Every Last Mother's Child

by William J. Carty, Jr

  Chapter 3: On High Port Station With Alice

  Alice left the palace early, almost before Marshal Wilson had left for the academy. Dressed in her militia uniform with a set of orders with the XO’s signature assigning her to the security detachment on High Port Station, she left for the space port.

  The day before in the secure room, she, Georgia, and Chief Atomi had discussed the next step in her hunt. The three of them had discussed what Alice had found out. They had discussed where to go next. They agreed it was time for her to go to High Point Station to continue the investigation. To make her job easier the XO wrote orders assigning her to the computer security detail. Georgia had thought that it might make her job more difficult and break her cover, but Mylea had said simply, the AI that was the problem would know someone would be coming up to find out what’s going on. So this would put the AI onto her, but if Alice did what she normally did act the klutz the AI would soon discount her as a threat. As the Marshal was heading to academy the next morning she grabbed her duffle and Bugs headed for Fletcher Royal Militia Base for her flight to orbit.

  When she got to the space port she found a line at the security checkpoint. It took her a couple of minutes to get through the checkpoint. She found one of her friends from Langtree’s headquarters waiting to go up ahead of her.

  “Hi Alice,” the man said, he had tried to get her into his bed more than once, “Going up?”

  “Yeah,” Alice replied, “they want me upstairs for some computer security work. I guess one of their techs is heading home to Thonia so they need a replacement. Well you know my clumsiness, “the man nodded, “well I dumped one cup of a coffee too much on one of the security team and Mac transferred me when he heard of the opening. The XO endorsed the transfer.”

  “Damn,” the young NCO said, “I thought you had it made when you got reassigned to the palace. Uh let me stand behind you,” he saw the coffee in her hand, “this is my last clean shirt.”

  “Not a problem Ed,” Alice said chuckling, she stepped ahead of him. This was not what she wanted! She had logged into the security net at the port and entered a hold notice on Ed’s paperwork. Somehow the computer got the idea that he might be smuggling some precious metals off world. She didn’t want him on the station. He could cause some problems for her. She cleared the check point and went on up to High Port Station.

  When she got to the station she checked in with computer security unit and found that she had the late shift and wasn’t due to be on work until 24. As part of her in processing, the unit’s sergeant gave her the nickel tour. She tolerated as it would be out of character if she didn’t. But not before baptizing the young sergeant with a glass of water as she tripped over her own feet. About the time Lisa was leaving for the doctor, she checked into her room. A private one she didn’t have to share with anyone. As a master sergeant (the transfer had included a promotion to master sergeant,) she was entitled to private quarters. She made sure the room was secure and scoped out the station. She was so involved in what she was doing she was out of the ground loop.

  Deciding to get something to eat before going on watch, she stopped into a small coffee shop and found everyone watching the holo. As she ordered food from the counter, she asked the attendant, “What’s going on?”

  “Some bastard abducted Lady Wilson,” the clerk said, “It’s been on the news all day. They think it’s a woman by the name of Hozenbur. She killed her team and injured several marines and MPs. From the sound of things it was quite violent.”

  “Were any of the protective agents hurt,” Alice asked.

  “No,” Someone else said, “One of the idiots on the holo is yelling and screaming that every one of those guys should have died before they let her get taken. I can’t say I blame the guy. They...”

  “Look I know those people,” Alice cut the guy off, “I roomed with Lady Wilson’s lead agent. She is one tough cookie and if she couldn’t have stopped Lady Wilson’s abduction, she would have had to been out of it.”

  “They did use stun grenades on her,” someone injected, “They said the entire protective detail went down with the grenade. Admiral Wilson was severely injured; but she managed to get a couple of them before being taken down herself. That’s one tough old bird.”

  “I know,” Alice said, “I helped Admiral Wilson lay out the computer systems for their new place on Home. She’s not a techie, but she knows enough from commanding landing craft squadrons to know the right stuff to ask. I am not surprised she got a couple. I was down on the range with her one day when she went through it like it was second nature. Damn near 70 and she went through the range as if she was just out of Black Guard boot less than a month before.”

  “But how come she wasn’t hit,” Another asked.

  “Have you ever been hit with a stun grenade?” An off duty MP was lounging near the door listening to the news and the conversation. “Sometimes just a wall at the right place is enough to baffle the weapon.”

  Seeing that Alice needed a place to sit down to eat her meal he pointed to the empty seat next to him. Alice took her meal and sat down in the offered seat.

  “Hi Sarge,” the MP greeted her, “I thought I knew everyone on the station.”

  “Just assigned in cybernetic security,” Alice replied starting in on her meal.

  “Since when do techies have to qualify on the combat range,” The MP asked.

  “When they assign you to the palace as part of the detail,” Alice replied as the MP watched in open mouth fascination as she killed the biggest sandwich in the place.

  “So why are you up here?” the guy asked.

  “Oh routine computer security,” Alice said.

  “Anything going on?” the MP asked.

  “Naw, they just needed a night watch NCO.” Alice said as she went for her second big sandwich. “Mostly just supervising other techs, I don’t know why they didn’t promote from within.”

  “I don’t know anything about that unit.” The MP said. “Well Leah’s waiting for me at home. I’ll see you around Sarge.”

