by C. R. Daems
I was relieved to know it was a captain who knew Red and me, which should make the assignment a little less stressful. Kris and I stood as Thayer came around the table toward us.
"Yes, we discussed you before the meeting. Mac thought I could handle you and Red a bit better than Hargrove, as he likes tradition and you don't fit well. It's not that he doesn't admire what you've done; it's that he's ... uncomfortable with your approach."
I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing.
"Captain Thayer, if you’re uncomfortable with us, I'm sure Admiral Rawls could—" Kris was interrupted by a laugh from Thayer.
"Yes, I'm uncomfortable with you and Red because you two bring a new danger which is outside my experience. You've wanted-dead rewards on your heads, which could mean anything from hired assassins to raiders. Look at what happened on the Vulcan. And Red's worth enough credits to attract thieves and worth killing to someone with the virus. But we agree you're good snoops and worth any risk if you can find those damn raiders—and twice worth it if you can find me one of their cruisers. Come, let me introduce you to my staff and get you settled."
I used my skimmer to fly us to the shuttle, which delivered us to the Lapis. When we arrived, Thayer led us directly to her conference room, which was full.
"At ease," Thayer said as she entered the room. "For those of you who haven't met the NIA agents, this is Commander Sinclair and Commander Paulus. They're on the trail of the raiders who have taken up residence in the UAS. They have P1A authority and are authorized on the Bridge at any time and access to the Communications equipment. Being their taxi poses several problems. First, this is the team that destroyed the smuggling network."
Eyebrows went up all around the room.
Thayer nodded. "Yes, so the raiders wisely would like them retired and have already made one attempt. Since the raiders know the Vulcan has been the team’s taxi, the agents have been transferred to the Cabiri and here to the Lapis. Captain MacLin has loaned me Major Pannell and the ten marines who have been providing Commander Sinclair and Paulus their personal security. Secondly, Commander Paulus has a live Coaca Virus medical dispenser with her."
She paused, which I took as my cue to pull out Red, who wrapped himself around my neck and laid his head on my shoulder, scanning the room.
"A red-headed krait that keeps her virus in check. It's worth a small fortune on the black market and means life to anyone with the virus. The krait is nothing to worry about. Their relationship is symbiotic, and it never leaves her body. But don't touch. It's not a pet, and to you, it's poisonous."
Thayer allowed questions and we spent an hour talking about Red and the raiders while avoiding any mention of what we had found or what we were looking for.
After Thayer's staff had left, Pannell approached.
"You can't seem to get rid of us," Kris said, grinning.
"You're exciting people to be around and that's good. Being a marine on a cruiser can be extremely boring, especially in peacetime. And I too would like to see a raider's cruiser."
"I would rather stay home if we find one," Kris said. "I was never supposed to have cruiser duty, and I already have two battle ribbons. I would like to sit the next one out."
Pannell laughed. "Something to tell your grandchildren."
"If I can get off these space submarines long enough to find a husband to have the children that are going to have my grandchildren." She shook her head but had to laugh.
Pannell led us, along with two guards, to our rooms.
"Join me, Anna," Kris said, and I followed her into her room. "This looks like senior-level quarters. I hate cruisers, but I have to admit we're seeing the best of cruiser life: senior level quarters, access to the Bridge, dining with the captain, and the run of the ship. You don't usually get that until you make full Commander and have Bridge duty."
"So you're thinking about signing up?" I quipped.
"It's a good thing you've Red protecting you." She tried to look serious but couldn't help a laugh. "How long to Eastar?"
"Five days."
* * *
"So what's the plan?" Thayer asked as we sat having dinner with her and Commander Jackson, her XO.
"We believe the raiders have a person we're calling a Controller on many of our planets," Kris said. "He or she organizes a team and then finds a willing client or coerces someone into being a client, the person who provides the raiders with the inside information. When the Controller has a client and gets the information he needs, he must then communicate with someone who has access to the raiders. To do that, he has to send a message via the WavCom. We're starting in Eastar because Mrs. Atwood has confessed her role and the details, so we know the approximate time the Controller would have sent that message. We plan to search the WavCom looking for it."
"How? You won't know who sent it, it will probably be in code, and you don't know to whom he sent it," Jackson asked in disbelief.
Thayer seemed to agree by the way her lips were pursed and the frown on her face. "So you don’t plan on visiting the planet?"
Kris and I shook our heads.
"And if you find the message?" she asked.
"We move on to Stone Ring whether we find it or not," Kris said. "We need to confront Mr. McCure, since we need an approximate date to narrow our search. That along with whatever Commander Shrader finds will determine our next move."
"Sounds impossible," Thayer said barely above a whisper, and then louder, "Tell me if there’s anything we can do to help."
* * *
Kris sat at the Comm panel, shortly after the Lapis had exited the Wave. Her fingers flew over the keys. Sometime later, she sat back and frowned. "Three hundred and twelve messages in that forty-eight hour period, and another eighty-six in the next twelve hours, just in case. We could be here a long time."
