The Cold Steel Mind (26 page)

Shaw rallied himself, looking at Aneka. ‘How do you get away without wearing one of these gimp suits?’ A displacement activity question; his brain was taking time to take in what he had been told.

‘Aneka’s an Old Earth Human,’ Ella said, ‘not a Jenlay. If she spends too much time in a bio-plastic suit her skin reacts badly. The suit she’s wearing is air-permeable.’

‘Special dispensation on medical grounds,’ Drake added. Aneka was busy marvelling that Ella could lie so proficiently under the right circumstances. ‘On the minus side, if we get a decompression incident she’ll be in trouble.’

‘You’re saying that this vessel contains potentially dangerous, Xinti-derived technology?’ Vaughn asked.

‘Dangerous in the socially disruptive sense,’ Gillian replied. ‘This is a science vessel. There are no weapons aboard aside from side arms.’

‘I’d like a team to check over the ship. Ensure that…’

‘No,’ Drake stated flatly.

‘I’m sorry?’

‘No. Until we hear from the Administration, this ship is off limits to technicians, scientists, medics, and anyone else.’

Vaughn’s face creased into a frown for a fraction of a second; barely enough to be noticed unless you had an accelerated brain. It was quickly replaced by a smile that was trying not to be indulgent. ‘You don’t have the authority…’

‘I’m the Captain of the FScV Garnet Hyde. That gives me all the authority I need, but I can back that up with enforcement of federal secrets if I have to.’

‘According to the Federal Register of Corporations,’ Al said in the silence of Aneka’s head, ‘Hayward Pharmaceuticals has a research facility on Sapphira. That deals in agricultural research, but the company deals in all aspects of disease prevention.’

‘Want to bet Vaughn has shares?’ Aneka replied. ‘Hang on, how do you know what’s in the Federal Register of Corporations?’

‘I downloaded it in an off-moment, in case it was useful. I have a lot of off-moments and a great deal of storage space.’

‘Right…’ Aloud she said, ‘Hayward Pharmaceuticals will just have to wait like everyone else, Representative.’

There was the slight parting of the lips, the widening of the eyes, the slight increase in the temperature of the skin of her cheeks as blood flowed into them. Vaughn had herself under control quickly, but Aneka was quite sure Cassandra would have noticed it too. That was confirmed a second later when Al said, ‘Cassandra wishes me to pass on that “that was evil.”’

‘If we’re cleared for it,’ Wallace said, ‘I’d like to drop into your university before we leave. As I recall, David Reman works there.’

Shaw looked like he was glad to have the chance to get in on the conversation, and annoyed that his companion appeared to have an agenda he had been unaware of. ‘The theoretical physicist? Yes. One of our academic stars.’

Wallace nodded. ‘I read his papers on degenerate matter and exotic stars. I believe I have some information for him which I can relay without causing any of that social disruption Doctor Gilroy mentioned. I’m afraid it will have to wait until we get word from New Earth, however.’

‘Of course,’ Shaw replied. ‘I think we’ve seen all we need to here. I’m quite satisfied that this ship holds no immediate danger and is in cautious, competent hands.’

Vaughn smiled. ‘Of course. I see no point in disturbing anyone further. Until we receive word from the Administration anyway.’ She turned and walked out, Drake allowing Shaw to follow her before escorting them to the airlock.

‘That one could be a problem,’ Aneka commented. ‘Goddard just doesn’t like the idea that I exist; she’s got profit as a motive.’

‘Sapphira Vista is the resort area,’ Ella supplied. ‘If she’s their Representative then she’s likely got backing from a couple of the companies there.’

‘Uh-huh. Aggy, check with Drake, but I think it’d be a good idea if you put as much of your time as possible into security.’

Aggy appeared on the wall monitor. ‘I believe that Captain Drake will agree with your assessment, Aneka.’

‘I think,’ Cassandra added, ‘that we all do.’

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‘There have been fourteen attempts to hack into my systems via remote connection,’ Aggy stated over breakfast.

‘Source?’ Drake asked.

‘The hackers have used several communications satellites. Without further investigation I cannot identify who is making the attempts. However, the methodologies used suggest multiple originators.’

‘Is there any chance they’ll get in?’ Ella asked.

