The Radical Factor (Stone Blade Book 3)

by James Matt Cox

  "So do we use it in bioreactors," asked Ferrel.

  "Some strains. But they're a long way away from the base 4491. They've been weakened not to survive outside a bioreactor and they're very useful in synthesizing medicine and blood replacement."

  "So we need to study the by-products," said Ferrel.

  "Exactly! That's what I'm doing. I've classified this strain as 4491-vib at P750. That's one planet in seven-fifty as suitable for it to develop. Not counting local clustering or common origin."

  "So how do we find out what planets might work," asked Kidwell.

  "I'm working on it! So far I've concentrated on the organism itself. Katie and Dave sent me a lot of data I haven't had time to digest yet and I'm guessing you have me more. I can certainly use help working through it."

  "Say no more," said Ferrel with a grin, "Lead me to your datajack!"

  Micah chose an aggressive, exact set of combat drills and began executing them. Using just the right amount of muscle and force necessary without an actual target, living or otherwise, required precise and expert control and concentration. Micah concentrated and he controlled. Something in the back of his mind, something until now quiescent, sent out faint tendrils of awakening. Micah continued his exercises and added one in patience. Perhaps the faint seeds of revelation would take root now and grow. He focused past the swirling distraction, observing it without observing it, and started the next set of routines.

  He finished his hard-combat routines and moved into one he seldom used. It worked more to build agility and balance instead of effectiveness in combat. His mind remained focused but he felt the chaos of discovery growing. Shunting aside the momentary distraction he brought his focus back into line.

  Balance. Force and counter-force. Keep one in line with the other and you won't fall. Hold your center steady and don't let it waver or you will misstep. Force and control, muscle and mind. Balance. Micah felt a smile spread across his face. His revelation blossomed after all!

  ***

  "Balance," said Micah, "It's balance!"

  "You skipped the grunt work for that?" Kidwell scowled hard and spoke acerbically. "Micah Stone..."

  Micah smiled until he saw the curiosity almost explode from her.

  "The result is worth it! What did we learn about Mekhajan trade with the Jengiil and Vezieri?"

  "They keep out of fights by trading with them," said Kidwell, "Flames, then! By balancing trade with them. When one picks on you give them bad prices and the other good ones. That's not new, lover."

  "But what if that doesn't work?" Micah held his hands at the same height, palms up. "Suppose trade preference," he lowered his right hand, "doesn't do the job? What if better prices don't convince the Jengiil to protect you against the Vezieri or vise versa? What then?"

  "Things get messy," she said, "and you have to fight them yourself."

  "Or you balance it with something else!" Micah re-leveled his hands. "Military force, no blather there, but if you have a smaller force - even a technologically superior one - why should you bother fighting if someone else can do it for you?"

  Now Ferrel stopped working to listen.

  "Try this for a hat," continued Micah, "If you have a big, brawny friend who loves to fight then why bother skinning your own knuckles?"

  "That's dangerous if your friend suspects anything," said Kidwell with dawning realization, "but if Beefy Brawler has no other friends and no one else to understand him, of course he'll protect you. Heaven's flames and hell's frost! The Esavians!"

  That made Davies stop working.

  "So you're saying everything up until now is squelch," he asked with some heat.

  "Nak, Mike! It's squelch-complement. This absolutely helps us with what we have to do, now we need to work out how to use it."

  "So how do we separate Sneaky Weak Sally from Beefy Brawler," asked Ferrel, "She is his only friend and he may be madly in love with her."

  "Am I to assume we don't just tell him," asked Davies.

  "Correct," replied Kidwell, "He would slug you and keep on slugging. She's his only friend and he will protect her at all costs. No. You work to plant doubt in his mind. Make him question himself and his actions. Lead him subtly to ask her the questions she doesn't want to answer. But you have to make sure he thinks its his idea, otherwise you get slugged again. For truth, it's best you grow a lot of suspicion before the questions even form, otherwise Sally might talk her way out of it."

  "Alternate option," suggested Micah, "Replace Sneaky Weak Sally with Naughty Nicole. She sells to the highest bidder and she might just need some protection along the way. It helps if she's a better actress, more convincing and willing to do things Sally isn't."

