Vega paused and nodded at Anna. “I don’t suppose you’ve had any further visions or hunches having to do with your trip to Vor,” he said.
Anna shook her head. “You’d be the first to know.”
“But we also can’t take forever,” said Lisa. “The portal could disappear at any time.”
“Unfortunately, this is also true,” said Vega miserably. “But here’s what I’d like to do. I’d like to strategize about how best to get Anna through the portal alive, assuming that neither of her portal-related visions will come true. And also assuming that the Tarts will find out the portal’s location and will deploy over six hundred of their people to stop us. This may not be the case, but we’d be foolish to assume anything else.”
“Agreed,” said Anna.
“Finally,” continued Vega, “given these parameters, I’d like to get recommendations from Colonel Redford as to how to proceed. I suspect he’s the best military planner here.”
Redford nodded. “Give me some time to think,” he said.
The room remained silent for several minutes. Finally, the colonel nodded solemnly and began. “I could ask the president to deploy US forces to Albania,” he said. “That would be a tough ask, politically and diplomatically, but it could be done. The problem is that the forest location of the portal will render our air and ground power less effective. We could flood the zone with an overwhelming force, but this would raise a lot of questions. It would also require that a large number of people learn the location of your portal. Something I think we’d all like to avoid.”
“Agreed,” said Vega.
“So I propose we go stealth,” said Redford. “The Tarts don’t know about your invisibility tech. So let’s use it. You and a force of say forty armed Vorians go into the Albanian woods along with Anna. Each of you shielded by your invisibility tech. The Vorian force recons the area, and then creates a kind of corridor, a protected path to the portal. When the portal activates, you and Anna, still invisible, waltz right through.”
“Impressive,” said Vega. “I like it. And this is good timing. Several weeks ago, I asked Kaitlyn to modify the invisibility generators so that they’re portable and can be used to conceal individuals.”
“Perfect,” said Redford.
Anna nodded. “My intuition is telling me this plan will work,” she said. “That an invisible fighting force will more than make up for a disparity in numbers.”
The alien leader turned to his chief scientist. “So how are the individual invisibility units coming along?” he asked.
“They’ve pretty much been perfected,” replied Kaitlyn. “I brought two working prototypes with me when I rushed here from Europe to meet Anna. They’re in the form of lapel pins, about the size and thickness of a screw-on bottle cap. I put them in the optics lab in building three for further testing, but I’m convinced they’re ready to go.”
“How do they work?” asked Redford.
“Each scans in the body of the wearer,” replied the chief scientist, “and will ensure that this body, and any object being held by it, is rendered invisible, regardless of movement. Ansel Cartwright did most of the work in Switzerland and has the best lab to scale it up for our forces. I’m guessing he and his team can produce forty-two individual systems for the team in a few days.”
“Outstanding,” said Vega. “I ordered a number of our people to fly here to protect Anna, but I’ll have them all diverted to Albania the moment this meeting is over.”
“Quick question,” said the colonel. “You’ve used your impressive invisibility tech to hide the facilities we’re in now. So why haven’t you used it to hide your portal?”
“We tried,” replied Vega. “But the portal stubbornly refused to play along. It’s the only object we’ve encountered that seems immune from the technology. Fortunately, when it’s inactive, as it is most of the time, it’s perfectly reflective.”
“I see,” said Anna, nodding. “Which makes it nearly invisible on its own. You look at it and you see the reflection of trees and forest undergrowth, which is what you’d expect to see in a forest anyway.”
“Exactly,” said Vega. “But even if we can’t make it fully invisible, I think Steve has come up with a sound plan.”
“I hope so,” said Redford. “But I should point out the obvious, that this is only a thirty-thousand-foot look at a broad strategy. There are numerous details to be worked out. We need a very precise plan of attack. I can get footage of the portal and vicinity from satellites, but given the forest, this will be of limited value. So we’ll need painstaking drone surveillance of every square inch of the forest. I’ll also need to know the weapons you Vors can bring to bear and the general skill level of the people you’ll be sending to Albania. Then we’ll have to organize them into small squadrons and set up the proper command structure for maximum order, cohesion, and versatility. We’ll need to choose a staging area. Then we’ll have to refine and polish the plan until we’re convinced it’s as flawless as we can make it.”
Vega nodded. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’re on our side,” he said. “You clearly have a better grasp of tactics and strategy than we do. So let’s get on this. I’ll contact Ansel Cartwright in Switzerland immediately to get him started on the personal invisibility tech. I’ll have others get the drone survey completed. Colonel, I assume that you’re willing to be in charge of further refinements to the plan.”
Redford nodded.
“Good,” said the alien leader. “Anna,” he continued, “are you okay with leaving two mornings from now for Albania? I’d like to be sure that we’re in position the moment everything is finally ready to proceed.”
“I’m okay with it,” said Anna. “But I’m not sure about Steve. What do you say?” she asked the colonel.
Redford made a face as though he had eaten moldy cheese. “I’m afraid I can’t go with you,” he whispered. “I need to coordinate with the president and our anti-Tart forces. Frequently. And I need to make an appearance at Evie headquarters. Settle down some nerves.”
