Teardrops In The Night Sky (Steven Gordon series) (16 page)

Steven sat back, ‘my main concern is the morality of the man, not his skills as an engineer.  He is after all an agent in industrial espionage.  To whom does such a man pledge his loyalties?’

Sweat beaded on Matt’s forehead, this wasn’t going well at all, ‘I can’t answer that sir.  All I can say is that he was loyal as a friend and as a friend he is the best that any man can get.’

‘Do you have many friends Chief?’

‘Very few sir I am very particular to whom I offer my friendship.’

Steven eyes swivelled towards Andy, ‘so what have you got to say for yourself Mr. Myers?’

Andy sat forward, ‘I work for my Government sir.  I will admit I sometimes found the work I did as distasteful, but I carried out my duty.’

‘Duty, that is a word that humanity loves to use to cover up its crimes Mr. Meyers, did you ever refuse to carry out that duty?’

‘No sir.’

‘Did you ever have to take life while on those missions?’

‘On a number of occasions.’

‘Innocent lives Mr.. Myers?’

Andy paused before answering, ‘yes sir.’

‘I presume you were only doing your duty, Mr.. Myers?’

Andy looked him straight in the eye, ‘I’m not going to sit here and try and validate my actions; I will only say that I never took any life needlessly, and only took life when that of my own or my companions were directly threatened.’

A cold smile played across Stevens face, ‘as from say … security guards?’

Matt visibly cringed, but Andy never baulked from the question, ‘yes sir.’

Steven nodded, ‘your orders were to procure technology from these ships, in any manner possible I presume?’

‘That’s right sir.’

‘So how would I know that you weren’t still on that mission, and the moment our backs were turned you would run back to your masters with as much as you could carry off?’

‘It would be a waste of time; we don’t even have half of the materials necessary to begin building a ship like this.  They just don’t exist on Earth.’

‘That’s true, but in time and with understanding, I’m sure you would be able to backward engineer, some of the ships systems, things that could be hugely profitable back home.’

Andy shrugged, ‘possibly, but why would I want to be sitting on my butt at home when there’s a whole universe out there just waiting to be explored.’

The truth of his statement shone from his eyes.  Steven paused for a moment as though considering a point.  ‘That leaves only one thing to discuss Mr. Myers, the simple fact that the ships don’t really like you.  You hurt one of them and they have a really long memory.  Why should they trust you now?’

Andy shifted uncomfortably, ‘I understand their concern and have already apologised to the other ship.  He did accept my apology, but if they don’t want me near them then I will understand and abide by their decision.  I will also promise for the remaining time I am here not to touch any of their systems or try to take anything off the ship.’

Steven paused again before answering and Andy suddenly realised he was listening to the ships and their concerns.  ‘I will tell you something now Mr. Myers, if we accepted you as a member of this crew, then I would expect your complete and unquestioning loyalty, to this ship, to this crew, and to me.  Do you see these bracelets we wear?’

‘Yes sir I have noticed but no one would tell me what they’re for.’

‘These are small factories; they produce nanobots which they inject into the blood stream.  They perform many different functions, one of which is to place an implant on our optic nerves so we can actually see the insides of the ships.  These devices regulate the behaviour of the nanobots in our blood stream.  Without it they could kill us.  Slowly I believe and with much pain.  The ship itself supplies power to the unit to keep it functioning, after six months or so away from the ship the system will slowly wind down and become inoperative, they will wind down the nanobots putting them into a form of hibernation.

There will be only one punishment for treachery aboard this ship Mr.. Myers, banishment.  If you are banished I will have the unit switched off or removed not wound down.  Are you beginning to get the picture Mr. Myers?’

‘You mean you will leave the active nanobots in my blood stream without direction.’

‘That's right; they have enough power for about seven days, long enough to tear your body to pieces from the inside out.  They of course can be removed, not that we have the equipment to do that yet and I can assure you even if we had I wouldn’t.  Do you understand?’

‘Yes sir.’

‘Does it dampen your enthusiasm a little?’