  "That is disgusting," said Kidwell, "but basically valid. Interested Irving sends Naughty Nicole to beguile Beefy Brawler away from Sneaky Weak Sally. That leaves her open to propositions she didn't have to consider before."

  "That's all platinum and polar orbits," said Ferrel, "but we're interested in stopping Beefy Brawler. We don't particularly care about Sneaky Weak Sally."

  Kidwell's expression fell, then she speared Ferrel with a fierce glare. "Rut you, Charlie! Just when I have a good analogy going."

  "It's still workable, Vera," Micah thought carefully. "Once Beefy Brawler is taking Interested Irving's orders he's effectively neutralized. Sneaky Weak Sally can be dealt with as needed and on more favorable terms.

  "Simple plan: Naughty Nicole leads Beefy Brawler into weakness and out of being a threat. Complex plan: Sneaky Weak Sally figures out Naughty Nicole's play and has to match or beat it in order to keep Beefy Brawler's attention."

  "Complex plan one-point-five," said Ferrel, "Force Sneaky Weak Sally into a new relationship with Beefy Brawler that naturally leads both of them into weakness. That would take a lot more touch but ultimately it's the best of all worlds."

  Kidwell doodled on her datapad. "That's potentially workable. All we need now are the actors."

  Davies looked at them questioningly as they all went to work on that.

  "Is this how Field Ops operate? It sounds like my tax money is going toward smutty plays."

  "Broad plans work best with simple parts," said Micah, "Don't over-complicate until it is absolutely required."

  "Fifteenth Rule of the Mission," said Davies.

  "As to the detail work," said Kidwell, "We're operating under the assumption that wine imported from Mek-Soulda, Mek-Mierlo and Mek-Tarhav also support our bacterial beastie. So far we've narrowed down the soil chemistry to eleven hundred worlds, plus tariff. We've done that by narrowing based on eliminating inhibiting compounds present on other worlds. Join the party, we still have plenty of cake to eat."

  Micah loaded the criteria, cut off a chunk of data and started working. They eliminated two hundred worlds before dinner and another thirty-seven before bedtime.

  ***

  "This may be grunt work," commented Ferrel the next morning, "but it certainly is boring, too. Are we sure this is the best way?"

  "What do you suggest," asked Kidwell.

  "I can automate it. That will run slower, truth, but it will also run without our attention."

  "So you have something better to do?" Kidwell aimed the question at Ferrel but Micah answered.

  "Possibly. We're assuming this organism is present on the other three worlds. That's testable, but how relevant? We know six-sigma it's present in the Mek-Taniston wine. Do we really need to know about the others?"

  "Are you saying we missed the asteroid belt because of the rocks?"

  "We know where the wine is going," said Micah, "Is there a where else or why? Even that may be tangential."

  "What about the effects," asked Davies.

  "Testable relevance," said Kidwell, "I see, Micah. Don't go suborbital, Mike. I know this is interesting and potentially scary and we definitely need to keep studying it. Truth pure and shining there. Micah's question is how it fits into Esavian trade and how we can use it to neutralize the threat fro
m them. If we can."

  "I think it is relevant," said Micah, "and critical, based on what Mike found. Here's the sigma line. The Mekhajan have thousands of varieties of wine, liquor and spices and they don't seem worried about violating Esavian custom. Yet the wine from these four planets makes up a disproportionate amount of their trade in such things. That's the root of our interest in it."

  Davies nodded. "With what I have here I can work up a test for 4491. I'll base it on intestinal bacteria along with what I observed in Dave Barstein."

  "What did happen," asked Micah, "In detail, I mean."

  "It was a severe allergic reaction," said Davies, "Just like I said. It turns out he and Katie were both susceptible, it didn't have much to do with their inocs. Our inocs should suppress it, and I may need to suggest broad testing in the Semid population to determine what proportion of them are susceptible. In fact Dave's not only susceptible, he's sensitive. I still have some viable blood and tissue samples."

  Kidwell scowled at him in disgust.

