INTERVENTION (6 page)

  
His thoughts turned to the Hiber pods: he didn’t relish the idea of a Ghost being in control of something so crucial to their survival; in fact, tampering with one of the pods was the perfect way to execute someone: but all life support systems were controlled by MAC, and MAC could not be corrupted once programmed and only the Commander could utilise the manual release over-ride on each of the pods. Although he was not responsible for the Biohibernation pods on this trip he decided to check them out anyway.

    Once b
ack out into the corridor, he sat astride the small hoverbug which automatically activated the control. “Destination please.” 

  
“Biohibernation section.

On arrival
at the Biohiber section Miles went directly to his personal unit and gave it a thorough inspection. He found nothing untoward but still he wasn’t happy, for a brief but eerie sensation had come over him when he entered the section; it was as though the pods were uncomfortable in his presence. But that was ridiculous, he had told himself, the pods were machines and machines could not transfer thought or feeling. Moving on, he checked the other pods, including the spare unit, but still he found nothing wrong.

  
This was one of the few places on board where MAC had no verbal input; the reasoning being that personnel in this section would be in hibernation status anyway. Using the remote interface that was attached to his wrist, he requested “MAC, complete scan check of all foreign matter in this section.” 

  
The reply was almost instant. “One on-board vehicle: Leading Engineer Miles: Internal Administrator Andretta.”

  
Miles spun round to find Andretta leaning against the bulkhead by the doorway.

 
“Please carry on Leading Officer; I was about to check them myself anyway.”

Duarte stepped out of her accommodation and made her way along the main corridor. A few paces from Andretta’s quarters she stopped as the door opened. Kamul suddenly appeared and she watched as he furtively ran his hand across the entry recognition cover.

   “What are you doing?” she asked
.

   Kamul s
pun around, his face a mask of surprise and horror. “Hell! What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?”

   “I asked what you were doing; and what
is the device you have just used on the door pad?”

   By this time Kamul had regained his com
posure and smiled reassuringly at his colleague. “No big deal, just a little friendly visit, that’s all.”

  
Duarte was deeply concerned. “What did you sweep across the door pad? And don’t try to give me any bull or I go straight to the Commander with this.”

   Kamul saw that he had no choice; he was going to have to confide in
Duarte, but better her than one of the others. Holding out his hand he revealed a small, flat, rectangular package approximately 10 centimetres in length that Duarte recognised immediately.

  
“What the hell are you doing with an engineer’s door entry by-pass? Are you out of your mind? She’s going to know that someone broke into her room; MAC records all entries, legal or otherwise: you could die for this.”

  “Don’t worry.” He said, “I rigged the device so that it doesn’t trigger MAC. Anyway, I was just t
rying to find out what we all want to know – what the hell are we doing with a ghost on board? Come on, you must be as worried as the rest of us: don’t you want to know who she’s here for?” He waited for some kind of comment, but when nothing was forthcoming another thought crossed his mind.

   “Or d
o you already know what it’s about? Have you been a naughty girl? Is she here for you? Come on Duarte, put me out of my misery: I won’t tell the others, I promise; I just need the reassurance that she isn’t here for me.”

   On a personal level, Duarte didn’t like Kamul; she considered him to be a rogue and a coward, but she did understand why he had been chosen for this mission
, for he was, by far, the best in his field and as such was an important member of the crew. As second-in-command she considered it her duty to try to dispel any fears from her colleague.

   “I’m not aware that I’ve done anything that would warrant an agent’s presence
, but you, on the other hand, are the one who is breaking into other people’s accommodation. I’ve spoken with the Commander and she has assured me that the agent’s presence is as was stated to each of us at our personal conferences. I strongly recommend that you dispose of your little toy and stop acting in a guilty manner. Now, since you have already gained access to her quarters, what did you find?”

For a moment Miles was stunned: he couldn’t think of any reply that wouldn’t sound guilty, for he was, after all, checking up on her.

  
Making her way across to the nearest unit Andretta ran her hand over the smooth lines of the body shell, giving Miles time to recover; a few moments passed before he found his voice. 

  
“I realise that I am not the leading biohiber engineer on this mission, but I considered it prudent to do my own checks as backup to your own; force of habit I suppose.” 

   Andretta stopped,
at the opposite side of the unit, and smiled. 

  
“Your conscientiousness is admirable and I must admit to being somewhat impressed by the dedication and quality of this crew, so finding you here comes as no surprise: are you satisfied with your checks?” 

  
Miles glanced round at the other units. “Yes, everything seems in order.” 

  
She smiled again, never taking her eyes from him. “Then if you are satisfied, I am satisfied and there is no need for me to make further checks. So, as a seasoned space traveller, what do you imagine we may find at the end of our wormhole rainbow?” 

   Miles
felt relief at the change in topic; given different circumstances he would have considered such a question to be frivolous, having no data to rely upon to respond with a sensible answer: as an engineer he didn’t normally subject himself to imagination, but the agent had offered him a way out of an embarrassing situation.  

  
“Well, I don’t really know what to think. I don’t believe that there is no life out there; life that we would recognise, that is. Anything is feasible I suppose; there may even be creatures like us, somewhere.”