‘Not even slightly.’

They waited for a few minutes, while the ships finished discussing the matter with Stevie.  Although he never spoke a word both men realised he was communicating with them directly.

Eventually his eyes focused back on Andy, ‘Ok Mr. Myers, you’re in.’

Both friends jumped up laughing and shook hands with one another.

Matt was delighted, ‘welcome aboard mucker.’

‘It’s gonna be great working with you again Andy.’  He turned to Steven and offered his hand, ‘thank you sir, may I ask what swung it for me?’

Steven stood and took the offered hand, ‘my mother actually.  She told me how you saved her life and how you conducted yourself afterwards.  That was enough for me Mr. Myers; however the ships had their own concerns.’

Andy had a flash of intuition; the roasting had been a test of his moral fortitude, not his moralities.  He was glad now he’d answered every question honestly.’

‘Thank you again sir.’

‘If I was you two, I would try and get some sleep now.’

They left Stevie alone and he decided it was time he turned in too.

Chapter 28

I
t was strange waking up to the lunar landscape, but Steven got up with a cup of coffee and soaked it all in while he drank it.  He emptied his mind for a few minutes just enjoying the scenery, but then thoughts slowly began to creep in.

She had provided him with a small toilet suite, and although she assured him there was plenty water he only took a short shower.  His big surprise came when he went to shave.  She had told him there was no need for razors because she had removed all the hair follicles from his face, but it somehow still came as a surprise and he found he was beginning to miss the ritual already.

He warned her not to do it to anyone else before getting their express permission.  The uniform he had hung up the day before was now as fresh as the moment he had put it on.  On quizzing her he found that the nanobots had been hard at work while they slept.

He spent another hour with her discussing some of the things on his mind before she announced Buzz’s arrival.  He met him with a grin and got him a coffee.  They sat quietly for a few minutes enjoying the scenery.

Buzz put his cup down first, ‘I like your quarters Stevie.’

‘Yeah me too, what are yours like?’

‘A little smaller, but my outside wall becomes transparent too.  It’s really cool.’

‘Has every room got that kind of view?’

‘Seems to; so what are we going to do today?’

‘Try and get some kind of dialogue going with the authorities back on Earth.’

‘We’re gonna have bit of a job there.  Have you heard the latest news from Earth?’

‘No not yet.’

‘The President has threatened sanctions against any nation that helps us.  Colonel Howe, his men and any other American, if captured will be tried for treason.  The rest of you will be tried for crimes against the United States and there’s some huge rewards being offered.’

‘How much are we worth?’

‘You’re worth two million, the rest of us one and the capture of the ships a billion apiece.’  There was a bitter tone to his voice.

‘That’s a fair amount Buzz.’

‘It means we probably won’t be able to trust anyone.  That’s a lot of money Stevie.’

‘Any good news?’

‘Yeah the Prime minister of Scotland told him to piss off.’

Steven laughed, ‘really?’

‘Yeah seems your people are all as proud as punch of you.  Trouble is the Presidents already threatening an embargo of all Scots goods coming into the country.’

‘Not so good.  Is our website ready to go on
line?’

‘Yeah but they want us to get closer to the planet first.  Less chance of the data stream being corrupted or something.’

‘That’s a good idea.  We can sit just outside Earth’s atmosphere and do it.  We shouldn’t have any problems there.’

‘What else have you got in mind Stevie?’

‘A few things, but first I want to discuss it with some of the others.’

‘Like our command elements you mean?’

‘Yeah.’

Buzz grinned, ‘so who are our command element?’

‘God knows, because I don’t.’

Thirty minutes later Stevie’s room seemed crowded.  Ideas were slung back and forth for over an hour but eventually a plan of action began to form.  Another hour passed before they finalised everything, but when they left everyone knew what they were going to do.

Steven went up to visit his mother.  Her wounds were almost completely healed, but she wasn’t in a good mood.

She scowled at him, ‘what do you mean the ship won’t let me join you?’