He sighed. “Besides, I’m not sure I can take watching you step through that portal. I don’t have a problem with a long-distance relationship. God knows no one is worth waiting for more than you are. But twenty-five thousand light-years? The term long distance doesn’t quite cover it.”
Anna’s eyes moistened, and a single tear formed in the corner of her eye. “I’ll be returning to Earth frequently,” she said, although she appeared to be reassuring herself as much as Redford, and everyone in the room knew that the portals were too fickle for her to say this with any confidence. “And look on the bright side,” she added, trying to smile through obvious despair, “you won’t have to worry about me falling for another guy. At least not a human one.”
Redford sighed. “Are you sure you really want to do this, Anna?”
“I don’t want to do this,” she replied. “I have to do this. And I know that the timing couldn’t be worse as far as our relationship is concerned.”
Redford looked shattered, like a little boy who had lost a puppy, but he didn’t respond.
Vega opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again.
“Do you have something you want to add, Tom?” asked Anna softly.
Vega still looked uncertain. “I don’t want to get too personal,” he said.
“Please,” said Anna. “Go ahead.”
The alien leader thought about this further, and finally decided to proceed. “It’s just that, based on my study of human relationships, I’m surprised by how close you and Steve seem to be. You’ve only known each other a few days, yet you act the way I would expect if you had known each other for much, much longer. What am I missing?”
“Nothing,” said Anna despondently, apparently still saddened at the prospect of leaving a man she had come to care for. “You’re right. Most of the time, relationships develop much more slowly. But on very rare occasions, the process can accelerate. Maybe my clairvoyance helped, beca
use we both got a quick sense that our relationship was somehow meant to be. So we let down our guard sooner than we ever would have under normal circumstances. And when we did, we both liked what we saw, and this only reinforced and heightened our emerging feelings. But believe me, it surprises us as much as you.”
Redford nodded. “And sorry you have to catch us in this state,” he said. “When you’re around a couple just beginning to fall hard for each other, it can be nauseating. I know. But when you’re the couple, you can’t seem to help it.”
“I understand,” said Vega. “From my reading on human pair bonding, there’s a euphoria associated with initial romantic love. And these feelings impact the brain the same way as drugs like cocaine.”
“Whoa,” said the colonel. “Let’s not get too carried away. Your use of the term love is way premature.”
“Way premature,” seconded Anna.
“But no need to discuss this further,” said Redford. “Anna and I will make sure you aren’t around when we say our goodbyes, so you won’t have to worry about getting sick.”
There was a long silence. “Okay then,” said Vega. “I guess we’re done here.”
“Not quite,” said Anna. “There is one more thing. Something very important. Earlier, you told me that you had lost five people, and have no idea how. Well I do. At least my gut does. It came to me recently, and Steve and I discussed this at length during our private meeting just now.” She paused for effect. “One of the Vors on your team, Tom, is a traitor. I don’t know who.”
Vega shook his head. “It can’t be,” he said. “That’s the first thing I considered. But I quickly ruled it out.”
“Why?” asked Anna.
“Because I refuse to believe that one of our people would actively work against their own species.”
The detective nodded. “I considered it, too, when you first brought it up,” she said. “And my intuition also ruled it out. But no longer. Now my gut is saying just the opposite. Strongly.”
Vega still looked skeptical. “I trust your intuition, Anna,” he said. “I do. But I assume you didn’t get this from a vision, or you’d know who it was.”
Anna frowned. “True enough,” she said miserably. “I’ve strained to find out, but with no luck. All I know is that my intuition tells me there’s a traitor in your midst, and that you and I are safe from whoever it is.”
“Which makes sense,” said Redford thoughtfully. “Now that your clairvoyance has been enhanced, if the traitor tries to kill you in the future, you’ll see it beforehand and learn their identity. So they have to lie low.”
“I think that’s right,” said Anna. “But absent any direct move against me in the future, I can’t get an identity. Because I still can’t direct my abilities. Something comes to me or it doesn’t. And I think there are just too many suspects, too many possible futures, and too many other vital things going on for me to sort it all out.”
“Keep trying,” said Kaitlyn. “I’m sure it will come to you. And your abilities should grow stronger every day.” She looked unsettled. “Still, this changes everything. Forty-one out of fifty-nine of us will be in Albania paving the way for you to get through the portal. So the odds are that the traitor will be in this group, working against us.”
The chief scientist turned to face Tom Vega. “Shouldn’t we delay the mission until we’ve figured out who it is?”
“No,” said Anna before the alien leader could respond. “We just have to count on me being able to see any major surprise before it happens. If they show their hand, I’ll sound the alarm right away.”
“We should at least warn everyone,” said Kaitlyn, “so they can watch their backs. We don’t want to sow distrust among ourselves,” she added, “but I think all Vorians have a right to know about this.”
“I agree,” said Vega. “Anna, what do you think?”
“I agree also,” said the detective.
“Is there even the slightest chance that you’re wrong about this?” the alien leader asked Anna.
