bit more explanation. However, it’s a conversation that needs to happen in a more secure setting than this. How about I give you the tour first, and then we can head to my office?”
Sam took a sip of the tea, considering her options. “If you don’t mind, I’d really rather know what’s going on first.”
“As you wish.” He gestured to a cross-passageway coming up on their left. “My office is down here.”
A few minutes later, Sam found herself hustled past a man with commander’s holopips on his collar, seated in the anteroom of the colonel’s office. Marceau ushered her past, issued a curt, “Please ensure we’re not disturbed,” and then sealed his office door behind them.
“Please, have a seat,” he said, directing her toward a pair of low-slung chairs placed off to one side. He sank into one, and she in the other.
He leaned forward, hands clasped, elbows braced on his knees. “What I’m about to tell you is something not everyone here is privy to, so I’ll ask you to keep this in confidence.”
Sam considered him from over the rim of her mug. “That’s saying something, considering how black this site already is,” she murmured.
“Look, there’s no easy way to say this. We brought you here the way we did because we received word that Akkadians might be targeting scientists associated with the chiral study. We had reason to believe you were on that list.”
Sam felt like she’d been punched in the gut. “They were going to kill me?”
“Not that kind of target, no. They planned to kidnap you.” Marceau said. “Your uncle thought it best if we make a preemptive move. After your involvement with the deGrasse incident, you know we suspect sleeper agents have infiltrated our government. We couldn’t be certain they wouldn’t learn of our intentions. We wanted to get you to safety before they found out about our plans.”
Sam’s mind reeled. “Do you have any idea what they plan to do with the vials?”
“Surely you, of all people, understand the things Akkadia is capable of doing. They’re not above testing such weapons on innocent people. They’ve been known to do so on their own citizens.”
Sam weighed what he’d just said. “That’s….”
Marceau’s smile was thin. “Monstrous, I know. I apologize, but I can’t afford to sugarcoat this for you, doctor. Akkadia plans to weaponize those vials. I need you to beat them to it.”
“I’m not sure I follow. I don’t see how weaponizing chiral material helps us to stop them,” she said.
“It’s simple,” he said. “If we know the most likely vector their attack will take, then we can begin to formulate our own counterattack.”
Sam pulled back, blinking in surprise. “Here there be dragons,” she murmured.
He shot her a questioning look.
“That sounds like a recipe for mutually assured destruction,” she said.
“I misspoke when I used the word counterattack. Our objective isn’t to use your research as a weapon. We want you to find a way to neutralize an attack.”
Sam made a sound as she began to speak, but then hesitated.
“What is it, doctor?”
“I feel I have to warn you. I’m a radiation physicist first, a medical doctor second. Yes, I know a lot about radiation biology, but I was sucked into the chiral study kind of by accident,” she told him. “It really stretches credulity to call me an expert on chirality. I’m probably not the best person to help you out on this. You’d be better served to have a biochemist or a biophysicist instead.”
Marceau held up a hand. “Don’t sell yourself short, Sam. Duncan’s told me how involved you’ve been with the program. I’m sure you’ll have plenty to contribute.”
“Okay, then, how about this? The number of possible methods they could use to weaponize this is incalculable. I don’t know if what you’re asking is doable.”
“All I ask is that you try. You are our best hope, you and the other experts we’re bringing in.” He leaned back in his seat, studying her intently. “The staff here has been read into what we found in Luyten’s Star, but not the work you’ve been doing at the CID. I’d like you to brief them.”
He rose and strode toward the door. Opening it, he gestured to the commander seated outside. As the man appeared in the doorway, Marceau turned back to Sam.
“My assistant will show you to your quarters where you can get changed. There’s an adjacent office. You can work there the rest of the day, undisturbed. Please pull together what you have on the Center’s work, and be prepared to present it to the staff tomorrow morning at oh-eight-hundred.”
YACHT
Royal Ceriba Pier
Atliekas Nebula Park entrance
The thief didn’t have far to travel to get to the Royal Ceriban Cruise Lines’ main pier. The spacedock where the yachts departed was located just past the Starshot buoy, in the direction of the Atliekas.
An automated valet system ushered his small ship into port, maneuvering it into a parking position with little fuss. The shuttle that bellied up against his ship’s hatch was well-appointed and more comfortable than any he’d enjoyed in quite some time. It dropped him off directly in front of the pier’s entrance, the ship’s SI welcoming him to ‘the adventure of a lifetime’ as he disembarked.
He paused to stare up at the welcome holo splashed across the archway that separated Royal Ceriba’s passenger parking from the main pier. The promotional imagery flashed between colorful scenes of the Atliekas ‘shoreline’ to the rocky promontories of the Klintis. Interspersed between was a feed of the luxurious accommodations that passengers would enjoy aboard each of the company’s yachts.
His face creased into a smile and he shouldered his overnight bag, stepping through onto the causeway that led to the various boarding stations. His smile cut off abruptly as a wracking cough shook his frame.