Steven grimaced, ‘sorry Mum, the ship says it’s a no no.’

‘Why not?  I thought these ships were originally built for families.’

‘Yes they were, but after what happened to the last crew, they aren’t prepared to let that happen again.’

‘That’s not fair Steven, your father and I will both want to come.’

‘I know Mum, and Dad will be as mad as you are but they’re not going to let it happen.’

‘I’m not mad just disappointed.  What about the other ship, won’t it take us on?’

‘No because they always travel in pairs, what happens to one normally happens to the other.  So they’re not having it.’

‘That stinks Steven.’

‘I know Mum but all is not lost.  You'll have your day in space, both of you I promise.’

‘You’re up to something Steven Gordon I know that look in your eyes.’

He smiled, ‘I am but will have to explain later, right now I’m rather busy.’

‘Typical.’

He laughed, ‘sorry Mum I’ve got to go.’

She grabbed his hand, ‘ok but be careful Steven.’

‘I will, I promise.’

They came into a high orbit around Earth and final preparations were begun.  Many of the crew took time to speak to their family on their cell phones.  The ship was able to collect their signals and bounce them off a satellite.  It was a good test for what they had in mind.

Colonel Howe came off his cell phone and approached Steven.

‘I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news, they’ve got your father.’

Steven groaned, ‘what the hell happened?’

‘My man went to deliver that parcel and when he returned they were already at the house.  He saw them bundle him into a van and take him away.’

‘Any idea where, can we get him out?’

‘My man followed them.  We know where he is but it’s heavily defended.  Our best bet would be a night assault.’

Steven shook his head, ‘we really don’t have the man power for an assault against a heavily armed force.’

‘It’s what we do sir and we’re good at it.’

‘We have also three men recovering from their wounds from our last little battle.  I think my father will be safe for now.  Can your man keep an eye on things; make sure he isn’t moved to a different location?’

‘He’s doing that now, but I doubt if he will be moved.  He’s in one of the countries maximum security military prisons.’

‘And you want to try and bust in there?’

Howe grinned, ‘the great thing about prisons is they’re great at stopping people from getting out.’

‘On this occasion Colonel I would place a bet on them waiting just for that.  I smell a trap a big fat one, and my fathers the bait.’

Howe frowned, ‘I have to agree with you sir?’

‘It’s a giant set up.  Babe bring us to a position directly over where they’re holding my father.’

The ship began to change orbit.  Howe was confused, ‘how does she know where he is?’

‘Your communications come through her systems Colonel, if she is aware of them then so am I.’

Howe nodded realising the sense of his words, but he would remember that in the future.  Buzz was grinning like a Cheshire cat.  Steven noticed, ‘what are you grinning at?’

‘You just called her Babe.’

Steven opened his mouth to answer but changed his mind with a shake of his head.

‘We are over the spot my heart.’

‘Can you zoom in on the whole complex?’

‘Of course, at this range I can focus on a single point of dust.’

Steven found himself smiling, ‘that won’t be necessary, just the complex itself.’  It appeared on screen.  ‘Do you have any way of pinpointing the people inside?’

‘Of course.’

She took them through a series of different views, clearly showing the people inside the prison.  They played around with the images for ten minutes.

Howe came to the first conclusion, ‘everything looks normal.  Prisoners are where they should be, guards as well.’

Steven shook his head, ‘I’m still not happy.  Babe have you conducted a chemical analysis on the weapons the Colonel and his men carry.’

‘Yes, I have carried out an analysis on every Earth weapon I have seen to date.’

‘Excellent, can you pinpoint any weapons within the complex?’

‘Yes.’

The results came up on the screen and there was a spontaneous groan of disappointment.  There were weapons in almost every cell.

Howe cursed, ‘damn it, it is a bloody trap, those aren’t prisoners in the cells.’

Steven shook his head, ‘don’t worry about it Colonel, at least you were prepared to try.  Babe can you isolate a single form that is on its own with no weapons?’

‘Yes my heart.’

