Bridgebuilders Page 27

  “They’ve got some control in Security, don’t they?” Andy asked. “Isn’t the fail-safe designed to let the Sunnies handle an evacuation if it’s necessary?”

  Ned nodded, but it was Pete who answered.

  “I think Security can handle doorways and escape pod ejections. Those also work on manual override, but that knowledge is limited to a few station personnel. Rather, they think it’s limited. Arkady has trained everybody on how to do it, so that might work in our favor somehow. Security also has the ability to boot the system again, if it’s a problem that can be fixed.”

  “Where do they have this access?”

  “Their main office off the inner rim,” Ned said.

  “We can’t deal with that,” Sam said, his voice dull, as if he didn’t care anymore. Sarah sat next to him on the floor, her arm resting on his knee. He was watching Ned’s pointless poking. “We’ve still got sixteen bombs to get rid of. And the last few have all been armed when we find them.”

  Ned stopped poking and lifted his head to look at Sam. “All we’ve got is the cached display. If they move any of the bombs, we won’t know where they are. If they arm anymore of them, we won’t know that, either.”

  Sam shrugged. “We work with what we’ve got.”

  Moira traced a finger through her own display of the station until she reached the inner rim. “Why don’t we port the Sunnies to Earth?”

  The only answer she got was silence, so she glanced up. Everyone was staring at her, and her stomach fluttered in sudden nervousness. “Umm ... was that a stupid question?”

  Ned’s lip twitched. “What’s stupid is we never thought of it.” He looked to Sam. “At the least, we can port out any Sunnies we come to as we approach the bombs. Can you do that?”

  “There are problems with it,” Sam said, slowly, as if thinking about it. “I can program the destination ahead of time. But how do we get the guards to stand still in one place, so I can program in their location?”

  “How much time do you need? It seems to take just a few seconds with the bombs.”

  “Yes, but the bombs aren’t moving. And I have the coordinates partially entered based on the map location. I can do that for the guards too, of course. Assuming the guards are not moving around ... I’d need five to ten seconds.”

  “Sneak up on ‘em,” Ned said. “We’ll have to port ourselves in a little farther away, but if we can reduce the number of Sunnies, the sooner Arkady can get this station under control.”

  “It will add seconds to every bomb search we do,” Sam said. “I’ll have to reprogram for the bomb every time.”

  “Can you port out the guards in the main office?” Pete asked. “You can use the coords for the whole office so that you get them all.”

  “That would port out the equipment, too,” Andy said.

  Ned held up a hand. “Let’s do this another way. Send the ladies to Arkady’s location. I think it’s time we called out all the troops. With computer control gone, they’re going to be hopping mad, anyway. Karen can tell Arkady that we need lots of distraction. They can keep the guards busy, isolate and strand them, if possible. We can send them off-station later. Here.” He motioned to Karen, while bringing up his bomb display.

  “We’ll follow this path, going from lower to upper levels at each location.” They all watched his finger move through the display. Karen nodded as if committing it to memory. “Tell Arkady I want people at each location, causing a ruckus.”

  He turned to Andy, indicating a corridor on the map. “Send the women here. Arkady’s location is over here,” a green light blinked a few doors down. I doubt there’re any guards in the area. Arkady would never stand for it. You should be able to just walk down there.” The last was to Karen as she loaded up with weapons, but Moira nodded too. Finally, something useful to do.

  She saw Andy press the button, but still experienced a shock to find herself someplace else. They were in a corridor with several closed doors in both directions. Karen turned in a circle, then picked a direction. “This way.”

  They followed her to the third door down, next to a window covered with a shade. Karen knocked and called out, “Arkady, it’s Karen. Ned sent us down.”

  The voice Moira was used to hearing through Ned’s Pad answered. “Hang on. We have to do this manually.”

  A whirring sound came from the wall for a few seconds, then the door slid open. The tall and skinny man who stood in the doorway gave Karen a big grin and pulled her into a hug, weapons and all.