He covered his mouth with his hand as another one struck. When it subsided, he rubbed his chest, feeling a pressure there he’d not felt before.
Damn off-label medical nano, he grumbled to himself.
He rubbed his chest once again. He really wasn't feeling very well. He was young and reasonably fit, so he didn’t bother wasting good creds on health nano. He’d rather invest in the best safe-cracking hacks and illegal nano apps he could find. At his age, he figured the biggest risk to his health was the pissed-off victims he’d managed to dupe.
He’d have to rethink his strategy, if some measly cold was going to ruin a hard-earned vacation.
It occurred to him that a Royal Ceriban yacht would surely have a medical department. He’d pay them a visit once he’d boarded, let them eradicate whatever bug he’d caught.
Eager chatter had him turning as a family with three young children came up behind him.
The youngest, a girl with a mop of auburn curls, went skipping ahead of them, giggling with glee. She skidded to a stop and stared up at him, one finger stuck up her nose.
“Angela!” the mother scolded, and the girl yanked her hand behind her back. She grinned up at the thief, and not wanting to be impolite, he smiled back.
“I’m going on a cruise,” she whispered, leaning in as if revealing a big secret. “I’m going to see all the glowy rocks an’ big ‘splosions an’—”
She threw her arms out
, mimicking what he assumed was supposed to be the sound an explosion made.
“That big, huh?” he said.
She reminded him of his sister’s kid. They were cute enough, as long as they weren’t his and he could send them home when he tired of them.
Her eyes widened. “Bigger even!” She threw her arms out once more, overbalanced, and fell against him.
Instinctively, he reached down to stabilize her, the jarring action loosing another tickle from his throat. He turned his head away to cough lightly into his hand, and then used the same hand without thinking anything of it to set her back on her feet.
The young mother sent him an apologetic look as she grabbed her daughter's hand. “Angela, what did we say about staying together?”
She looked over at her partner, who gave an easy shrug as if to say ‘Kids, what are you going to do?’.
The thief smiled back at the little girl, reaching out to tuck one of her wild curls back behind her ear.
“Enjoy the big explosions,” he told his newfound friend.
“You, too, mister!” She giggled once more, waved, and then went racing away.
“Angela!” the woman called out sharply as the child bolted into a nearby souvenir shop. That was followed by an exasperated “Rand!” and a few muttered imprecations that questioned his general usefulness.
The man just waved and altered his trajectory to intersect the shop. “Calm down, Ana. We’re on vacation.”
The thief swallowed a snicker when the other two kids broke away to follow. The woman threw up her hands and stalked after them.
The shops lining the causeway were varied and colorful, and to the thief’s jaundiced eye, were only a slightly more legal version of his own occupation. The exorbitant prices for cheap trinkets were universal at theme parks like this, capitalizing on a person’s desire to memorialize a pleasant event.
Since none of this appealed to the thief, he decided to locate his gate agent, and tender his ID—fake, of course, but a damn good one.
He staggered as he stood, feeling a bit lightheaded. “Damn,” he muttered. “Guess I shouldn’t have skipped breakfast.”
The cruise line had real humans at their security kiosk, and that amused him. Royal Ceriba’s customer service really was the best, eschewing the impersonal SI interface most places employed.
“Hello,” the woman greeted with a smile. “Welcome to the Royal Ceriba Pier.”
“Thanks,” he said.
She waved at the shops that littered the causeway. “The souvenir and sundries shops are creds only. They have prices clearly marked for your convenience. Restaurants, on the other hand, are part of your all-inclusive cruise package. Simply flash your cruise confirmation number at your waiter, and you’re good to go.”
She gestured to the kiosk beside which she stood. “Let me get you checked in, and you can be on your way.”
He smiled and nodded, accepting the colorful folio she handed him. She asked to see his ID token, and then asked for contact information in case of emergency.
“Standard procedure,” she explained. “We’ve never had a cruise liner leave port that didn’t return safely home.”
The thief thought about listing his sister, but he was boarding under a fake ID. Since this trip was possible due to the windfall of the stolen vial, he decided to give the hacker’s name and contact information instead.
Won’t she be envious if they have to contact her to tell her we’ve been stranded somewhere in the Klintis, he thought, amused. If catastrophe strikes, at least we’ll go out in style!
That task completed, he moved up into the boarding line, eschewing the kitschy storefronts with their cheap trinkets. Soon, he was ushered through the hatch and into the ship itself.
The yacht was a luxury liner, beautifully appointed, with lush decor and walls lined with holodisplays. These were currently advertising the many sites voyagers would see along the way.
The ship flashed a notification to his overlay, inviting him to join the entertainment network. He accepted, and a pleasant voice announced the location of the dining hall, as well as his assigned eating time. Other notifications flashed, with titles that read ‘Poolside’, ‘Theater Showtimes’, and ‘Spa Reservations’.
He reached for the final notification, the one entitled, ‘Your Deluxe Stateroom Accommodations’. This one brought up a map, complete with a ‘You Are Here’ icon.
