Stephen Berry - The Battle for Terra Two

"Certainly. I've spent my time reviewing your records. First for my own information, then to quell a suspicion. The suspicion merely grew.

"Who told you about Maximus, Commodore?"

"Guan-Sharick, of course."

"Yes. Guan-Sharick. Teleported aboard and walked into your cabin with a bottle of premium brandy. Shock. Amazement. Consternation.''

"Yes."

"Guan-Sharick's briefing was interrupted. Remember?"

"Someone called." D'Trelna shook his head. "It's been a while."

The admiral reached for the desk complink. "I envy you your technology," he said, entering a command.

"The prophylactic that protects our civilization from infectious creativity," said the commodore as Hochmeister swiveled the monitor to face him.

"I like that," said the admiral.

"As true now as when first written, four thousand years ago.

"Half the screen's my log entry of Guan-Sharick's visit," said D'Trelna, reading the data. "The other half's a maintenance downtime log for the shield."

"Note the times."

D'Trelna saw it. He looked up, startled. "The S'Cotar arrived while the shield was up, heleft when it was down."

"Correct," said the admiral, swinging the monitor back and disconnecting the complink. The screen folded itself neatly into the desk top, blending with the yellow t'raqwood veneer. "That was the only time your shield had been down since you first arrived in the Terran system."

"One of us," said D'Trelna, pinching the bridge of his nose, looking pained. "One of us."

"Yes-if it's true the S'Cotar can't teleport through a shield."

"They can't."

He looked at Hochmeister, eyes narrowed. "Who?"

The admiral spread his hands. "I didn't know, but Ithought an alien clever enough to infiltrate an enemy ship for so long would know where to set tripwires-early warnings of an investigation. Matching of those two log entries we just viewed would be a logical tripwire. An alert has no doubt now been triggered to someone on this ship." He touched the beverager, producing a cup of fata.

D'Trelna glanced at the door. "Someone who'll come to silence you."*

Hochmeister shook his head. "No. Someone who is already here."

"You're very clever, Admiral," said Guan-Sharick.

"You're not D'Trelna, are you?"

"No. That capable lump's on his way to the bridge." The transmute looked around the room, then at the door. "No rush of commandos, Admiral?"

"No." He grimaced as he sipped the t'ata. "Hideous drink." He set it aside.

"Herbal. Very healthy.

"Why did you ferret me out?" The blonde replaced D'Trelna's image.

"Amazing how you do that," said the admiral. He rose, walking to the armorglass window and its view of Terra Two. "I need you. I promised the gangers I would help them-negotiations, profound changes in the way

America is run. Many in Germany fear a united America. I don't-they're no threat without the bomb. I can influence our side into neutrality while the gangers talk with their government." He faced the blonde.

"It's the American side that I can't control. For that, I need you. How many effectives have you left inside their government?"

"How did you know?"

Hochmeister shrugged. "Something was happening at the second-secretary level. In light of later data, it had to be you."

"I see. There're three that Shalan missed. Why?"

"I want you to use them in any way necessary to see that an accord is reached between the gangers and the government. A fair and equitable accord-UC is to be disbanded, the cities rebuilt."

"I'd have thought you had a warm spot for Urban Corps, Admiral."

The admiral shrugged. "Just playing a role. I was there to investigate suspicions regarding Maximus. Colonel Aldridge was a superb cover."

"You fooled a master," conceded the S'Cotar. "So, I do what you say, and then what?"

"Then you're free."

"Did I miss something?" asked the blonde. "Why shouldn't I just kill you?"

Hochmeister walked back to the desk. He stood, looking down at the S'Cotar. "Because I've recorded and hidden my suspicions and evidence about you deep in ship's computer. A routine report to computer of my death or disappearance would trigger a wide dissemination of that file. D'Trelna and L'Wrona would tear this ship apart with their bare hands to find you."

"I could steal the access code from your dying mind."

The admiral shook his head. "Probably not before my mind died." He tapped his teeth with a fingernail. "L-pill in a hollow tooth. Fast."

The S'Cotar was silent for a moment. "Very well, Admiral. It costs me nothing.

"I must return with this ship. However, my transmutes will report to you upon your return. When their mission's accomplished to your satisfaction, you will give them the access code to that file."

"They'll be leaving the portal open for a while, then?"

The blonde nodded. "The plan is to post a few ships off Terra Two-just to make sure there are no slimy green bugs left."

"I'm leaving tonight," the admiral said as the S'Cotar stood.

"I know. They're putting you and MacKenzie down on a scan-shielded shuttle. With the Maximus site obliterated, there's no trace of an alien presence on the planet."

They walked to the door. "It's probably being explained as a secret project gone wrong," said Hochmeister.

"Not a total lie."

"So, do we have a deal, Guan-Sharick?"

"We have a deal, Admiral," said the S'Cotar. They shook hands, Hochmeister feeling the S'Cotar's grip as firm, dry and human. Guan-Sharick was gone.

Bemused, the Admiral looked at his hand, then went back to the desk and stuffed his notes into the disposer.

"Well, this is it, then?" said Heather as they stopped at the foot of the shuttle. Hangar deck was back to normal now, blaster gouges along the walls the only trace of battle.

"This is it," said John. He handed her the green backpack he'd just taken from his quarters.

"What's in here?" she asked, unlacing the nylon cord.

"A belated gift from Prometheus," he said, watching her remove the thick, black bound book. "One of the oddities of our civilization the K'Ronarins were shipping home. They can always get another."

"On the Construction of Atomic and Thermonuclear Weapons,"she read. "But we know bomb theory."

"Theory." He tapped the book. "This tells you how- bomb casings, fissionable materials, detonators.

"You do have fissionable material?"

She nodded, thumbing excitedly through the manual. "Five German-managed power plants reprocess PU-239 through us." She looked up. "We've been saving a small percentage of it-conditioned the auditors to believe that five percent of any run is MUF-Material Unaccounted For.

"In a year, we're going to have our own nuclear force." She slipped the book into the backpack. "There's going to be a big geopolitical shakeout." She kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," he smiled. "Luck to you."

"And to you," she said, holding out her hand. John shook it, looking for the last time into those cool green eyes.

Hochmeister arrived, wearing his old UC uniform and escorted by K'Raoda. "So, it's good-bye, then?" he said to John.

"For now, Admiral. But who knows? We're only a reality away."

"May I take your bag, Captain MacKenzie?" asked Hochmeister.

"Thank you, Admiral," she said, handing him the backpack. She winked at John, then turned and bounded up the stairs. Hochmeister followed.

John watched the shuttle drift silently down the deck, penetrate the air curtain and vanish, a silver ship dwindling in size against the blue-green bulk of Terra Two.

He was halfway to the bridge when the battle klaxon sounded.

"Shuttle launching," reported K'Lana. "And V 'Tran's Glory advises ready to intitiate portal."

"That was fast," said L'Wrona. "One watch and N'Trol's removed the alien device? And tapped its secrets?"