"I am. You know about it?"
"Others here have been taken. Some don't come back."
Tia thought of the rooms she'd seen in the labs. "I've seen them. They are unconscious, or mindless."
"What about you? You look terrible."
She swallowed. "They're torturing me with the device. Using it to turn on the pain center in my brain. Rigault wants me to sign the amnesty."
His lips pursed. "Have you?"
She shook her head. "No. No, I've resisted so far." She swallowed. "I'm not sure how long I'll hold out, but I won't dishonor our dead comrades."
He opened his mouth to speak but stopped. Tia heard the footfalls of guards coming down the hall and pulled back from the cell door.
As she feared, they were there for her. "So more being a puppet, or more torture?" she asked them.
"Testing time, Hestian," one replied.
As usual, the chain was removed from the ring in the cell. She was escorted out, exchanging a glance with Quan as she exited the cell. His eyes focused on her intently and he nodded. His lips moved and she recognized what he was trying to say: Stay strong.
I only hope I can, she thought as she was led down the hall.
* * *
The anticipation Henry felt had the familiar tinge of pre-battle stress, or the kind he'd have while preparing to deal with dirty customs inspectors and the like. They were going into danger and it couldn't be avoided. He sensed a similar tension in Miri, while in the back seat, Piper was fidgeting in the seat. More than any of them, she hadn't signed up for this kind of thing. If things were as they should be, she'd be back on the ship and Yanik would be here.
Brigitte seemed to notice Piper's anxiety. Her hand came over to grip Piper's, a supportive gesture. "It'll be okay, Piper," she murmured in a low voice.
"Yeah."
They pulled up to the security gate. It was a manned post and a woman with a brown skin tone waved them through as soon as their IDs registered on the gate scanners.
As they pulled out of earshot, Piper murmured, "Let's just hope these things work. Getting this many IDs doesn't sound plausible."
"Rigault's a megacorp and employs thousands of security personnel across its holdings," Miri said. "Get ahold of their codes and then all you have to do is sell a reason you're coming in, and given the security around here, it's not hard to present yourself as new assignments that the system's not properly recognizing yet."
"Then it's just the case of a sympathetic guard who trusts the uniform more than the system saying we're not supposed to be here today," Henry added. "Everyone knows the computers are stupid half the time and trouble all of the time, after all."
Miri brought them to a stop in the parking area, finding a slot between two other aircars. They got out and picked up the provided rifles and sidearms for their uniforms. Their personal weapons were kept in hidden back holsters.
They entered the building as separate groups, out of sight of one another. With the aid of the blueprints they were shown, Henry and the others entered the halls leading to the confinement area. He kept an eye out for the reactions of those around them. If they aroused suspicions in any way… things will go to crap real fast. I can't let myself dwell on that.
At one junction, they came across a trio of guards escorting a prisoner, a Hestian man. At first, there was no interaction. Just as they passed by, one of the guards called out, "Hey!" Henry and the others looked toward him. "New assignment, right?" he asked.
"Right," Henry said. "Can I do something for you?"
"Yeah. My people are due for their break. You're just getting on." The man motioned to the prisoner. "This one's due in the labs for the operation. Doctor's orders. You take him."
We're just starting and something's already gone wrong. Henry glanced toward the others. This was far out of their way and would drastically alter their timetable. Miri nodded at him, her way of telling him to agree, and he recognized she was right. Refusal would undermine their cover, especially since this man was possibly a supervisor. And it wasn't time to begin shooting yet.
"Sure." Henry gestured to Brigitte, thankful her mohawk was trimmed down enough to fit in the security cap she was wearing. "We'll take him there."
"Good man, Officer…"
Henry forced himself not to glance at his corporate ID. "Miller."
"Good man, Miller." He took the prisoner from the other men and pushed him toward Henry. "Be careful in the labs. It's a need-to-know thing over there."