"What if we go on to Stone Ring? It’s little more than a day away, and Captain Thayer could give her crew some time planet-side while we review the messages. In fact, it’s less likely we’ll be noticed if we don't leave the ship for several days." I saw no reason to stay in Eastar space. In fact I thought it might attract unneeded attention.
"Captain Thayer, we’re ready to leave for Stone Ring, unless you've a reason for staying," Kris said as she stood and stretched.
"Commander Delgado, set us a course for Stone Ring. Commanders Sinclair and Paulus are bored with Eastar already." She smiled and sat back.
"The Vector is on the monitor, ma'am. Estimated time, thirty-one hours."
"Helm, execute the vector."
* * *
How do you want to attack these messages?" Kris asked as we sat in the captain's conference room drinking coffee. I was becoming fond of my moo-coffee drink. Red had woven his way into my hair and had his red-head hanging on my forehead in a position to read—or whatever he did. I personally wouldn't bet he couldn't or didn't. I reached up and used my forefinger to stroke his small head and felt his tongue touch my thumb.
"Since we don't know what we’re looking for, maybe we should both read them and mark any we feel are suspicious. Then we can review those together. We're going to have to rely on luck, since we don’t know the sender or the receiver or the message content—that could be coded or simply a single word to put a prearranged plan in action."
Kris nodded and sat back with her tablet.
What seemed like only moments later, Pannell broke the silence. "Ladies, the mess is open. I think a break is in order. You've been at it for six hours. If not, I can send someone for whatever you would like."
"I imagine you need more of a break than we do. Guarding us must be really boring. We at least have a puzzle to solve," Kris said as Red left my head and coiled around my neck.
"That's it, Kris!" I shouted hurriedly, looking for a message I remembered dismissing.
"What?" Kris asked, staring at me in confusion. "Did you find something, or did you just wake up?" She laughed. "I'm not sure I remember the last several messages I read. Major Pannell
is right. We need a break."
"Yes please, Major Pannell, bring us something to eat," I said while my eyes continued to search my tablet for the elusive message.
"What, Commander—"
"Anna, please. And anything."
"Call me Kris, Major. And get me whatever you get my doesn't-care-what-she-eats friend." She snorted.
"Paul," he replied and then spoke quietly to one of the marines, who immediately hustled out.
"There!" I shouted and sent the message to Kris.
"Why do you think this is the message?" she asked after staring at it for several minutes.
"What better way to send a complex message than in a puzzle? The WavCom is expensive and the puzzle could condense a complex message into only a few lines—and who would think they would post it online for everyone to read?" Somehow, I knew that was exactly what they did.
"I agree. I dismissed it immediately ... it would be an extremely clever way to hide the message in plain sight. But before we abandon our search of the other messages, why don't we check to see if they submitted other puzzles—and look at the solutions, if any," Kris said while still scanning the page, which contained seemingly random numbers and letters. A minute later she sent me the following draft message:
To Commander Shrader, UAS Cruiser Cabiri
Adrian, Anna believes the message from the Controller on Eastar is contained in A puzzle submitted to Master Puzzles, Incorporated and signed by Checky Fools. It's attached. Can you find out if it was published, the solution, and whether they get puzzles from Checky Fools often?"
Signed Commander Sinclair, UAS Cruiser Lapis.
"Perfect," I said after reading the message. "That will simplify what we’re looking for."
"You're positive, aren't you?" Kris asked as the marine entered with food for three and placed it on the table. To my surprise, Pannell joined us. I realized that while the marines had changed shifts a time or two, Pannell hadn't.
"I would hate to have you after me," he said as he picked up his knife and fork. "You've been at it nonstop for nine hours."
"Time flies when sniffing for the scent that will identify your opponent," Kris quipped.
"Yes, Red and I think this is the message." I slid my tablet with the puzzle across to Pannell.
"That's a message?" he said. "But if it's posted online ..."
"If I'm right, it's actually two messages ... maybe three. One is easy and meant for the general audience. The second identifies the system, and the third gives the details."
Kris frowned. "That would be very risky. What if someone broke the second code?"
She was right, but I was sure the raiders felt confident it couldn't be broken. "You're right, Kris, it sounds stupid. But I'm willing to wager that's the message we're looking for. Somehow, they feel confident the second code can't be broken."
"Maybe they aren't so confident." Pannell’s face turned serious. "Maybe that’s why they want you eliminated."
Kris's face turned pale and then she gave a wry smile. "Paul, if Anna is right—and I would never wager against her—life is about to get very exciting."
While we waited to leave the Wave to send a message to Adrian, we managed a six-hour nap and then finished reviewing the few remaining messages. Our subsequent comparison identified ten that Kris and I had both marked for further review and another eight that either Kris or I had marked as suspicious. When the Bridge announced we had arrived in Stone Ring space, I made my way to the Bridge.
"What's up, Paulus?" Thayer asked as I entered.
"I need to send a message to Commander Shrader."
"Commander Rodin, let Commander Paulus use the Comm panel." She nodded to me.
Feeling paranoid, I used my Crazy Number software to code the message, transferred it to the Comm panel, and hit send.
"Thank you, Commander Rodin," I said as I rose, but I stopped when Thayer raised her hand.