“There’s always a chance,” she replied. Then, frowning deeply, she added, “But in this case it’s very, very small.”
53
Stephen Redford sat at a computer in his bedroom, a room he had once again shared the previous two nights with Anna Abbott, and reviewed the draft of his battle plan yet again. He and Anna seemed to be growing ever closer, and while the term romantic love was still premature, it wasn’t nearly as absurd as it should have been.
Not that this mattered at the moment. Tom Vega was even now with Anna in a private jet, piloting her on a course to Albania. Redford had said his goodbyes in the wee hours of the morning, had then visited Evie headquarters to reestablish a presence, address his people, and have a new comm implanted in his cochlea, and had now returned. And all of this by late afternoon.
He was exhausted. A state he was long used to, and one that would only get worse until every Tart on Earth had been eliminated.
Kaitlyn O’Connor rushed into the room as if she had seen a ghost. “We have a problem, Steve,” she began urgently. “Secretary Stinnett is dying.”
“What?” said Redford. “How can that be?”
“I’m convinced it’s a delayed effect of the HCS cure.”
The chemical compound they were waiting for had arrived the morning before, and Kaitlyn had administered the cure just an hour later.
“But you told us that it was working perfectly,” said the colonel. “With no ill effects. And I confirmed this myself when I spoke with him afterwards.”
“I know!” replied Kaitlyn. “This shouldn’t be happening. I followed the chemical recipe that Tom gave me precisely. And the cure did work. But it must have triggered a delayed reaction. Like the body rejecting a transplant. Stinnett’s vital signs started to bottom out thirty minutes ago. Sensors show that his brain is depleted of key neurotransmitters, and he isn’t getting proper blood oxygenation. I’ve managed to stabilize him, but only temporarily. He’s currently on full life support. If I don’t get him to a hospital with more specialized equipment, we could lose him at any time.”
“Where is he now?”
“Two of my colleagues are loading him into one of our helicopters. I can pilot him to the hospital, but I’ll need to do this right away.”
“What about the portable signal dampener you were working on? Is it ready? We can’t have Frey tracking Stinnett’s comm.”
“It’s ready and tested,” said Kaitlyn.
“Good. I’ll alert the nearest military base to prepare their medical facilities for his arrival.”
“The clock is ticking,” said Kaitlyn, “and the medical facilities at nearby military installations don’t have some of the sophisticated cutting-edge equipment we may need to save his life. So I recommend taking him to Drake Hospital in Salt Lake City. I’ve cultivated a friendship with a doctor there. A doctor I trust.”
“We don’t want the state of Stinnett’s health to be the lead story in every paper and news channel in the world,” said Redford. “Can you get this doctor friend of yours to keep the secretary’s identity under wraps?”
“Yes. I’m sure of it.”
“Okay, then, take him to Drake. Before you go, do you have any theories as to what happened to him?”
“Only two. First, my predecessors on ancient Earth only used the cure on a few hundred humans during their entire tenure here. Different human beings react to drugs differently. There are any number of drugs developed by your own pharmaceutical companies that have lethal effects on only one in a hundred thousand users. Or one in a million.”
“So the secretary could just be the rare person who has an adverse reaction not seen in any of the others.”
“Yes,” said the chief scientist.
“And the second possibility?”
She hesitated. “Tom was the first to read the log entries made by the original Vorian visitors. I never have. The recipe for the cure was listed there. So maybe he misremembered it when
he wrote it down for me. Got it close enough to cure the secretary, but maybe got the concentrations wrong.”
Redford frowned. “I thought Vors didn’t misremember. I thought your superior conscious minds had almost perfect recall.”
“They do. But almost perfect isn’t the same as perfect, and there’s a lot going on. I’m also not saying that this is what happened. I’m just saying that it could have. If you’re thinking for an instant that Tom might be the traitor, I’m telling you this is impossible. There is absolutely no way.”
Redford nodded, but didn’t respond.
“I have to go now,” said the chief scientist. “I just wanted you to know what was happening. I’ll contact Tom from the air and fill him in also.”
The colonel shook his head. “Don’t,” he said simply. “I’ll take care of it. Tom has a lot on his mind trying to make sure he and Anna make it through the portal. He’s still in flight, and reviewing plans. We’re scheduled to speak soon anyway, so I’ll let him know.”
“Understood,” said Kaitlyn, rushing from the room.
54
The Vor calling herself Kaitlyn O’Connor landed her helicopter on a smooth sheaf of granite high up on a mountain bluff, one she had scouted out months earlier. Nature’s perfect, isolated helipad.
She manipulated a human laptop computer and additional electronics she had brought along so that Stinnett’s comm was tied into the helicopter’s speaker system, and placed a call through the device implanted in his inner ear.
“Shane Frey, are you out there?” she said.
There was no response.
She repeated this for several minutes before a grating, discordant voice finally blared out through the speaker. “Who is this?” it demanded. “How are you doing this?”
“Hello, Frey,” she said. “I’ve tied into your comm using the connection you built into Wilson Stinnett’s comm. But don’t bother trying to locate him. I’ve blocked that part of its functionality.”
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