by Ken Lozito
Dr. Allen swallowed hard and looked worried. “I found lethal levels of Polonium-210. I haven’t filed the report yet because I thought you’d want to hear this first, but the colonel was poisoned.”
“Hold on a minute,” Connor said. “We were in the aft gunnery area of the ship and Ian was at the munitions station. There could have been a containment leak there but on a small enough scale that it wasn’t detected by onboard systems.”
Dr. Allen shook his head. “I researched Polonium-210’s usage and we haven’t used it in any great capacity in over a hundred and fifty years.”
Connor shook his head. “This is rich. You’re telling me that Ian is dying of radiation sickness from some kind of element we don’t even use anymore. How the hell did he get exposed to it then?”
“He was in the mess hall, so he must have ingested it somehow,” Dr. Allen said.
Connor sighed heavily. “Still doesn’t explain where it came from,” he said, rubbing his chin and then glancing over at Hayes. “Was he exposed?”
“Yes, but he’ll make a full recovery. His exposure must have been much less than Colonel Howe’s,” Dr. Allen said.
“And the rest of the people at the infirmary?” Connor asked.
“Mixed. Some had allergic reactions and others had various other symptoms,” Dr. Allen said.
“I need them tested to see if they were exposed, too,” Connor said and looked at Sean. “I want you and your team to go to the munitions center and look for trace detections of any radioactive material. If anyone asks, you’re doing a spot inspection at my request.”
“Yes, sir,” Sean said and left.
Connor looked at Dr. Allen. “You said Major Hayes is going to make a full recovery. When is he going to wake up?”
“It won’t be for a few more hours. The treatment is helping his cells rebuild and it’s working so far,” Dr. Allen said.
“Okay, I want to be informed the moment he’s awake,” Connor said.
“Understood, General,” Dr. Allen said.
“I’m going to assign a security detail to the medical bay,” Connor said and looked over at Ian Howe inside the medical capsule. “Can you wake him up? There might be something he could tell us.”
“I could, but I won’t do that to him,” Dr. Allen said.
“Why not?” Connor asked in a hard tone.
“If I were to wake him up, he’d be in so much pain that I doubt he’d be coherent. I wouldn’t put anyone in that kind of pain. The only thing we can do now is make him as comfortable as possible,” Dr. Allen said.
“You’re wrong, Doctor. That’s not the only thing we can do for him,” Connor said and walked toward the door. “We can find the son of a bitch who did this. I’ll have that security detail here soon and I want you to file your report under DSP protocol.”
Dr. Allen frowned. “I’m not familiar with DSP protocol.”
“Enter it in the type field for your report and the interface will handle all the rest. Basically it’ll seal the records so only you and I can review the contents,” Connor replied.
“What if something happens to either of us?” Dr. Allen asked.
“I’ll authorize a few others, including Captain Quinn, who you just met, and Colonel Reisman. That’s it. In the event that we all die—unlikely, I know—but in that event, only senior bridge officers or COMCENT can open those records. You’re part of this investigation now. If you think of anything else, I want you to contact either myself, Captain Quinn, or Colonel Reisman.”
“Understood, General,” Dr. Allen said.
Connor paused at the door. “One more thing. Keep them in here. I don’t want the guilty parties to know we’re onto them yet.”
Dr. Allen bobbed his head once.
Connor left the medical bay and stormed down the corridor. There was a potentially hostile force on the edge of PRADIS and now a murder on his hands. One of these things he was better prepared to face and the other just made him sick. Why would anyone want to murder Ian Howe? His mind refused to come up with any reason that made sense. His brows pushed forward and Connor clenched his teeth. Attempting to kill the leader of the CDF, however...That would make sense. There were no murders at the colony and now there was an assassination attempt? Nothing was ever easy.
A few hours later Connor was still on the bridge. The bridge crew had changed shifts and he was reviewing the latest progress reports on his terminal at the command chair when he noticed someone walking toward him. The man was tall and thickly muscled. He came to a stop near Connor and snapped a salute.
“May I have a word with you in private, General?” the man asked, and Connor looked up to meet intense dark eyes.
Connor glanced at the PRADIS status screen, which was still empty. Whatever the anomaly had been, it hadn’t returned.
“And you are?” Connor asked.
“Captain Toro, Head of Security, sir.”
Connor knew that Sean was making steady progress with his investigation, so Connor should have expected a visit like this. He stood up. “LaCroix, you have the con.”
“Yes, sir,” Lieutenant LaCroix responded.
“Right this way, Captain,” Connor said.
They left the bridge and entered the nearby ready room. It was sparsely furnished with a curved desk that had wooden accents along the edges. A wallscreen activated when he walked in and showed a view of the stars. Next to the desk was a cylindrical aquarium with an impressive coral reef growing through the middle. Several species of fish swam in the churning water. The interior lights of the aquarium sent small bands of reflected light onto the walls. It was soothing. Connor hadn’t realized that Colonel Howe had created such a space on his ship and he was left to wonder how much he really knew about the people who were serving under him.
He went over to the cubby and selected the option for black coffee. He asked Captain Toro if he wanted some, but the captain refused.