  “Okay,” Alice said taking the remains of her meal to the disposal cute. As she did she sent two messages out, one to Lord Wilson, and one to Georgia. The one to Wilson was short, “if you want me back I’ll be back,” the one to Georgia was almost as short. “Are you okay? What happened?”

  She went to the cyber security center and the lieutenant who ran the station’s cybernetic team. It was a small staff, one clerk and four investigators an AI by the name of Sleuth. The lieutenant ran the unit and Alice would be his deputy. They were charged with maintaining the security of the orbital military communications network. It meant mostly responding to reports that the system generated when an attempted hack was made or when someone reported an unusual problem with the system. She already knew a great deal about her team, including the AI. She was assigned to the night shift. Which was what she had planned for, the shift was quiet. Her two human investigators often spent the entire night not doing much, as nothing usually happened. She couldn’t tell them what was going on, even the AI.

  “Anything pending,” Alice asked sitting down at the desk she shared with the lieutenant after he left.

  “There was an intrusion an hour or so ago,” the AI said, “Traced it back to a transient AI on its way to Home. Seems it got bored and decided to visit a friend on the station. She didn’t get anything from the net.”

  “We’ve been back checking a couple of random intrusions.” Ka’en, she was a thonian, the senior investigator for the watch spoke up. “They’re planet based, and they got as far as the milsat comsats. Hit the fire wall and then went away. It’s happened several times in the last week. We’re not certain where it’s coming from. It could be a kid just screwing around, or it could be a serious attempt to infiltrate the system. DefConnie from the Mountain reported it. Then there’s been the attempt by the ship yard to break into our command and control net and take things over. Ever since
the Evacuation Command took those ships from them they have been a pain in the ass. But it’s mostly harassment letting us know they that they love us.”

  “Of course you aren’t doing anything to make friends with them are you,” Alice asked, she was surprised that her intrusions had been noticed. She thought that she had been more discreet than that.

  “Sarge,” Sleuth said, “we only give back as good as we get.”

  She considered what he had said. Her mother was still furious over the attempted confiscation of the ships by orbital industries. The AI that was on the TET yard had been a close friend of her mother’s, and close collaborator in getting things done for the evacuation had become down right unfriendly since the incident. Things that would have taken a casual conversation had turned out to needs reams of paper to get down. The Orbital Industries Consortium was giving every one grief, needless grief because of their greed. “Sleuth, I don’t care what you do to them; but make sure it can’t be traced back to us, or the Evacuation Command. I don’t want anyone hurt, but any grief you can give them will be appreciated.”

  “Yes ma’am,” Sleuth’s image, a man in a gray trench coat replied, “What about our intrusion?”

  “Keep an eye for it. They didn’t get past the fire wall right?” Alice asked innocently.

  “Not that they didn’t try,” Ka’en replied.

  The night passed without incident. She needed to plug into the net so she could find the Traitorous AI. But Sleuth would find out immediately. She had not expected such a good AI on the security unit. Although humbots were used on Trena for different things, mostly they were part of some other AI, or expert system. Seldom were they independent AIs themselves. The militia didn’t use them at all. Even for super dangerous operations they never used them. So she just couldn’t tell Sleuth that she was there, and if she plugged into the net Sleuth would know it right now. Yet at some point she would have to let the AI know who and what she was. Or did she, she thought, could she just infiltrate the system and then if she was caught tell them a story of she was sent to check their security. It would work nicely with the history of someone trying to get through the system from ground. She decided to plant the seed.

  “Could it be that evacuation security is trying to test our security?” Alice asked near the end of the shit, “They are always trying something to ensure that our networks are secure.”

  “But why bother,” the clerk said, “I mean we’re getting ready to unass this system and the crown is still concerned about security?”

  “We still have enemies,” Alice said, “Not everyone is happy about us finding salvation, The Republic, the Theocracy to name two that still have operatives on the planet, and the company rogues, the ones who kidnapped Lady Wilson to name another. They need to know where our signal security is weakest so they can plot their strategy.”

  “But why?” another asked, “From everything I have heard Trena will be trash in a couple of months. It won’t be able to support life. Why would anyone one want it?”

  “There’ll still be valuable stuff left on the world Including dormant AI systems, precious art, and everything else we have left behind. Lord Mercer and Marshal Wilson have been concerned about some low level activity by the Republic. The Republic is planning on coming in here and harvesting what we have left behind. They think that the Republic wants to prevent the last few thousand people from being evacuated so that they have a ready labor force when they invade after the first bombardment.”

  “Is it certain that they’ll invade,” the one, who hadn’t spoken yet, Freddie Max, asked.

  “The war gamers have decided it’s at best a sixty percent probability. The Marshal has ordered certain facilities set for demolition. The mountain in particular will be blown. The Queen has decided to blow her palace, and the space port will become a live fire exercise. I was standing post when that decision was made. Wilson didn’t want to do it. He thought it might be good to have a working space port for when we send people back to try and salvage what we left behind. General Qoum was concerned that what we left behind could be used by the Republic or by pirates to outfit their bases. They figure that if the bombardment doesn’t destroy the spaceport out right that it could be used for years. But most of the equipment will be usable even if the port takes a direct hit.

  “But the Crown doesn’t want the wrong vultures to pick over the planet.” Alice continued, “I am not at liberty to discuss what I have heard, but Trena will not be left unguarded.”

  “I see,” Freddie replied.

  That quieted everyone as they considered what Alice had said.