The Methuselan Circuit (18 page)

He abruptly rose from his seat, dropping the cadet’s compad to the desk. Without another word, he left the classroom. Alexander looked at Treya, and asked, “What do you think that was all about?”

“I have no idea,” she said, getting up and going over to his desk. She put her compad on the Professor’s. She fiddled with it for a second before returning to their desk. She sat down and whispered, “I left my assignment up there, but while I was there I checked his comlink. The location code was still on the screen. I looked it up in the Academy directory. It was a location in the Tube; all the way down at the far end by the Methuselan transmitter section.”

“That’s kind of strange isn’t it,” Alexander asked. “Did the Methuselan’s only have one transmitter; why would you devote an entire section for a simple subspace transmitter?”

Treya shook her head. “No, this isn’t just any transmitter, it’s huge and what’s more it’s set up for vast energy transfer—far beyond any communications need.” She punched up a ship’s display on their lab computer.

“What’s going on guys,” James asked, coming over with Lisa. “What’s with Professor Strauss? There’s still five minutes left. Are we just going to hang out or what?”

“Something’s going on all right,” Treya said, telling them what she discovered as she brought up the schematic for the Methuselan transmitter section. She pointed at the highlighted display.

Even James scratched his head, and said, “That looks kind of weird.”

“It takes up almost the entire stern section,” he exclaimed in a whisper.

Treya traced the power conduits with her finger. “The power for the transmitter comes directly from the engines. Whatever it’s transmitting it must be potent. Maybe it’s some kind of weapon.”

Alexander looked closely at the parabolic dish that was the business end of the transmitter. Most galactic technology was built on the same principles. He pointed out the dish, saying, “Whether your building a hand communicator or a subspace radio the principles are the same; only the energy changes. This isn’t a communications device. The antenna is far too big, but it’s not a weapon either. The Methuselan ship uses blaster projectors just like we do.”

“Then what is it for?”

“The description is very vague,” Treya said. “Almost everything says it’s still being studied. They seem to have come to the same conclusions we have.”

“Whatever it is, it has something to do with the transfer of energy through subspace,” Lisa said matter-of-factly. They looked at her in surprise, but she only shrugged. “The power conduits are connected to the engines, but the transmitter itself is also wired through the subspace navicomputer.”

“Why send engine power through subspace through an antenna,” Alexander mused. “Engines are much more efficient for that, just as a crystal capacitor is more efficient for energy discharge in weapons.”

“I don’t think it was engine energy that was being transferred,” Lisa said, pointing out the energy conduits. “These are way too small. Even the tertiary blaster turrets have bigger conduits than this.”

“Then what is it?”

“No one knows,” Treya shrugged. “It’s like a lot of things on this ship. That’s why so many science teams and students work on it.”

Alexander sighed, realizing the futility of the pursuing the mystery.
If the experts can’t figure it out what are a bunch of cadets going to do?

The door slid open, but instead of Professor Strauss returning it was Commandant Augesburcke. The closest cadet shouted, “Class, atten-hut!” Alexander sprang to attention so quickly he didn’t think of how he did it. Boom, instinct kicked in with what little training he had and he was there.

“As you were,” Augesburcke said gruffly, looking around the room. “Where is Professor Strauss?” He looked at Alexander.

Alexander swallowed hard. “He left when he received a call on his comlink, sir.”

“Where did he go?”

“We’re not sure, sir.”

“No matter,” Augesburcke replied, taking out his compad and punching something onto the screen. His deep scowl grew still deeper, and he asked without looking up, “He’s in the stern section of the Tube, the November quadrant. Who is your fastest zooter?”

Everyone including Alexander looked at Treya, but she answered, “Cadet Wolfe, sir!”

“Thanks for volunteering, Cadet Wolfe,” Augesburcke smiled through his thick white mustache. He held out a yellow memory card. “Get this to Professor Strauss on the double; you’ll have to hurry if you’re going to make your next class.”

Alexander took the card and saluted.

Augesburcke returned the salute. “Dismissed,” and after Alexander ran off he turned to the rest of the class. “The rest of you get back to work; there’s no such thing as idle time at the Academy.”

“Sir, yes sir!” The cadets automatically came to attention.

“As you were, look alive,” he ordered, turning on his heel and disappearing out of the class.

Professor Strauss’s class was in the outer section of the academic ring. That meant Alexander had to run to get to the Tube. He was already sweating by the time he got there.
Maybe I shouldn’t have spent so much time playing computer simulations and done more running around and climbing trees!
It wasn’t actually his own thought as much as it was Dad and Mom. They constantly reminded him that when
they
were his age working computers were so rare no one thought to play games on them. Of course, winters were longer then too and the gravity was stronger. Alexander jumped into the zero-G Tube, chuckling to himself.
It was true; all the weather control units had broken down in the wars trying to clean the atmosphere of radiation and blaster plasma! Of course those few control units that were around were jury rigged; they couldn’t even handle Seattle rains!

He felt a little homesick, but the euphoric feeling of weightlessness purged him of those thoughts. He had his orders. He hit his zoots, pointing his toes and stretching his arms forward. Whoosh, the zoots let out a burst and he felt a shudder run through his body. The first fifty yards of sudden acceleration were still tough for him to control because he thought about it too much. Once he settled down and picked out his target course Alexander relaxed. His flying settled into a controlled trajectory, rock solid, with the cool air of the Tube blowing through his hair, making him squint against the wind in order to see.

He grinned. This was what he was meant to do!

All too soon the end of the Tube rushed up. He tucked and brought his legs forward, slowing his speed until he drifted slowly toward the starlit void that was the end of the station. He stopped, hovering in the Tube not twenty meters from the end. The Tube was so large that there were two frigates and a destroyer moored right next to Alexander
inside
the station. Crews worked on them, looking like so many flying ants swarming around the sleeping metal leviathans.