Aggy looked almost affronted. ‘Ella, they are trying to hack an unfamiliar computer architecture inhabited by a superior AI.’

‘Sorry, Aggy. I was just asking.’

‘Apology accepted.’ Aggy’s image vanished from the wall screen and Aneka flashed Ella a grin.

‘Do we do anything about it?’ Aneka asked.

Drake shook his head. ‘As long as Aggy’s sure they can’t break her security we ignore it. We can report the attempts once we’re out of here. Without breaking protocol we can’t identify the source properly anyway.’

‘Let’s just hope no one decides to escalate things.’

‘I doubt it. I don’t think anyone’s that stupid.’

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The reply from New Earth came in mid-morning, ship time, and it came with a message tagged as ‘personal and secure’ for Aneka. The team watched the main message in the mess. It was short.

‘You lot are just plain trouble,’ Winter’s image said from the screen. Delta swallowed hard; she had never met the woman. ‘The Administration hasn’t a clue what to do with this, so they’re delaying, of course. A team from the local Survey Service will be up to check you over. You can trust them. Once you’re cleared you’ll come through to New Earth. Message ends.’

‘I have checked the protocols for your message, Aneka,’ Aggy said once Winter’s image had been replaced with hers. ‘You will need to receive it alone in your cabin and I will need to verify your identity before I can replay it. It requires your private key to decrypt.’

Aneka got to her feet and headed for the door. ‘See you guys later.’

Behind her she could hear Monkey talking to Delta. ‘Don’t worry about Winter. She’s like that, but she seems to like Aneka…’

It was true. Winter had supported Aneka over military objections during her initial evaluation. The spy mistress seemed to consider Aneka as a reliable resource to be protected at the very least, even if Aneka had turned down a job offer. Intelligence services had never been Aneka’s favourite thing in the world; she did not trust spies, end of story. But Winter seemed to trust her and without any good reason she could work out.

With her identity verified and her private key-code transmitted to the cabin’s terminal, Winter’s face appeared on the smaller screen in that room. ‘Congratulations, you’re in the middle of another mess.’ The image held up a hand as though forestalling an argument, even if Aneka could not reply to it anyway. ‘I know, I sent you into the hostage situation on Harriamon. There are going to be questions asked about your involvement in this. The scout team will be asking a lot of questions about what happened. Answer them honestly. I don’t want anyone suggesting you were evasive. One of the team is from my people. They’ll identify themselves with a private transponder code. Any trouble, talk to them.’

There was a pause as Winter appeared to consult something off to one side. ‘Okay. The mercs who came after you on Corax. They belong to a commercial military unit called the White Suns. Mostly operate on the Rim, or beyond it. They’ve done work for a lot of major corporations with eyes on establishing colonies, especially where there are already people where the corp wants to set up. So far we’ve been unable to identify who hired them for this op, but you can bet they were hired. The White Suns don’t do anything without money changing hands first. This wasn’t some terrorist thing; someone with a lot of money wants you for some reason. You should be safe on Sapphira. There’s no way anyone can respond to your presence that fast. When you get back to New Earth, watch your back. I’ll let you decide how much your friends need to know about this. Message ends.’

Aneka tapped her finger on the desk, frowning at the now blank screen. So someone else was after her for unknown reasons, and this time they had sent mercenaries with advanced combat armour.

‘What are you going to tell the others?’ Al asked. Of course, she was never really alone, but Winter knew that.

‘Nothing for now. She’s probably right about being safe here.’

‘Probably?’

‘Yeah, probably. When you do what I used to do for a living, you don’t just watch your own back all the time, you watch everyone else’s. Just because I think I’m safe here, doesn’t mean I’m letting my guard down.’