  "Polarize," said Davies, "I need them for histamine and allergen protein replication. That is one of my specialties."

  "Slib," said Micah, "I'm thinking two targets with one torp. Consider how easily we exfiltrated Mek-Bellos. Hush, Charles, I know the IDs and burns were works of art and timely ones, truth. Now try this for a hat: we salvage or purchase an asteroid miner, fix it up, take it to Mek-Soulda and cash in a big strike."

  "Phase down, fireball," said Davies, "We're your backup, in case you forgot. We can't leave because we still have agents in place. That means you can't leave either! You'll be hitting very hostile terrain without a crash web."

  That irked Micah. "Can you contact the League?"

  "Only through Ted and only if Keith authorizes it. Why?"

  "I'm thinking of a mining ship. We buy one here or, worst case, bring one in from the League. We take it to Mek-Soulda. Belter ships are usually one- to three-person rigs but they do come in larger models."

  Davies considered this. "Put your message together. I'll talk to Keith."

  ***

  Blankenship eyed Micah critically. Micah easily read the thoughts going through his mind. By Intelligence standards all agents had equal rank. Ionoski clearly had seniority which equated to command and Micah did not. But Blankenship commanded a backup team. Backup teams ranked below field agents, sometimes from mistakes made in the field and others from simple inexperience or the need for further training. Micah didn't know why Blankenship drew this duty but he might well resent Ionoski's success and that of his team. Any or all of these reasons could cause trouble with Micah's request.

  "No," said Blankenship, "Ted's orders were clear: stay in place until he and the Semid agents complete their assignments. I will not break them without a better reason than your untested theories."

  "You can contact him," said Micah.

  "Too risky. Contacting Ted means microjumping in close enough to do it then jumping back. No."

  "Let Charlie and me go, then. We'll go in the way we got out and I will take full responsibility if things go sour."

  "No."

  "Then consider the Sixth Rule of the Mission. Change your plan, don't let it change you. I know you've read our theories. The data and our hypotheses, if accurate, will drastically alter our mission. We might need to make some fast moves soon and if Ted doesn't have the information..."

  Once again Micah watched Blankenship's wheels turning. He decided to add some hydrogen to the chamber.

  "Unofficial Number One," said Micah, "The plan adapts, death doesn't."

  Though Blankenship tried to conceal it Micah knew he hit a nerve there! Good or bad he knew not but the other man's thoughts visibly sped up at that.

  "Slib," he said, "I'll need a complete plan for your mission and any... contingencies."

  "Of course." Micah knew he meant acceptance of responsibility, and consequence. "I'll have it soonest."

  "I'll have the shuttle prepped."

  ***

  Micah and Ferrel walked across the concourse toward Ionoski's office. They had new faces and biometrics but torque-all for identification. Still, since they didn't plan to leave the port complex it should suffice. Ferrel did his best but without port net access it entailed some risk. Once again Ionoski had customers so they had to wait.

  "Just how much profit are you clearing," asked Ferrel.

  "Enough," said Ionoski with a smile, "but more in information. Do you need my back room?"

  Micah handed him a cube. "This is what we've done so far. It may take a while to read."

  "Then I can do that at convenience. Logic says your trip back isn't for pleasure. I never meant our exfiltration plan to go both ways."

  "It worked," said Ferrel, "and will again. With proper access I can cobble up everything we need. Except equipment and approval."

  "Instant summary," said Micah, "We need to investigate Mek-Soulda and there are some issues and obstructions. With a properly-registered belter ship and Charlie's full-access IDs we can travel throughout Mekhajan space with impunity, especially if the ship is purchased within Mekhajan space."

  "Slib," said Ionoski, "so what's the blockage?"

  Ferrel looked at Micah and remained silent.

  "First of all we don't quite have the funding for a ship," said Micah, "Not with full legality and unquestionable title. Second..." He switched to corner-speak. "There are... concerns... about the lack of... proper backup."

  "I see. Given our situation it's not unjustified. This really isn't a population we can disappear into at need. Short version, what do you need?"