Connor sat down on the cushioned chair behind the desk and gestured for Captain Toro to have a seat on either of the padded chairs on the other side of the desk.
The captain took a moment to appreciate the aquarium and then swung his gaze toward Connor.
“General, I’d like to know if I’m suspected of a crime,” Captain Toro said.
“No, you’re not, Captain,” Connor answered.
“Then why is there an investigation being conducted without my knowledge? I’m the head of security on this ship and those issues should have been raised through my department, sir,” Captain Toro said.
“Why don’t you tell me what you know, Captain,” Connor said.
“Just that Captain Quinn is performing spot inspections near the munitions centers, which may fool the average officer but not me. I’d wager a guess that he’s looking for something dangerous, something radioactive. The question is why,” Captain Toro said.
Connor nodded. “We have reason to suspect that Colonel Howe was poisoned.”
Captain Toro’s eyes widened and he frowned.
“Dr. Allen informed me that Howe was exposed to lethal levels of a radioactive substance,” Connor said.
Captain Toro’s brows furrowed and his lips twisted into a partial sneer. “This doesn’t make any sense. You said lethal levels. Are you saying Ian is going to die?”
“Yes,” Connor confirmed.
Captain Toro looked away.
“How well do you know Colonel Howe?” Connor asked.
“He’s godfather to my daughter, sir.”
Connor drew in a deep breath.
“Put me to work, sir. Tell me what you know and I can find out who did this,” Captain Toro said.
Connor pressed his lips together. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“Not good enough. I can’t sit by while this is happening. The safety of the Vigilant’s crew is my responsibility, so if you don’t suspect me, I should be involved in this investigation. There were more than a few people sick and we thought there was some kind of new virus
spreading, but when no one else got sick I decided to do some checking of my own,” Captain Toro said.
“Captain Quinn is already investigating this,” Connor said.
“Yes, but he doesn’t know this ship like I do,” Captain Toro said.
Connor bridged his fingers in front of his chest.
“Please, sir.”
“Alright, I’ll inform Captain Quinn that you’re now part of this investigation, but I want to make this perfectly clear to you. Quinn is on point and you will take your direction from him. The sophistication and nature of this crime means there are a limited number of people with the skills capable of pulling it off,” Connor said. He glanced at his coffee, trying to decide if he still wanted it.
“Thank you, sir. I’ll report to Captain Quinn immediately and offer my services,” Captain Toro said.
Connor rose from his seat and came around the desk. “We’ll find who did this, I promise,” he said.
Captain Toro came to his feet as well. A chime came from the speaker near the door.
“General, I have Colonel Douglass on a comlink to speak with you. Shall I patch it to your ready room, sir?” Sergeant Boers asked.
“No, I’m returning to the bridge,” Connor said and headed for the door.
“Sir,” Captain Toro said.
Connor turned back toward him.
“Your coffee,” Captain Toro said and handed him the mug.
Connor took it and thanked him. Toro headed away from the bridge. The big man’s foot stomps could be heard as he left.
Connor entered the bridge and glanced down at the coffee, deciding he didn’t want it after all. The corporal at the door glanced at him.
“Sir, I can take care of that for you if you want,” the corporal said.
“Thanks,” Connor said and handed him the mug.
Connor headed toward the command chair and sat down. “Comms, put Colonel Douglass on screen.”
The main holoscreen flickered as the comlink was connected and Kasey Douglass’s bearded face came on.
“After multiple diagnostics on our PRADIS and connected systems, my engineers assure me that the systems are functioning properly,” Kasey said.
Connor had expected as much. “Same here. I don’t like leaving this to chance. That’s why I’m ordering the Vigilant, along with the Banshee and the Wyatt, to make a scouting run to see if we can find this anomaly if we extend PRADIS’s range.”
Kasey nodded. “I suspected you would, which is why I must advise against it, sir.”
“Noted, Colonel,” Connor replied.
“Sir, I’m not disputing the need to investigate. What I’m protesting is whether you should be the one doing the investigating,” Kasey said.
Connor considered what Kasey said and he was right. This was something he should delegate. “Ordinarily you’d be correct, but with the possibility of an unknown virus on this ship, I can’t risk the exposure to Titan,” he lied.
Kasey narrowed his gaze. Connor knew there was no argument Kasey could make that wouldn’t bring more suspicion to what was really happening on the Vigilant.
“Understood, sir. We’ll relay your preliminary reports back to New Earth,” Kasey said as a soft reminder that Connor needed to keep the government of the colony informed.
“Thank you. We’ll get underway and I’ll be in touch. In the meantime, keep a ready status,” Connor said.
“Yes, General,” Kasey replied.
Connor severed the comlink. “Nav, plot us a course into gamma quadrant. Let’s see if anything’s lurking in the void that we should know about.”
15
Connor sat in the ready room just off from the bridge. It was one of the few places he could be alone to get his head straight. It had been thirty-six hours since they’d left Titan Space Station behind. There were regular check-ins with Major Cross of the Banshee and acting commander, Captain Mattison, of the Wyatt. Connor had considered leaving the Wyatt at the space station, but if there was trouble brewing out beyond the fringes of known space, he needed firepower. This was a scouting mission, but if they found something, it could just as easily become a first-strike mission.