There were half a dozen, but most seemed to be in administrative buildings.  There was one form however deep within the cell complex stretched out on a bed.  Steven felt his heart strings pull and knew
instinctively that it was his father.

‘I want you to keep an eye on that spot Babe record that person’s life signature.  If they move him I want to know about it.’

‘Yes my heart.’

He turned to the Colonel, ‘maybe we’ll get luck and they’ll move him.’

Howe shook his head sadly, ‘I doubt it.  They have him exactly where they want him.’

‘You're right, but maybe we can force their hand at a later date.’

Howe nodded, ‘it would be worth considering.  Maybe if we snatched someone close to the President he would be willing to make an exchange.’  

Steven regarded the Colonel for a moment, ‘you know Colonel, you can be a nasty piece of work at times.’

He grinned in reply, ‘what can I say sir, my country taught me well.’

Steven laughed, ‘ok let’s get back to it.  Are we ready to launch the website?’

Howe’s ex signaller looked round, ‘another ten minutes sir.’  He and the scientist, who had been preparing it, were still hard at it.

‘Ok, don’t rush it though I want everything to work first time.’

The scientist Barns looked up, ‘it will Captain, we’re just making sure we aren’t going to overload anything.’

Steven smiled and nodded.  He was amazed by how fast the humans were taking to this strange alien craft, but then he told himself, adaptation had always been one of mans stronger points.  He was surprised even more by the way the fighting men had taken on other rolls, filling gaps the scientists seemed hesitant to take on.

The scientists seemed more afraid of failure, while the soldiers dived in headfirst regardless.  He smiled to himself, maybe a little of it would rub off on the scientists.

A sharp sound vibrated through the ship making them all jump, ‘what the hell is that?’  Steven asked looking around the bridge.

Only the ship had an answer, ‘some form of missile has been launched from the planet below.  I believe it has the capability to reach us.’

‘Put it on screen, do you know what kind of missile it is?’

‘I have not found a direct match in my memory.’

A missile appeared on screen, growing larger by the second.

Colonel Howe recognised it, ‘I know what it is sir.  It’s a new development.  It’s supposed to be used against incoming asteroids or meteors.  They kept it secret in case it started a panic amongst other nations.’

‘Have you any idea of its range or yield?’

‘I think it’s supposed to engage targets up to three thousand miles outside the Earth’s atmosphere, and it has a thousand times the yield of the Hiroshima bomb.’

‘Babe, can you withstand that sort of blast?’

‘I think so but it would not be wise.’

‘Pull us back two thousand miles.  Colonel as soon as it reaches a distance of a thousand miles outside the atmosphere, I want you to take it out.’

‘Yes sir.’

‘I want the blast monitored.  If we can destroy these things after they leave the Earth’s atmosphere then all the better.’

The missile arced up out of Earth’s atmosphere and made for their position like an arrow from a bow.  Tension mounted as Beaver counted down the distance.

‘Thirteen Hundred … twelve … eleven, one thousand miles Captain.’

‘Fire.’

A single beam of green light shot out and enveloped the approaching missile.  There was a blinding flash of light and it was gone.

‘Analysis.’

It was the blond Haley that answered, ‘details still coming in sir,’ she was shaking her head, ‘it looks like we would have caused a disaster if we had detonated it within Earth’s atmosphere sir.  The whole area is now full of radiation.  I think it would have contaminated an area thousands of Miles square.  ’

Howe growled, ‘he’s trying to keep us away from the Earth, forcing us back out into space.’

Steven smiled slowly, ‘don’t worry about it Colonel, Babe could you go to stealth mode please.’

‘Yes my heart.’

‘Take us back into orbit and prepare to download our website.’

Mary Gordon appeared, with one of Howe’s men helping her, ‘What's happening Steven, what was that noise?’

Steven stood, ‘should you be up Mum.’

‘Oh I’m fine, just a little weak.  I don’t know what was used on be but I’ve only got a bruise now.’

Steven guided her down into the chair next to him, ‘it's all Nano technology Mum, it repairs from the inside out.’