  “Karen, me love! You’re a sight for me tired eyes. That husband of yours still treating you right?”

  “Still is, Arkady.”

  “All right. You let me know the minute I have a chance, now.”

  Karen released herself from his grip and introduced Moira and Sarah. There were several other people in the room, which Moira recognized as the communications center she’d seen on the screen before they came up here. They all waved in greeting, but didn’t interrupt. Karen explained what they wanted.

  “Pfft,” was Arkady’s first response, but he elaborated. “I can’t keep ‘em down. People are plenty mad, let me tell you. Hang on and I’ll get the troops started.” He scooped a walkie-talkie from his belt, and began making calls. Moira could hear the relief in the voices of the people Arkady talked to. As she listened, she realized that they were scattered all over the station. It was called a lockdown because people were literally locked into their rooms when it went into effect, but as Pete had mentioned, they all knew how to override the locks. They were disciplined enough to wait for information before doing it, knowing that they needed to make the most of the ability.

  The walkie-talkies were something else they weren’t supposed to have. “There’s one in every room of the station,” Arkady said when she asked him. “I couldn’t abide the idea that we couldn’t talk to each other. In a real emergency, communication is essential.”

  The bomb display showed an active location on their level, about five corridors over, so he sent his own people there, letting Karen lead them. Karen insisted that Moira and Sarah stay with Arkady, who remained to coordinate the uprising. Moira fumed, but knew she’d just be a liability. Sarah seemed almost grateful to be left out.