"We'll be docking at the Stone Ring spaceport in approximately six hours. Why don't you and Commander Sinclair join me in my office."
I nodded and hustled to get Kris. We found the door to Thayer's office open when we arrived at her conference room.
"Have a seat," she said when we entered with Pannell following. "I would like to know your plans, if they aren’t classified."
Kris shook her head no. "Not to you, Captain. We've decided to go see McCure, since we've managed to review all of the messages from Eastar. If we get those from Stone Ring and find any matches to those we've identified from Eastar, it may give us the break we need."
"Somewhat like facial recognition software, searching for markers that match," Thayer said quietly as if talking to herself.
"Very much like that." Kris smiled. "We have ten we suspect and another ten maybes."
"Ladies." Pannell interrupted. "I would like you and your security to leave with those the captain is going to allow on shore leave. That will delay knowledge of your arrival, at least until you reach the Nano Technology Industries facility. And that could reduce the risk of an incident."
"You're concerned, Major Pannell?" Thayer asked.
"Yes, ma'am. Watching these two work, I'm convinced the raiders have good reason to be concerned—and based on the incident at Holy Star, they know it."
"All right. Let's do it in stages. I'll release twenty to twenty-five at a time, staggered over an eight-hour period. We'll insert the security team in one of the first groups and the NIA agents in the middle somewhere." Thayer looked to Pannell, who nodded.
* * *
Captain Thayer notified the section chiefs that only twenty percent of the crew could be on shore duty and that passes were good for only twenty-four hours. Kris and I were issued petty officer uniforms to avoid notice. By the time we cleared local customs, our security detail had two ground vehicles waiting. Pannell had insisted that Kris and I take separate vehicles to the NTI facility. On arriving, Kris used her P1A card to get us to Mr. Hubbard's office.
"You've changed ... uniforms since last time," he said after the door closed. "Have you made any progress finding our chips?"
"Some. Can you call Mr. McCure to your office on some pretext or other? We need to speak to him, in private. He might have come in contact with one of the hired help the raiders used to case your facility. We're hoping he can help identify the individual." Kris cleverly avoided casting any suspicion on McCure.
I smiled to myself—adult speak.
Hubbard typed on his tablet, and a few minutes later McCure entered the office and froze.
"You remember Commanders Sinclair and Paulus," Hubbard said, waving toward a chair. "They're hoping you can help them." He nodded to Kris and left, closing the door behind him.
"Mr. McCure, we know you gave the raiders the inside information they used to rob the facility. Don't bother denying it. We've the proof we need to send you to a penal colony for life. If you'll take us through the sequence of events without being forced, it could mediate what happens to you." Kris held eye contact with him as she talked. "Given you cooperate, we won't arrest you until we find the raiders. Just don’t do anything stupid, or …"
More adult speak, I mused—you can have your freedom for now and maybe things won't be so bad if they catch the raiders and get the chips back. Unless you screw this up.
"I didn't have a choice—" he stopped when Kris shook her head. "I saw this ad ..." He went on to explain the events, which sounded exactly like Mrs. Atwood’s story.
"Good, Mr. McCure. Now all we need is the exact date that you delivered the details to your contact, and then you're free to go for now."
"That was a good lesson in adult-speak," I said after McCure had left and we were getting ready to leave.
"You mean playing with the truth or stretching it out of shape?" Kris gave a snort.
"I mean I'm glad you’re with me." I laughed and gave her a hug. We met Hubbard on the way out.
"Was he helpful?" he asked.
"He didn't remember much, but I think it may
help," Kris said.
Pannell and two marines fell in behind us as we entered the elevator to the lobby. When we exited the elevator, Red suddenly appeared from out of my uniform and proceeded to coil around my neck. Reflexively, I knew something was wrong and grabbed Kris's arm to stop her.
"What?" she asked, looking around as I scanned the lobby.
Four men and two women were sitting in chairs scattered around the room, and two men were standing at the reception desk. One of the men who had been sitting stood and began shouting at the woman sitting across from him.
"You thieving bitch!" He pointed his finger at her.
Somehow I felt or sensed Red's head movement and knew the man was a distraction. I drew my multifunctional weapon—which was currently loaded with shards on a tight beam—and scanned away from the shouting man. The two men at the desk had thrown their coats back to reveal multifunctional weapons.
I jerked Kris behind me and fired between the two men, who were standing close together, hoping to at very least distract them, knowing Pannell and the marines would be quick to react.
Both men must have been hit, because they jerked apart, firing reflexively—pellets spraying the reception desk, floor, and walls.
I took aim but stopped when multiple shots rang out and the two were catapulted backward. Red moved again, and I tore my gaze back into the lobby.
The woman the man had screamed at was on the floor with her hands over her head while the two men who had been sitting together were running hunched over toward the exit. The other woman, the screaming man, and another man now had weapons coming into view.
I shot toward the woman as I stumbled backward into Kris, pushing her back into the protection of the hallway. One of our two-marine guards collapsed onto one knee but kept firing. He had been hit, and blood dripped onto the floor next to his foot, either from his side or arm.
