“Don’t worry yourself, dude. I’m a bridge advisor keeping tabs on my people. No one knows.”

  The inside was pristine save for the overnight bag Amadi dropped off after arrival. Danny didn’t give him ten minutes to settle in before escorting him to agcom.

  Danny pulled up a chair at the kitchen table.

  “Take a load off. Let’s review your day. See your bounty. Assuming you brought one.”

  Amadi did not comply.

  “I need a stiff drink. You?”

  Danny glanced at the empty residence.

  “No thanks. Water from the chill is all you’ll find. Sorry, dude. I meant to stock you, but it’s been a busy day.”

  Amadi unlatched his bag and revealed a translucent flask.

  “Thought you might cheap out on me. Qasi vodka.”

  Danny waved him off.

  “Not my speed.”

  Amadi swigged then clinched his teeth.

  “That’s the spot.” He joined Danny and tapped his wrist pad. “It wasn’t easy, but I did my best. Strong thought something was off about me from the get-go. Coming in the same day as her? She asked if you were my case worker.”

  “And?”

  “I followed the plan. You’re good for now, but Custis has a big mouth. You’re lucky Strong didn’t see us together.”

  He expected that risk.

  “There’s a reason I didn’t step twenty feet inside. Agtech is at the far end. It’s self-contained. But yeah, it was a gamble. That’s why I’m depending on you to finish the job. Show me.”

  Amadi tossed open a holo folder loaded with images.

  “I had to be careful. The bitch is paranoid.”

  Danny laughed. “Kept her eyes locked, did she?”

  “Like a mother duck guarding her brood.”

  “Here’s a little irony: Her eyes are the only thing original about Anyssa Strong. She’s twenty years older than you think. Recon surgery. Good reason to be defensive.”

  Amadi opened up the images, taken from many awkward angles.

  “Nice lab.”

  “Was her trunk empty?”

  “Not sure. When I was there, it was locked, but if all this came out of it, yeah ... I’d say that’s her entire inventory.”

  Robotic arms and hands. CPUs. Or so he assumed.

  “Don’t recognize a damn thing.”

  Amadi shoved a few images aside and expanded one.

  “How about this? Standard D-4 Plate.”

  A pyramidal gem two inches high built into a four-sided activation pad graced the center of Strong’s workspace.

  Bingo!

  “You sure that’s hers and not standard issue?”

  “Oh, yeah. She had a swift touch on the pads. You know how it is: Use a plate long enough, it becomes a natural extension.”

  Danny leaned back and contemplated a successful first day.

  “Damn fine work, my friend. Now the tough bit: Access.”

  Amadi threw back a swig.

  “The bit where I put my life in your hands.”

  “Chill your biscuit. Seriously. We have a couple days. You need to build rapport, get her to trust you.”

  “Bullshit my way in.”

  “That’s the one. You’re an eager student. Right? Play that angle. Ask to see schematics and demos. Tie her up in knots explaining the basics. Meantime, listen for the voice pass and watch her activation touch. You’ll figure out how to get inside.”

  “I might, but snatch the prize without her knowledge?”

  Danny raised a stop sign.

  “Got you covered, dude. I know my way around a D-4. I have an MEC at the office. It’s handy when I need to end-run the protocols.”

  “MEC?”

  “Mobile Extractor Core. Yeah, I know. It’s verboten, as they say. Fortunately, the Cooper-Pynn name allows me certain privileges. My dad showed me how to use one when I was ten.” He chuckled at the memory. “Dad had trust issues with his flock.”

  “How does it work?”

  “You can copy an entire D-4 matrix in forty seconds. As long as you have the pass/touch combo, you can keep the MEC in your pocket. Secure cams won’t see it.”

  Amadi raised his brow.

  “Well, aren’t you a clever bastard.”

  “When I’m on, I’m on. I’ll bring it by in the morning before you head out. It’s easy to use.”

  Danny’s brother-in-law tapped the table to a rhythmic beat.