  “Whatever happens,” Arkady said as the room emptied, “it won’t take long. We’ve got five thousand pissed-off people, and they have only a couple hundred Sunnies.”

  ~~~

  Andy had ported out three of the remaining bombs. Sam was still quiet, and made no effort to do any of the porting, although he did keep an eye on Andy’s work. The next bomb was nearby, so they were walking, with Phil and Ned taking the lead. Pete and Lisa followed, walking backwards so they could see anyone coming from behind.

  The noise hit them first, and Ned pumped a fist in the air. “Arkady’s got the troops out.”

  There was no doubt about location, so they hurried, but the action was over by the time they got there. Ten people milled about the anteroom, trussing up the three unconscious guards. They greeted Ned with exuberance. “They never knew what hit ‘em,” one said. “They had no idea we weren’t still locked away.”

  Andy and Sam slipped through the crowd while Ned talked to the group’s leader. “Stash the guards in a defensible room and have a couple of your people keep an eye on them. We’ll come back for them after we get rid of the bombs. The rest of you, join up with the next group. Remember, word will get to the other Sunnies that you’re out. They won’t all be easily surprised.”

  That was true, Andy realized, suddenly nervous. Some of these people could die. He sent the bomb out, and Sam nodded, satisfied. They returned to Ned.

  “I don’t think we should port to anymore locations,” Sam said. “The people are helping with the guards, but we’ve lost the advantage of empty corridors.”

  “I agree.” Ned rubbed the back of his neck as he peered at his bomb display. “Randy here says that Arkady sent groups to every bomb location, so there should already be a crowd
at the next one. I say we just hoof it over there as fast as we can.”

  He turned to look over his burgeoning team. “Form a circle. These are the guys you’re protecting. They stay in the middle. If we run into guards, cover them at all times.”

  As the group closed around them, Andy saw two of them take up station near a closed door. That must be where they stashed the Sunnies. He wished they had time to send them off station. But it would have to wait.

  Chapter 37

  Feldman closed the door to his office and leaned against it, letting his burning eyes close. This exacerbated the pounding in his temples, so he opened them again and stared at his desk, which seemed to float at the end of a long, narrow tunnel. He wondered, for just a moment, if he were having a stroke.

  He dismissed this idea. Death might come today, but it would not be so easy.

  “Ari, mute the window,” he said. In the more welcome gloom, he added, “Have Dinnie Warner report to my office.” He proceeded to his desk and the work waiting there.

  This involved little more than calling up a display of the carnage that was NISS. In the last hour, communications with Rhyder had gone sporadic, then stopped altogether, as station civilians rioted, interfering with signals and distracting his security team from its mission of apprehending Sam Altair.

  Feldman was reduced to getting his information from the news services. The prime minister, and other government heads, had honored Feldman’s request to black out most of the more damaging reports, but reporters the world over were gleeful as they showed short takes of Arkady’s second announcement that NISS was now under civilian control. There were hints of a radical new technology developed by the rebel alliances, and a few minutes ago, Feldman heard the first reports that Sun’s security officers on NISS were mysteriously appearing on the wide expanse near Stonehenge, with no idea how they’d gotten there.

  Ari sent him a ping. “Dr. Warner has arrived, sir.”

  “Send her in.”

  He watched the news display until she reached his desk. He raised his head then, happy to see her flinch from his gaze. Usually, her penchant for dark clothes contrasted with the spiky blonde hair to give her a tough, competent bravado. Now she looked like a pale wraith dressed in mourning.

  There was a price for everything, and Dinnie Warner knew it.

  He stood, brushing his fingers over his desk before addressing her. “Has your research revealed any correlation between Andrew Green and Sam Altair before they met yesterday in our laboratory?”

  She stood stiff, not quite looking at him. “No sir, I could not find anything. However, based on Mr. Green’s access to neutrino detection, I am certain that he saw the first occurrence in March. He and Moira Sherman both had unusual search requests centered on Belfast in the days immediately following.”

  “You did not think to look for this when you were vetting Mr. Green for employment?”

  “No sir.” He could see that she wanted to protest it wasn’t her job to do that. He hoped she understood that it wasn’t the point.

  He turned from her, to pace a few steps behind his desk, thinking. “Altair’s appearance came at a crucial juncture. I am curious as to how he, or the rebels, obtained information about the NISS Project.”

  He glanced up at her silence. “Can you enlighten me, Dr. Warner?”

  “I?” Her jaw was hard as she lifted her chin. “I’m afraid I can’t.”

  “But I think you can.” He wandered back to his desk, unhurried, to bring up a hologram. “You know this man?”

  He liked the hate in her eyes.

  “He’s my brother.”

  “He’s assigned to the Western Brigade in Galway?”

  “Yes.”

  “He provides you with information?”

  “No sir. We seldom talk. We ... are not close.”

  He resumed his pace. “There is always a chain, doctor. A chain of information that grows as it passes from person to person, until it reaches the one person who is in the right place, at the right time, to make use of it. This particular chain wends its way from the spaceport in Galway, to this building, to this department, then on to a traveler from another dimension, to a notorious rebel, and hence, to the space station.”

  He stopped and smiled at her, his hands relaxed in the pockets of his pants. “This particular chain travels through you.”

  Her jaw moved as she swallowed, but she said nothing.

  “In my career,” he said, “I have crossed paths with many traitors. Some of them caused significant damage to Sun’s mission, and to me personally. But you, Dr. Warner, are the best of them. You are the one who succeeded in bringing me to ruin.”

  Her eyes touched on his at last. For a brief moment of truth, he read her joy. “If that is true, sir,” she said, “I can only say it was a happy confluence of events that allowed it to happen.”

  He was glad for her spark. It made her a more worthy adversary, and took some of the sting out of losing. He nodded and brought his hands out of his pockets. One hand reached inside his jacket. “Thank you, Dr. Warner. That will be all.”

  It was his favorite bullet gun, and it took Warner a few moments to realize she’d been shot. Her body reacted with immediate recoil, and her face registered the first shock of pain. But he saw the realization dawn in her eyes as she watched him. She fell backwards, living long enough to bring her bloody hands in front of her face, and count the cost charged to her account.

  ~~~

  After the last Sun guard vanished from sight, Andy turned and presented CERBO to Sam with a little bow. “That’s the lot,” he said. “NISS is officially a civilian station, thanks to you.”