‘I will ensure our electronic warfare suite is fully operational then,’ Al said. ‘I wouldn’t want to fall down on my part of keeping us safe.’

~~~

Members of the Survey Service, commonly referred to as ‘scouts,’ were technically part of the Navy, but they tended not to consider themselves as such and they were certainly a special case. They were carefully selected from the lowest ranks early in their career based on an aptitude for self-reliance; there were far more Rim Worlders in the scouts as a proportion compared to the regular Navy. Then they were trained in survival in a number of conditions, and on the latest technology. They got the best equipment, bleeding-edge stuff. And they all had high security clearances.

The four scouts who came up on a streamlined, armed shuttle were all exceptionally fit, attractive, and dressed in combat suits similar to the ones the White Suns had used on Corax. Addison Peters fitted right in with them, except that he was no scout. Tall, lithe, attractive, with short, black hair and a hint of stubble on his chin a bare four hours after sunrise on Sapphira, his transponder chip signalled Aneka with his contact details, including a code which identified him as Federal Security. No one else looked at him twice, except Ella who was licking her lips when she did so, so Aneka figured that the extra data was for her eyes only.

One of the four scouts put down a large, metal case she was carrying and regarded Drake and Aneka for a second before nodding and smiling. ‘I’m Lieutenant Commander Trudy Killian, Survey Service. We’re here to conduct a full analysis of your ship, Captain Drake.’ She nodded her head to the left where a red-headed man was standing. ‘Lieutenant Edge will be leading the psychoanalysis of your crew. I assume we’ll have your full cooperation?’

‘There are a few… security issues,’ Drake replied.

Killian’s gaze swept over Aneka. ‘We’ve received a full read-in on your special circumstances.’

‘In which case, Lieutenant Commander, where do you wish to start?’

The scout became all business. ‘Edge, Peters, you’re with Miss Jansen. I’d like to take Doctors Wallace and Gilroy and go see this computer you’ve brought back with you.’

Drake nodded. ‘Use the mess. And I suggest you have Ella and Cassandra there too, they’ve been studying Aggy’s mind. That’ll leave Aneka’s cabin available for her interview.’

‘Aggy?’

‘I am the ship’s AI, Lieutenant Commander,’ Aggy said over the corridor speakers. ‘I was originally called Agroa Gar. Aneka felt Aggy was more acceptable in Federal.’

‘Huh. It really is a fully functional AI. All right people, let’s get this thing going. The sooner we’re done, the sooner these people can get on with their business.’

~~~

One of the cases Edge had brought up folded out into what turned out to be a sort of portable interrogation suite. Opened out it had two large lamps which were directed at Aneka; when the room lights were turned off the two interrogators would be in darkness. The same frame held a pair of cameras and a fairly standard chemical analyser. Edge folded up a screen behind it, presumably to display the data from the gadgets, and then produced some sort of sensor helmet from the other side of the case, starting towards Aneka with it.

Aneka held up her hand. ‘Okay, look… You guys have been briefed on what I am, right?’

‘We were read-in on it, yes,’ Edge replied.

‘Okay, well I’m guessing some of this because I’m sure interrogation has changed since my time, but… The big lights let you see me while I can’t see your reactions. Except that I can see a Jenlay in pitch darkness. That gadget presumably monitors brainwaves to detect lies, but I don’t have a brain, I have a computer. The cameras are looking for micro-expressions, thermal changes, and the chem-sniffer detects sweat, but my body is artificial. If I concentrate I don’t give off any of the normal signals. Sorry, but you’re going to have to work for this one.’

Peters laughed and Edge tossed the spider-web crown of electrodes back into his case. ‘This is going to be tough,’ Edge commented. ‘We need the full story of exactly what happened to you.’

‘I’ll try to make it easier,’ Aneka replied. Inside her head she added, ‘Al, interface into the wall screen and pull up my sensory data from when we noticed the wormhole effects.’

The area of the cabin’s wall designed for display went black and then switched to Aneka’s view of the interior of the station which had bridged the Agroa Gar to the Garnet Hyde. Her hands could be seen working on some cabling behind an access panel. Abraham Wallace’s voice sounded over the room speakers. ‘Everyone, the sensors are picking up some unusual electromagnetic effects outside the ship. I’m not entirely sure what to make of it.’

‘This is, what, your view of what happened?’ Edge asked.

‘Taken directly from my long-term storage. Just ask questions as required, and I’d suggest we skip forward through some of it or we’ll be here for a month. I can provide you with the full data set if required.’

Edge and Peters sat down and began to watch.

~~~

Peters had longer hair than Aneka had thought. The word had come through from Killian that there were no biological or chemical hazards and Aneka’s interrogators had removed their helmets with some relief. The man’s stubble was looking more pronounced too. They had been going over Aneka’s memories for six hours. Even skipping most of their stay in the arboretum and skimming over other parts, they had still only reached the decision to leave for home half an hour earlier.