"Of course it is." Henry took the man by his arm while Brigitte covered him with her sidearm, a stunner. He recalled what the blueprints said about the lab entrance, but the prints were vague about what was inside. This is going to be a pain.
By now, the relieved guards and their manager were walking away. Miri got close and whispered to him, "We'll get Tia. You see to this until we radio for you."
"Right. Good luck."
Miri continued on with Piper, leaving Henry and Brigitte to escort the prisoner toward the lab area. The man trembled a little, and Henry could see the fear in his eyes. Sorry, pal, but I'm not here for you, he thought, even as he wondered if there'd be a way to help his unwanted prisoner too. We could get a lot of people out on the Wolf…
For the moment, though, they had to keep up appearances. They started walking toward the labs.
* * *
Miri was no stranger to how operations could go awry. As things went, this was hardly a difficulty compared to being blown this early, so she had little anxiety about the matter while leading Piper through the halls to the cells. "It'll be fine," she murmured to the other woman, seeing her uncertainty.
"It won't be fine until we're back on our ship, with Tia, jumping into another solar system," Piper hissed back.
And maybe not even then, Miri thought. The HBC's megacorps wouldn't give up on whatever was going on so easily.
They found the security door for the cell block with the adjoining security station. "Rounds already?" the man there asked. "They're really paranoid about this group."
"I don't ask the questions," Miri replied, shifting her accent to sound Lusitanian. "I just do what I'm told and collect the check."
"Same here." The guard waved them through.
Security station checks the door, then. This could be tricky getting out.
Miri considered ways of dealing with the security station while she and Piper walked along the cells. The cell block was that of a conventional jail more than prison, with about two meters between cells on either side. Each cell used bars, with a door set into them, as opposed to a solid door with a viewing port. It gave the block a more dungeon-like atmosphere as much as that of a jail.
Piper stopped at a cell and looked into it with an expression of bewilderment on her face. Miri stepped up beside her and noted that the woman inside, clad in an orange jumpsuit, was staring at the ceiling as if they weren't there. She turned on her cot and shivered.
Piper noted the chain on the floor, strapped to a ring and leading to the woman's neck. "My God, they're chained up like animals," she murmured.
"I know. Let's keep going."
As they went on, they found other similar cases. While some of the prisoners had sullen or fearful looks, others seemed particularly cowed. They flinched even from the approach of the two. Terror and fear showed in their eyes. HaShem, what is going on here? Miri asked in her mind and soul. Why do they act this way? Have they done this to Tia?
They went down the length of the cells, aisle by aisle. A few of them were empty, but not many.
And not one of them contained Tia.
Miri finally brought out her link, which was provided by Felix's team, a specialized link that used QET transmission to evade jamming or any emissions detection gear. "This is Gaon," she whispered. "Tia's not here. I repeat, she's not in the cell block. She must be in the labs."
"Copy," Henry murmured back.
* * *
It wasn't a long trip to the lab wing of the building.
Given the orders, Henry figured they were due to take the man to the operating theater, which was identified on one of the signs with a helpful arrow pointing the way. At least it's on the same floor. They continued on.
"Please take me back," the Hestian man begged, his English thickly accented. "I have a wife. A daughter. I was just getting them some food. I didn't know the money was stolen…"
Henry shook his head. He might have said something, which would have only made him feel worse, but he was distracted by the sound of a distant groan from ahead. The trio walked up to the threshold of a door that looked into a ward of some kind.
Multiple gurneys and beds were in the room, and Hestians inhabited them all. They were strapped down, which seemed unnecessary to Henry, since they looked completely out of it. Almost half were outright comatose. "What the hell…?" he muttered under his breath. A horrified thought took him that this was linked to why Tia was missing from any of the cells. He almost entered the room to see if he'd find her in there. But a second sweep of the room with his eyes showed none of the people fit her appearance.
He glanced back toward the others. The prisoner was paling. Brigitte was too. "What are they doing to people?" she whispered.