The chime sounded at his door.
“Come in,” Connor said.
The door opened and Major Hayes hovered in the doorway. He was back in CDF-standard blues with the golden sunburst displaying proudly on his shoulder.
“Nathan, come inside,” Connor said, rising from his seat. “I was glad to hear about your recovery.”
Major Hayes stepped inside. He still looked a bit pale, like he could use several healthy meals and more sleep.
“Sir, I’m no good to you lying in bed,” Major Hayes said.
Connor glanced at the man’s hands. They were sometimes fidgety and then sometimes clenched.
“You’ve been through a lot,” Connor said.
“I got to walk away. I’m ready to resume my duties as XO, sir,” Major Hayes said.
“Alright, I’ll bring you up to speed, but there’s something I need to know first,” Connor said.
“I told Dr. Allen everything I could remember. Colonel Howe and I were just finishing up our meal and he collapsed to the floor,” Major Hayes said.
“I’m aware of that, but what I want to know is if you know of anyone who has voiced an opinion that makes you question whether they should be on this ship,” Connor said.
Major Hayes looked away, taking a second to think about it. “Nothing comes to mind. Some people become frustrated from time to time, but there’ve been no red flags that indicate anyone is unfit for duty, sir.”
Connor nodded. “I keep hearing the same thing from other officers, but I wanted to confirm with you.”
“The Vigilant has a good crew. How’s the investigation going?” Major Hayes asked.
“Ongoing, I’m afraid. We’ve started questioning crewmen about their whereabouts on that day and we’ve been scanning the interior of the ship for trace amounts of radioactive material,” Connor said.
“And this scouting mission? Is there anything I need to know about that, sir?”
Connor told Major Hayes about the anomaly that had been detected by the PRADIS system on Titan Space Station and how they’d confirmed it on their own system, but the anomaly hadn’t shown up again.
“So that’s why we’re traveling at such a slow speed,” Major Hayes said.
“I just want to take a look,” Connor replied.
“And when will we reach the end of the envelope for this scouting mission?”
“In eight hours. At that time, if nothing’s been detected, we’ll turn around and head back to Titan Space Station,” Connor said.
Major Hayes traced the stubble of his mustache and beard. “I saw in the logs that you’ve ordered engineering crews to modify the HADES IV missiles.”
“Yes, but we can only modify twenty percent of our arsenal. Engineer Hatly came up with an alternative. It’s not as good as the actual upgrades, but it helps,” Connor said.
He brought up a holoscreen and opened a high-level schematic of the HADES IV. “See, the proposed upgrades add systems to the existing missiles. What we’re doing with the missiles we can’t upgrade is updating the command-and-control software so it will accept updates to targeting from the HADES IV-B missiles,” Connor said.
Major Hayes read the information on screen. “This is really something. You’re making the unmodified HADES IVs slaves to the HADES IV-Bs. Too bad we can’t increase the range of PRADIS. Don’t you think we should have detected something by now?”
“I expected us to detect something several hours away from Titan, but that wasn’t the case,” Connor said and rubbed his eyes. He didn’t need much sleep but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had some rack time.
“So in eight hours we turn around and go back home,” Major Hayes said.
“That’s correct. We know that PRADIS is less accurate at extreme distances,” Connor said.
“I understand now, sir.�
�
Connor powered off the holoscreen and stood up. “I’m due to relieve Colonel Reisman for the next watch.”
Major Hayes came to his feet. “Do you mind if I take this watch, sir?”
Connor glanced at the major for a moment. “Are you sure you’re feeling up to it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Alright, you take this shift. I’ll be along in a few hours to take over,” Connor said.
“Understood, sir,” Major Hayes said and headed for the bridge.
Connor stood up and thought about going to his quarters. “Dim the lights,” he said.
He sat on the long couch and then lay down. After setting an alarm to wake him in two hours’ time, Connor closed his eyes and went to sleep.
The alarm gently pulled Connor from a deep sleep, but years of training kicked in and he was fully awake in moments. He swung his legs off the couch and stood up, walked to the head, and waved his hand in front of the faucet to activate it. He splashed cool water on his face and rinsed his mouth out.
Connor used his implants to reconnect to the Vigilant’s computer systems and narrowed his gaze at the ship’s status. He quickly dried his hands and face and left the ready room. He strode onto the bridge and saw Major Hayes speaking with Lieutenant LaCroix.
“Sir, I’m not following. PRADIS should already be able to detect what you’re asking me to do,” Lieutenant LaCroix said.
Major Hayes glanced over at Connor for a moment and then looked back at LaCroix. “Just get it ready, Lieutenant,” Major Hayes said.
“Yes, sir,” LaCroix said and went back to the tactical workstation.
Connor approached the command area. “Why are we stopping?”
“Playing a hunch. If you’ll allow it, I can explain,” Major Hayes said.
Connor’s brows pulled together angrily. He had very little patience for his orders being countermanded. “This had better be some hunch,” Connor warned.
The door to the bridge opened and Wil Reisman raced in.
“General,” Colonel Reisman said, “Major Hayes checked with me before making any changes.”
