to get by the Pilgrimage airlock sniffers. Current ComNet equipment would have caught it.”
“Yes. We’d better force some of our equipment upon Pilgrimage security. Of course, the senator will insist they pay for it.” Edones’s voice was grim as he ran through the explosive sequence again. “I’ll have Floros analyze this.”
“I’m beginning to take this personally.” She watched Edones’s face. “I’m the common target between the attacks and considering the methods, I might suspect that Cipher is back.”
Edones blinked, surprise moving so quickly through his eyes that she might have missed it if she didn’t know him. “Why would you suspect Lieutenant Paulos?”
“Because she’s not dead, is she? If you had confirmation of her death, you’d have told me. Instead, you’ve been suspiciously quiet.”
“You needn’t worry about her arriving here, in G- 145.” Edones was his carefully bland self again. “We go through each arriving ship’s manifest and examine the background of every Autonomist. We know what to look for, when it comes to ComNet records. So, unless Paulos can pass for a Terran, she hasn’t entered this solar system.”
She agreed. Cipher didn’t have the right body build to mingle, unnoticed, with Terrans. She was far from being tall enough, or slim enough, and her facial features weren’t unremarkable. Even if she suppressed her urge for bright hair, skin, and clothing colors, Cipher would still stand out.
“However, you’re right to suspect you’re a target,” Edones said.
“And if this trouble follows me to Priamos?”
“I hope that’s the case, Major.” When her eyebrows went up, he added, “If you pull even one culprit to Beta Priamos, please drag along the one with a fetish for explosives.”
“But that’d put everyone on Beta Priamos Station in danger.” Not that she’d mention it, but she was tired of dealing with explosions and decompressions.
“They have less than two hundred and fifty civilians, mostly contractors, plus three companies of Terran special forces, with a platoon of our commandos. By comparison, we’re trying to protect nine hundred civilians on the Pilgrimage Three , including visiting dignitaries, Feed correspondents, and one hundred twenty-seven children under the age of sixteen.” Edones cocked an eyebrow and his voice was heavy with sarcasm. “By all means, Major, please lure the miscreants to Priamos.”
She didn’t have a response. When he put it that way, hanging her out as bait, again , seemed to be the sensible course. Edones’s logic was always sound, even if it was ruthless. She looked at her slate and scrolled through her queue until she found the orders, which she accepted with a thumbprint.
“You also have authority to take emergency mission command of the platoon on Beta Priamos. That doesn’t give you command of day-to-day operations, but you should introduce yourself to Pike and stay on his good side. Remind him that both you and State Prince Parmet must be kept safe so you can testify to the ICT.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll make sure my employers understand I have to give testimony. Am I dismissed?”
“One more thing, Major.” He paused. “Don’t trust Maria, or forget she was TEBI.”
Well, that didn’t seem likely. She sighed as she opened the hatch. No Directorate orders would be complete without some cryptic warning from Edones.
News travels fast on a generational ship. By the time Matt met David Ray in Dr. Lee’s lab, everyone had heard about the exploding bot. Decompression and module integrity was important to everyone on the behemoth that was, after all, only a fragile spacefaring habitat.
“No damage to the ship?” David Ray pointed at the status display near the door.
“They think it’s a similar device to what nearly killed Sergeant Joyce and Ariane. At least that’s what Denise overheard from Benjamin. She told Barnes, who told Randall, who told Jamie and me.” Lee efficiently
“Yes. We’d better force some of our equipment upon Pilgrimage security. Of course, the senator will insist they pay for it.” Edones’s voice was grim as he ran through the explosive sequence again. “I’ll have Floros analyze this.”
“I’m beginning to take this personally.” She watched Edones’s face. “I’m the common target between the attacks and considering the methods, I might suspect that Cipher is back.”
Edones blinked, surprise moving so quickly through his eyes that she might have missed it if she didn’t know him. “Why would you suspect Lieutenant Paulos?”
“Because she’s not dead, is she? If you had confirmation of her death, you’d have told me. Instead, you’ve been suspiciously quiet.”
“You needn’t worry about her arriving here, in G- 145.” Edones was his carefully bland self again. “We go through each arriving ship’s manifest and examine the background of every Autonomist. We know what to look for, when it comes to ComNet records. So, unless Paulos can pass for a Terran, she hasn’t entered this solar system.”
She agreed. Cipher didn’t have the right body build to mingle, unnoticed, with Terrans. She was far from being tall enough, or slim enough, and her facial features weren’t unremarkable. Even if she suppressed her urge for bright hair, skin, and clothing colors, Cipher would still stand out.
“However, you’re right to suspect you’re a target,” Edones said.
“And if this trouble follows me to Priamos?”
“I hope that’s the case, Major.” When her eyebrows went up, he added, “If you pull even one culprit to Beta Priamos, please drag along the one with a fetish for explosives.”
“But that’d put everyone on Beta Priamos Station in danger.” Not that she’d mention it, but she was tired of dealing with explosions and decompressions.
“They have less than two hundred and fifty civilians, mostly contractors, plus three companies of Terran special forces, with a platoon of our commandos. By comparison, we’re trying to protect nine hundred civilians on the Pilgrimage Three , including visiting dignitaries, Feed correspondents, and one hundred twenty-seven children under the age of sixteen.” Edones cocked an eyebrow and his voice was heavy with sarcasm. “By all means, Major, please lure the miscreants to Priamos.”
She didn’t have a response. When he put it that way, hanging her out as bait, again , seemed to be the sensible course. Edones’s logic was always sound, even if it was ruthless. She looked at her slate and scrolled through her queue until she found the orders, which she accepted with a thumbprint.
“You also have authority to take emergency mission command of the platoon on Beta Priamos. That doesn’t give you command of day-to-day operations, but you should introduce yourself to Pike and stay on his good side. Remind him that both you and State Prince Parmet must be kept safe so you can testify to the ICT.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll make sure my employers understand I have to give testimony. Am I dismissed?”
“One more thing, Major.” He paused. “Don’t trust Maria, or forget she was TEBI.”
Well, that didn’t seem likely. She sighed as she opened the hatch. No Directorate orders would be complete without some cryptic warning from Edones.
News travels fast on a generational ship. By the time Matt met David Ray in Dr. Lee’s lab, everyone had heard about the exploding bot. Decompression and module integrity was important to everyone on the behemoth that was, after all, only a fragile spacefaring habitat.
“No damage to the ship?” David Ray pointed at the status display near the door.
“They think it’s a similar device to what nearly killed Sergeant Joyce and Ariane. At least that’s what Denise overheard from Benjamin. She told Barnes, who told Randall, who told Jamie and me.” Lee efficiently
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