He turned down the passageway the map indicated, marveling when he saw human stewards and maids pushing maglev carts, instead of the expected servitors. He’d never been to a joint this classy.
He rubbed his chest. The feeling of malaise was beginning to irritate the hell out of him. He coughed discreetly into his hand, and a nearby maid mistook it for a sneeze.
“Bless you!” she said, handing him a tissue.
He thanked her and wiped his mouth with it. When it came back, there was a small smear of blood on it. This alarmed him, and he looked over at the maid.
“Where’s the ship’s medical department?”
He waved a hand at the alarmed look that crossed her face, protesting, “Oh no I’m fine. My medical nano has expired, is all, and I think I need a fresh infusion.”
Relief crossed her face. “Two floors down, and back the way you came,” she said, pointing.
He smiled his thanks, and moved on to his cabin, just a few doors down. Setting his overnight bag onto the bed, he moved into the lav, the holomirror activating when it sensed his presence. His eyes looked blearily back at him, and he realized with a start that he was exhausted. Rinsing his mouth, he was pleased to note that there was no more blood.
I'll go see the doctor after a quick nap, he thought to himself. The bed beckoned, and he fell down beside his overnight bag, asleep in minutes.
BAD INTEL
Lower Warehouse District
Mercer Mining Torus
The flight crew inside the stealthed ship clinging to Mercer’s port maintained a watchful silence while waiting for the team to return. Will monitored the torus’s chatter, while Yuki watched the station’s STC feed. Micah split his attention between Wraith’s hatch and the steady stream of ships that came and went from the mining station.
On the Myr side of the torus, large tankers slid through the black, making their way from Mercer to the white dwarf’s planetary nebula remains. On the other side, tugs nudged along their netted cargo of boulders, gathered from the asteroid belt that lay between Mercer and the system’s F-class star.
Everything was business as usual, so Micah reached out to Jonathan for a sitrep.
Hey, bro, any word on Cutter’s plans to protect the scientists?
He knew his casual attempt to get an update on Sam had failed when he heard the amusement in his mirror twin’s voice.
No, nothing yet, Jonathan responded. It’s pretty quiet here, though.
Micah thought about that for a moment. I tried pinging Sam earlier, but her wire was on Do Not Disturb. Would you try reaching her for me?
Sure, bro. I’ll— Heads up, Jonathan’s mental tone abruptly changed. New intel just came in. Thad’s not going to like it. Looks like the snitch played us.
Micah cursed, wrenching his mind back to the mission. His words drew Yuki's attention.
{What is it?} Her voice came over the ship’s net.
{Possible trouble.} To Jonathan, he asked, Played us? How?
The good news is that this ‘Drug Lord’ dude really is on Mercer to meet with a few dealers. Bad news? He’s not where our informant said he’d be.
Any idea where, then?
Well, it’s sure as hell not at that bar Thad’s staking out, Jonathan told him.
His twin pushed an image his way. It was a diagram of Mercer’s warehouse district, with a low, three-story building highlighted.
The meeting’s scheduled there, an hour from now. You’ll be interested to hear that one of the people attending is rumored to be an Akkadian.
Shit. Team’s already inserted, Micah
said. They've gone dark.
We suspected as much. Valenti said you'd better haul ass. Get in there and find the team, before this whole thing falls apart.
Micah nodded and began to unweb.
“Boss?” Nina looked up as he passed between her station and Will’s.
“The team’s stakeout’s a bust.”
Will looked up, alarmed. “That drug guy’s our only link to the thief, and that thief’s our only link to the Akkadians who stole those vials. Does Jonathan have a bead on him?”
Micah gave a quick nod. “Valenti’s sending me out to find Thad and update him.”
Will swiveled his seat back to face his console. “I think I can use the connection the heist made to the torus to backdoor into their internal sensors. Let me run his profile and do a search. If I can ID his location, I'll send it to you.”
“Better route it through Jonathan.”
The rule was no comm traffic while inserted into a location. Fortunately, Micah’s spooky connection to his non-chiral twin allowed for a way to communicate that was untraceable and gave off no EM signal.
Will nodded. “Copy that.”
Micah suited up, trading his Navy blues for a drakeskin suit of light armor. The synthsilk weave could dissipate most projectiles rated for a space environment. Its external nano coating was tunable and could render him invisible if necessary.
Palming the weapons locker open, he reached inside for a CUSP. The CUSP was a compact, ultra-short pulse weapon that delivered brief bursts of laser-induced plasma when triggered. Depending upon its setting, the pistol could be used as a short-range flash-bang or flash-blind. It could paralyze or deliver searing pain to its subject. Though it was technically a nonlethal weapon, this particular CUSP was illegal for civilians to own.
He holstered it, and then slid a carbyne-edged tanto blade into its ankle sheath.
“The ship’s yours,” he called out to Yuki.
He slipped through the hatch as she gave the customary, “I have the ship.”
The Chiral Protocol – A Military Science Fiction Thriller: Biogenesis War Book 2 (The Biogenesis War) Page 11