  Sam grinned. It had taken a while, but he’d finally gotten into the spirit of the thing, as the Sunnies were sent packing in groups of twenty. He was especially tickled with the idea of sending them to Stonehenge. They’d chosen it for practicality, since in this world, no one was allowed at the site, and the area was large and flat. But Sam felt there was some kind of cosmic justice playing out, and he let it relieve his soul a little.

  A crowd had gathered to watch, and now they broke into applause and cheering. On the public screens surrounding them, the video of Arkady’s declaration of their independence was playing over and over. Several people were already talking about making this date a colony holiday, to be celebrated with pomp, speeches, and picnics on the outer rim.

  Arkady came over and shook his hand. “We owe you big, Sam. Thank you for getting involved.”

  “I have a feeling our worlds will have to work together in the future,” Sam said. “I think we’re off to the right start, here. Although how you’re going to hold onto it, I don’t know. I have the impression that none of your governments are open to granting people freedoms.”

  “They aren’t. But Sun is a bitch even to their friends, and there’s a certain cache that comes with beating them. I intend to use it.”

  “Good luck to you.”

  “For now,” Arkady said, nodding to the approaching Ned, “I understand we have another mission to do.”

  “Yep,” Ned said. “Feldman’s holding on to some stuff that ain’t his, there’s a big surprise. I promised Sam we’d help get them back, and I don’t think we should be waiting around for long.”

  “Don’t want to give Feldman time to lose them,” Pete said, from behind Sam.

  Sam raised a brow. “How many are planning on going?”

  “We’ve had to beat the volunteers back,” Arkady said. “Everyone wants to see Feldman eat shit.”

  Sarah shook her head. “This is not a joy ride. It’s probably the most protected place on your planet. We’ll be lucky to come out alive.”

  “Exactly,” Sam said. “In fact, I think it’s best if I go alone.”

  Ned held up a hand to silence the babble of questions this brought. He fixed Sam with a thoughtful stare and crossed his arms. “Explain.”

  “My first concern,” Sam said, “is that I don’t have a plan for forcing Feld
man to return our items. He knew the original Sam well enough to know that I won’t kill him. There’s no point even threatening that. We’ve nothing to use for blackmail, as he’s already lost a very public battle. He’s essentially ruined, although I wouldn’t put it past him to have a contingency plan.”

  “Basically, I don’t know what we’d accomplish if a large, armed group of us shows up in his office. But say it’s just me, with an open comm line broadcasting video and audio of our meeting. I’ll make sure he knows our meeting is being broadcast. If he refuses to return the chip, the whole world will know that Sun has stolen it.”

  Ned shrugged. “The whole world might not care. People will want that technology.”

  “People will not get the technology if Sun has it,” Sam said. “I’ve already given it to the people of your world, by giving it to you. In fact, I’m considering not going home until you’ve got an actual prototype built, because frankly, CERBO is the only advantage you have over Sun.”

  Everyone was silent as Ned thought it through. His frown showed he wasn’t happy with the plan, but finally, he nodded. “I want to go with you, though. You need at least one person to watch your back. I can handle the recording too, so you can concentrate on handling Feldman.”

  Sarah nodded emphatically at this, and Sam smiled as he squeezed her hand. “You’re on,” he said. “But that brings up another point. I think it would be foolish to take CERBO back into Sun HQ, and give Feldman another chance at taking it. Andy can operate CERBO from here, to drop us off and pick us up. I have a blood marker that CERBO can trace. Andy already knows how that works. If you’re coming, I suggest we put a marker in you, as well.”

  “So no matter what happens down there, Andy can always bring us back?” Ned asked.

  “That’s it.”

  “So where,” Karen asked, “are you going, exactly? None of us know where in the building Feldman’s office is.”

  “I do,” Sarah said. When this brought several blank stares, she raised an eyebrow. “Well, I do.”

  “How?” Sam asked.