"Let's get Tia first, then maybe we can find out," he whispered back..
After another couple of doors, they found one with the current placard bearing the words "Subject Implantation Theater."
"Please don't do this!" their prisoner cried. "Just let me go, please. I don't deserve this!"
"Deserve what?" Henry asked.
"They're turning people into puppets!" he insisted. "The guards talk about it; they taunt us that we'll all be implanted soon. We'll be forced to be loyal to them!"
It sounded outlandish, but given what they'd just seen with those people on gurneys, Henry had a very bad feeling about the entire situation. We've got to get Tia out of this.
That meant keeping their cover, though.
The door opened. A big male in an orderly's gown stood at the threshold. "Got the next one? We'll get him ready for the surgeons."
Something about the orderly's accent sounded distantly familiar. Henry struggled to think of what it was.
"No! No!" The man squirmed against Henry's grasp, as if to escape. "You can't do this! Please don't do this!"
Brigitte's stunner pressed against his back. The man's body seized up. The orderly joined Henry in pulling him in. Another approached and Henry let go so they could take over. Brigitte stepped up behind him.
The room was an operating theater, that much was certain, with the tools of a surgeon in a tray beside a surgical bed. Said bed had a tilt base with a motor and straps for multiple-point restraint. The orderlies carried the stunned man to the table.
Henry's jaw clenched. His stomach turned at the thought of what might be going on here.
Before he could turn to Brigitte, one of the lab-coated figures stepped up, a middle-aged man with graying dark hair. He spoke in a particular accent Henry couldn't quite place, save it was almost German in its sounds. "Ah, thank you, Officer… Miller. I can assure you, your presence will no longer be—"
The doctor stopped speaking as his eyes passed toward Brigitte. Henry glanced toward her and felt his stomach twist at the way her eyes widened in surprise… and recognition. Henry's eyes turned back to the coated man, whose eyes betrayed the same emotion.
The doctor turned, very swiftly, and Brigitte struck like a cobra. Her stunner pressed up against the doctor's back and discharged, a low sound. Henry was just quick enough to catch the man as he fell.
The sound he made in doing so brought the attention of the entire room. "He just fainted," Henry lied, hoping they'd buy it from how flustered he really was. "What do I do?"
Another individual, this one in scrubs, spoke up. "Poor Doctor Breivik's been overworked lately. Director Rigault's put him under a lot of stress. Officer, would you mind taking him to his office? I'll handle this operation and he can review it later, when he's recovered."
"Must be that Hestian woman he's spending so much time working with," one of the others said. "She's a fiery one."
The description was vague, but Henry decided to make a stab in the dark. "Oh? Would I know her if I saw her? Just in case I ever have to deal with her."
"She's about forty standard years. Short hair, and those gray eyes make me think of storm clouds." The man chuckled. "Not that you'll have many problems with bringing her to her cell. They test her more than anyone."
Definitely Tia, he thought. "Well, thanks for the head's up anyway." Considering his cover, he added, "Otherwise, I wouldn't know her from any of the others. You see one Hestian, you've seen them all."
The surgical team nodded without really agreeing. Henry motioned to Brigitte and they got Dr. Breivik to his feet and pulled him from the room.
He took a moment to feel guilty for the man they'd brought to be operated on, then flashed a look at Brigitte. "Do you know this man?"
"I recognize him," she said.
They stopped talking as a guard stepped around the T-junction ahead. He eyed them with bewilderment. "The doc fainted," Henry said. "Just trying to get him to his office."
"Oh, yes. This way." He came up and helped by taking Breivik by the legs, then guided them to the right of the junction. A few doors down, they stopped and the guard opened a door, revealing a small office inside. "Here."
"Thanks. Better get back to your rounds." Henry tried not to sound too eager.
"Yeah. Director Rigault's really on the warpath these days." The guard turned and continued on.