  "Information. Possibly some verification. We're investigating the wine production on four worlds but we know it goes from Mek-Taniston to the Esavians. We want to find out if it really is unique among many or if there are other interesting items."

  "Nothing blatantly illegal," said Ferrel, "and I anticipate minimal security risk."

  "All security is minimal to you," said Ionoski instantly, "Micah?"

  "This time he's not blathering, Ted. We really are just planning to skim the surface. Possibly one or two punctures but minor ones. We'll also have Vera with us for cover and cultural reference."

  "If there's information there you know counter-intel will be swarming."

  "Then we'll have a chance to probe them too," said Ferrel.

  "Or not," countered Micah.

  Ionoski nodded. "As it happens we have a solution ready-made. I've established myself well enough to warrant a courier for special excursions. Belter ships have a good crew-to-cargo ratio and they're subject to reduced regulation provided they don't ground. All I really need is a crew. That's you, Charlie, Vera and two of Blankenship's people. That's for backup. I'll make the purchase tomorrow, Charles, and afterward you will clear, confuse and clone the official paperwork."

  "Polarity," said Ferrel, "I knew this was a good idea!"

  But Ionoski's casual talk of purchasing a ship, an item much more expensive than a hover, made Micah wonder. Just how much profit did Ted clear?!

  ***

  Ferrel sat watching his terminal like a fadescale eying a juicy bug. Then, faster than its tongue he struck! Micah checked his chrono more for amusement than information. Ted messaged them that the deal would close sometime between ten minutes ago and fifteen from now so he assumed it just happened.

  "In and out," said Ferrel, "Smooth as polysilk. Transfer of registry and all other paperwork now official and obfuscated. I also have a dozen extra transponder codes just in case we need them. Think Ted'll notice the additional cost?"

  "Bet me he doesn't."

  "I'll keep my money, thank you. Papers cleared and foreign clearance approved. We're totally and multiply legal now. I'm post-dating and foreign-clearing some of the extras."

  "Polar. Unofficial Twenty-Three."

  "Preparation and planning pay platinum, my brother. We may need any and all. Care to see her?"

  Micah examined their new ship closely. It looked enough like
a League belter ship to trade places with one. Not surprising since asteroid mining ships optimized one function, mining asteroids for profit, above everything else. This boat had a decent safety record and, for its age, an amazingly intact hull. With overhauls and inspections mostly on time, no major damage and no deterioration it would fit their need perfectly.

  "Good boat," said Micah as Ferrel jacked out and powered down, "I just hope I don't have to drive her."

  ***

  "I read your cube," said Ionoski, "Interesting theories. I messaged Katie and Dave. They're doing Esavian research now. The Mekhajan view them with amusement but they're the closest thing the Esavians have to friends. More than a few Esavians seem to know that, too."

  "Polar. What have you found?"

  "Patterns." Ionoski handed Micah a cube. "Trade and economic, internal and external. Unknown relevance to the mission but it's good to have and it gives proper context."

  Micah nodded. "Have you blipped Blankenship?"

  "Earlier this afternoon. I doubt we'll be here much longer. Katie and Dave are down to the polish and I doubt I'll get anything new above what I have. The contact codes are on that cube so keep an eye open. I have a local I'm training in the business so we'll keep it going until someone can take it over."

  ***

  Micah guided Ionoski's ship, the XMA-22105, into far parking orbit around Mek-Soulda. Blankenship, himself a certified Master Pilot, watched the procedure critically.

  "Not bad," he said, "Work on your landings and takeoffs and you won't have any problem certifying."

  Upon hearing Ionoski's directives Blankenship chose himself and Maria Fleischer, his team's tech officer, for the away mission. That left Davies in charge of the Nerissa with ample time to work on his research. As to Fleischer, she spoke little and most of that to Blankenship.

  "Credentials and credit balance verified," said Ferrel, "Personal and transport. Commuter shuttle is en route. Pricey, too."

  Blankenship shrugged. Although he wanted to, he vetoed the idea of landing, dropping the party and taking off into orbit again. When asked he cited an Intel backup-team protocol concerned with minimizing exposure of trouble teams and other backup assets.