  
He wondered, given this seeming bubble of bonhomie that had enveloped them, how she would respond to a direct question that was obviously troubling all on board; this might be the only opportunity he would get to speak so openly with her.

   “With all due respect to your
profession and to you personally, I’m finding it difficult to accept the reasoning given by Missions Command as to your presence on board: would it be imprudent to ask if there is a more serious game afoot?”

  
Andretta answered immediately. “To observe people who may have possible alien contact.”

  
In the ensuing silence Miles realised that he was staring at her with his mouth open and she was looking straight back at him, stone-faced, with not even the hint of a smile on her face.

  
After a few seconds he whispered “You’re not joking are you?”

  
Her face remained impassive. “No Leading Officer, I’m not joking.”

   “So, who
?”

   “To reveal
that would jeopardise my mission, because you would then begin to react differently around them and they would then be alerted.”

  
“You said
they
so there is more than one.”

  
She smiled again. “How very astute of you Leading Officer, you ought to consider joining the Agency.”

   He frowned at the thought, but then he realised that she was toying with him.

   “However, I use the term merely to detract from the implication of one or more.”

  
“Okay, so, since I am the one you are confiding this information to, you obviously don’t believe that I am one of them and you wouldn’t be investigating yourself, which leaves Hidson, Kamul, Coles and Duarte.” 

  
“What leads you to believe it could not be Commander Rachmel? After all, you know only of her service career and nothing about her earlier civilian life. During our training period we are reminded of an age old philosophy that proves invaluable to us in our duties -
all see what you seem to be, but few know who you are;
and with that in mind be advised that one of the people who have made my presence here necessary is female, with one female child.”

  
Miles grinned broadly and lifted his chin slightly as in victory. “Well, there you go then; Commander Rachmel has no children: not married and never likely to be: she’s a one hundred per cent career officer, but surely you saw all this on her files?”

  
“Yes, I have her files, as I have all of your files; and now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other duties to perform.” 

  
With that she turned to leave. As an afterthought she added, “This conversation was private and confidential: it would be of benefit to both of us for it to remain that way.” The inference was not lost on Miles.

  
Now that he was alone, Miles went over their conversation; it just didn’t add up -
1
...the fact that Rachmel did not have children was well known:
2
...Andretta was investigating someone who had a daughter:
3
...2 therefore eliminates 1, but still Andretta considered Rachmel to be a suspect; how could that be? Then another thought came to him; she had divulged her secret mission to him, a mere spanner pusher, why? Was she trying to use him? Employ him as a confidante? Gain his trust? Or what? He could only be sure of one thing; Agent Andretta had just upped the game and from now on he would be watching everyone.

Kamul shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing. And I do mean nothing; even her furniture is stowed away; it’s as clean as if no one were occupying her accommodation. We have to do something about her before things get out of hand.”

  
Duarte was momentarily speechless at this outburst, as it now became clear that her colleague was in mortal fear of the Agent. Finding her voice, she asked “What do you mean by ‘do something about her?’ And what do you mean by ‘we?’ Just what the hell have you been up to, Kamul? Why are you so sure that she’s here for you?”

   “I don’t mean we should injure her in any way; we could maybe put her in her Biohiber unit for the duration and release her when we get back, and when I say ‘we’ I mean all of us; the whole crew: if we band together we should easily overpower one female agent.”

   “You’re a fool, Kamul; no one is going to take on a Bureau agent: I strongly recommend that you get over this obsession with Andretta and concentrate on your own mission.” She gazed at the fear in his eyes and then, shaking her head in sadness, she turned and walked away.

   Kamul watched her leave and then he patted the side pocket of his tunic
, reassured by the item that he had taken from Andretta’s quarters.

Under his breath, he muttered “Who the hell needs you, anyway?”

In the medical section Leading Officer Coles was makin
g her daily check of equipment.

  
The approach monitor issued its warning “Leading Officer Hidson.”

  
These monitors had been installed in all craft to alert the medical officer of possible incoming emergencies and ten seconds later Hidson stepped into the room as Coles looked up and grinned. “Headache already? We’ve only been out for three days.” 

   The pilot
sat down at the desk opposite to her. “Just thought I’d come along and give you the benefit of my magnetic charm and bubbling personality: help liven your day somewhat.” 

  
This was ironic humour for Hidson, who was universally known for his dour, straight-faced approach to life. Coles smiled at the thought.

  
“Okay,” she said, “If you want to talk about Andretta, we’ll talk about Andretta.” 

 
“Is it that obvious?”

  
“No, but Duarte and Miles have already been in here with a similar approach; in fact Miles actually asked me how long I’d known her.” 

   “Who?
Andretta?” 

  
“Yes, strange question don’t you think? He didn’t ask if I knew anything about her, but how long had I known her.” 

  
“And what did you say?” 

  
Coles sat back in her seat. “I said I met her at the same time as everyone else and then he asked me what I knew about Duarte: so tell me, what do you know about our illustrious Infernal Administrator?” 

   Hidson shrugged his shoulders.
“Nothing much, other than she’s twenty nine years of age: ten years service: her mother is still alive and living with her daughter; oh! and when she goes to the head she does it by numbers; - down pants, two three – sit, two three – leak, two three – stand, two three – up pants, two three – leave.”