Henry and Brigitte maneuvered Breivik into his office and set him down in a chair. At this point, Henry, after glancing at the door to make sure the guard moved on, spoke to Brigitte. "He knows you, and you know him. He's a Leaguer, isn't he? That entire team was."
Brigitte nodded. A bitter look came to her face. "He was a doctor at the Millerton resocialization camp, the same one where Oskar worked and I was a prisoner."
"So what's he doing out on Hestia of all places?"
"I'm not sure. Back then, he was going to experiment on a lot of us. I was the first selected. But Oskar knocked him out and rescued me, then we ran. That's when we stowed away on the Shadow Wolf."
"Then… Oskar was involved in the experiment too?" Henry thought of what Oskar said about his past. He knew that a lot of it haunted him.
"I suppose." Brigitte's voice lowered to a hiss.
I can ask more later. Right now, we need to find Tia. "Then let's—"
Before he could finish, the stunner wore off enough that Breivik shifted in the chair. His eyes focused on them.
Well, might as well take what I'm given. Henry met his gaze. "I'm going to ask you something, and only the first time will be nice. Where is Tia Nguyen?"
Breivik's jaw clenched. His eyes went from Henry to Brigitte. "So it is you," he said. "Brigitte Tam'si."
"Yeah, it's me, and that's not what the man asked you," Brigitte answered.
"Then…" He swallowed. "Is Oskar still with you?"
"That's not the damn question!" Brigitte punched Breivik in the gut, drawing a wheeze from the older man. "Where is Tia?!"
"He's still with you, yes," Breivik murmured. "He was a fool, a noble-minded fool. If he'd but listened to me, we would have already completed the work!"
Henry took the opening offered. "What work is that? What's this about making people into puppets?"
"The only work that matters. The work that will bring an end to our struggles and introduce an age of galactic peace."
"And just what the hell does that mean?" Henry demanded.
Breivik smiled. "I suspect you will find out soon enough."
21
Access to the data center for the complex meant a descent into the sub-basement levels for Felix and Wu's team. Upon arrival, they entered a hall and the security station. Exfiltration will be tight, Felix pondered. They've got a stairwell too, but that's just as easily blocked.
The guard there waved them up, but stopped from going any further for the moment. "Normal shift change isn't for another two hours," the New Gabonese man said. "What's going on?"
"Surprise inspection, young man," Felix answered. "We're going to be checking the integrity of the data servers."
The guard's brow furrowed. "I wasn't informed of any inspections."
Felix grinned. "That's why they're called surprise inspections, son."
"This is irregular. I can't just let you through here." The guard reached for the intercom. "My supervisor will clear this up."
Felix sighed at the failure of his bluff. It's so much easier when they're not this smart. He pulled his sidearm as the guard's hand gripped the intercom. The stunner discharged just in time, striking the man and sending him down before he could make a call.
Wu motioned to his people. Two of them entered the station and picked up the unconscious guard. "Stunners like these are short-term; he won't be out long. Find a room and secure him."
"Yes, Major." The two lieutenant-rank Marines took the body away.
"We're on the clock now," Felix said. "Let's go."
They left the station vacant. Once the unconscious guard was left out of sight and restrained, the group hustled down the corridors as a team. Nobody ran, just in case someone noticed them on the security scanners, but there was a spring in their step to keep them moving to their ultimate goal: the complex's data center.
The data center was an unmanned chamber entered through a double door secured by a lock. Cabinets full of high-density databanks were lined in columns down the length of the room.
Wu's computer specialist, First Lieutenant Tamira Sanchez, stepped up to a panel built into one of the columns. "This room's not meant for direct access use," the Canaan native said, her dark eyes intent on her work as she opened up the panel. "I'll have to use a tap."
"Will that set off alarms?" Wu asked.
"Not if I'm careful," she said, reaching into the cabling. "If I can make it look like this is maintenance work, they won't realize what's happening."
Breach of Trust: Breach of Faith Book Four Page 16