  “If I intend to put my posterior on the line, I need to know what’s worth a hundred big. What in ten hells am I stealing?”

  He figured this moment might arrive. Inconvenient did not describe the truth, so Danny started with a workaround.

  “We ain’t stealing. We’re gaining leverage. Strong has a program I want. At first, we made a deal. The program for an Aeternan proprietary secret. Give and take. Her bosses shifted the deal at the last minute. She’s making unreasonable demands. If I’m in control, I can ask for extras. We’ll start with two hundred thousand UCVs, split between us. In return, I’ll throw her some extra goodies.”

  “Like what?”

  “Better you don’t know.”

  Amadi glared indignantly at Danny, realizing he had been led down the garden path.

  “Not good enough. You must be desperate for this program if you’d turn on your own people.”

  Some would look at it that way. Oh, well.

  “One: Mom is the only Aeternan who I’d call ‘my people.’ Two: I’m not turning on anyone; I’m trying to make us rich. I’m gonna do you and Grace a major solid.”

  Amadi stared at his flask.

  “Lots of hand-waving, Dan. I don’t like it.”

  “I’ll give you this much for free: Anyssa Strong don’t exist. Her real name is Cassandra Latin. She works for Halifax R&D. She’s the only one out there who can give me what I want. Don’t make me beg. I need you to come through.”

  “Dunno, Dan.” He leaned back in his chair and sighed. “I feel like you’re sucking me down a dry hole.”

  Enough with the bullshit.

  “Two, three days, and we nail this shit down. Once I have the tech, both our dreams come true. Your debts are paid, you and Grace get a big house. And me ...”

  “What, Dan? What’s your dream?”

  Danny knew when to shut his mouth.

  15

  Lioness

  EXETER NEVER EXPECTED immediate results. Three hours after he returned to the operations center with Caleb’s research, his ship-bound team and the ground scientists had yet to corroborate the findings.

  Jarvis Pellem diverted from his study of the synthetic protein’s spread to make a two-hour flight to Genoa, which arose amid the same ecostems as Promise.

  “What if we’re wasting time we don’t have?”

  Exeter spoke to no one in particular. He chewed on an unlit cigar, the current data fields hovering above the light table. Spec. Cress and Traut, huddled at a separate station, reviewed Aldo Cabrise’s work and verified ecostems against the planets from which they were derived. Lt. Mars ran simulations based on river system scans surrounding the chasm. Mars glanced in his direction.

  “What was that, sir?”

  “Nothing, Lleyton. I was thinking we ought to upgrade our terrestrial Scrams with worm drives.”

  “Adm. Kane voiced the same concern, but the dangers seem to outweigh the benefits.”

  “I know. The gravity variance.”

  He spoke of a catch-all term for a mystery never solved. ADF ships routinely jumped between galactic and terrestrial coordinates, but point to point inside the atmosphere proved challenging. From the first tests soon after Settlement, a few ships crashed out of worm hundreds of kilometers from their destination. One burrowed into the planet, decimating its pilots beyond their ability to regenerate.

  The ADF tried engine designs which did not use Carbedyne, but none worked. They used Walker Stations as models to design frames for instant Anchor Gate travel. Yet those frames required a transport field too large – five hundred meters square – creating eyesores and excessive energy demands. The Promise Council scrapped the project soon after the Swarm War.

  “I remember the old days,” Mars said. “Before you arrived, sir. We weren’t knocking our heads against the wall trying to understand her mysteries. Back then, we accepted the Jewels’ gift and relished in her bounty.”

  Exeter often wished he could’ve experienced those simpler times. What a massive improvement over the nightmare he endured on Everdeen – a chapter long closed but not forgotten, despite decades of intense effort.

  “I suspect our people behaved exactly as the Jewels predicted.”

  Mars nodded.

  “We were apathetic about learning her secrets. In retrospect, it’s ironic. If not for a mortal, we’d be so far behind the curve.”

  “Hmm. Aldo. Did you know the man well?”