Where in all this would Professor Strauss be?

Looking around, he saw nothing out of place, but then he saw the big red letters painted on the interior of the Tube. He simply followed them to “N” and just below it there was a tan tarp rigged over a section of metal. Cautiously, Alexander flew over to it, After all, if it was covered there was a good bet whatever was underneath it was not meant for a cadet’s eyes. Still, his orders came from the Commandant himself. He took a deep breath and boldly flew the rest of the way. He heard voices and instantly recognized the stodgy, befuddled voice of the Professor. He was about to fly around the corner when another voice stopped him short, filling him with doubt.

“This must be it, but we cannot let anyone at the Academy know we’ve found it—especially the Commandant! We can’t be sure where his loyalties are.”

“What do you mean,” Professor Strauss questioned. “There is no possibility whatsoever of his interference. The Augesburcke’s place in Terran history goes back to Alexander himself. He’s hard-line Terran and always will be.”

A thin, artificial sounding metallic voice, interjected, “Do you so soon forget his grandfather, who along with Alexander orchestrated a coup for the well being of Terra? He was not above doing what was best for Terra.”

“Certainly, but the President was at that time a Hrang imposter—what else was to be done?” He paused, and then as if to talk himself into what he was about to do, he added, “I don’t question the logic of what we’re doing, only that we are hiding it from the Commandant. He would be a great ally.”

“It’s the subtleties of his logic that I question, Professor,” the harsh voice said. “He is pro-Terran, but what does that mean? He’s a military man. He’s more likely to follow the letter of the law as opposed to doing what is necessary for the best interest of humankind and Terra.”

“Surely, he knows all about this? Surely the Praetorian Council and the Admiralty have been thoroughly briefed on the Project?”

There was a laugh. “The members who need to know do. This is, however, at the very upper levels of government. The President is anxious that we succeed and succeed quickly. If we don’t act within certain constraints word will get out and then the Congress will get involved. If that happens, my dear Professor, you can kiss your dream of Terra goodbye.”

“I never considered,” he paused; “Then Commandant Augesburcke doesn’t know about the Gaia Proj—” The Professor was suddenly cut short.

“Quiet you fool,” exclaimed the harsh voice in a sharp whisper. “That information is classified beyond his need to know and your right to pronounce!” There was a pregnant pause. In a calmer tone he added, “This is beyond the Academy, beyond the Fleet or the Legions. It’s politics. Therefore, let us handle this and let the military take orders. We’re the elite; we know what is in the best interests of Terra. Indeed, Professor if this succeeds your dreams of a Terra without borders will be fully realized. With this we can remove all borders, all cultures, all languages and barriers. For the first time in the history of humankind we will all be true Terrans.”

“Yes, I see your point,” the Professor said, though it sounded like he still had some doubt.

“Very well, we need to figure out how to activate the Methuselan Circuit Professor and then we will be ready for the next step.”

Alexander felt a thrill of anxiety. He didn’t know whether this was good or bad, but it wasn’t unimportant. A thought struck him.
What if it is important, and the Commandant wants me to describe this circuit to him—I’ve never seen it! But how do I do that without them catching me?
He decided he didn’t have the time or the luxury of a plan. He hit his zoots and flew past the tarp and into the metallic wall of the Tube.

“Whoa,” he cried as he bounced off the barrier and tried to steady himself. Professor Strauss looked at him with a look of astonishment, but the man with him, and the two other people, one woman and a reptilian being about half their size, a Seer’koh, gazed at him with thinly veiled malevolence.

CHAPTER 15: One Square Meter of Trouble

“Cadet!” Professor Strauss turned white as a ghost, and Alexander could say that for certain after seeing the ghosts of the
Iowa.
He sputtered in obvious surprise, moving to block Alexander’s view of the open access panel in the bulkhead. Still, Alexander got a glimpse of what was inside. There was a square black object that looked to be a circuit board mounted behind the access panel. It had what appeared to be a series of relays, capacitors and other things he knew nothing about. Actually, his first impression was that it looked like the inside of his old style transistor radio at home. There was no way to tell whether it was powered or not, but on further inspection he guessed not. The power and control conduits were disconnected. They floated over Professor Strauss’s shoulder like the stems of flowers that had their bulbs cut off.

The man quickly moved in front of Professor Strauss. He wasn’t in uniform but wore a well cut black suit that was clearly out of place on a military station. His complexion was swarthy and his hair cropped very short. The glasses he wore were not of any civilian style, they weren’t designed for looks but for function. Alexander could tell by the slight blue sheen that the glasses were capable of displaying information on the lenses and seeing in infra-red or other wavelengths. Dad had a visor like that on his helmet—they were extremely expensive. That meant he was a government man, an agent of some kind. Civilians simply couldn’t afford things like that, and the only reason his dad had something like that was that he took it from a crew of pirates that tried to board his ship.

The woman didn’t seem as concerned over Alexander as the men, dressed in the same type of black suit. Her hair was pulled back severely and tied in a bun. She wore the same type of glasses as her partner, and though she appeared surprised at Alexander’s sudden appearance, she rolled her eyes at his suspicion.

The Seer’koh was another man; Alexander could tell by the bright colors around his head. He wore a gold mesh suit. Alexander had no idea what to make of the saurian expression, but he drummed his sharp claws against each other, creating a rhythmic clicking that sounded like the popping of shorted electrical cables. He didn’t wear boots or gloves. His zoots were strapped onto his tail, which was twitching back and forth in what Alexander took to be anxiety.