  The Lieutenant surrendered a wistful smile.

  “I worked in the field with him twenty-two years ago. Old, stubborn, but he never relented. He was obsessed. Aldo knew he would die long before he completed the work. But he intended to be on his feet to his last breath, which he was.”

  Exeter set his eyes on the meteorological holos.

  “I met the man in passing. I’ve heard stories. They say he was on a mission of personal redemption.”

  “Yes. I asked him once when he let his guard down. Aldo said he failed to protect Hiebimini. He was Fleet Admiral of the Ark Carriers when the Jewels seeded Hiebimini and forced a global evacuation. The Chancellors lost their only source of brontinium. Many of his caste scapegoated Aldo. Despite being demoted from Admiral, he refused to retire. When fate brought him back here with Michael Cooper, he found a new purpose. But he never received the credit he deserved – not from the Chancellors or any other mortals.”

  “Sounds like a very lonely man.”

  Mars massaged his eyes and backed away from the river scans.

  “Yes, but only because Aldo knew he was running out of time. He deserved immortality, more than many of us.”

  “I’d say he earned it.” Exeter pointed to Traut and Cress. “He gave us a map for understanding the new planet – or at least, everything the Jewels allowed us to see.”

  Shoan’s instructions buzzed through his mind.

  “Seek rational answers. Avoid emotion. It’s plain to see, but only if you are willing to see.”

  “Huh.”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “I think I just had an epiphany. Lleyton, show me the deep scans featuring those lateral shafts beneath the rivers.”

  Exeter studied simulations based on drone lodar signals, the echoes of which painted a picture of the region’s internals. The graphics weren’t conclusive, but a rigid geometry arose at random intervals. Cones, cylinders. Not refined like manmade, but too well-honed for nature.

  “Now, you say these shafts are common throughout the planet?”

  Mars nodded. “We’ve come across them before.”

  “I’m curious. Have you ever seen aerials of Hiebimini while the brontinium mines were active?”

  “No, sir.” The Lieutenant’s cheeks dropped. Exeter watched him reach a similar epiphany. “The shafts. Of course! History says there were more than two thousand brontinium mines across Hiebimini. Hundreds of meters in diameter and two or three kay deep. They were so big ...”

  Exeter finished the tale.

  “The mines were visible from orbit. The active brontinium veins produced a sickly green glow. Thousands of Hiebim lived and worked there. The Hiebim built shafts to create industrial cities.”

  Mars pounded the light table.

  “I see where you’re headed, sir. When the Jewels terraformed the planet, they had to account for those mines.”

  “And left none after the terraform. How did they do it? And what if the shafts we see,” he pointed to the holo, “were left behind by design to serve another purpose?”

  “It’s a hell of a theory, sir. I’ll pour through Aldo’s work. If not there, I’ll go to the Collectorate Archives.”

  “Good. If that fails, here’s a third option. Contact Omri Haffayah. He returned home yesterday from Xavier’s Garden, where the Hiebim refugees relocated. I’d wager they preserved as much of their culture and history as they could.”

  Not bad, Commander, Exeter told himself. Perhaps one less mystery to solve.

  Exeter retrieved a fire flick and prepared to light his cigar, but his Occip comm vibrated. He entered with his second eyes and found Rafa waiting at the comms link.

  “We’re about to have guests.”

  “Useful, I hope.”

  Rafa sighed. “Hard to say. A combined UNF/SI delegation will arrive in two hours.”

  Cudfrucker ...

  “Who specifically and why?”

  “I know who isn’t. Your successor.”

  “No Madrigal. Interesting.”

  “She said the Admiralty will be represented but refused to say why. Here’s the kicker: She insisted you be present.”

  Exeter closed his eyes.

  “No agenda, sending a subordinate, and you couldn’t say no.”

  Rafa bellowed.

  “If only I had a choice. You know the protocols.”

  “I do. Let me know when they jump in. I’ll meet you in the hangar.”

  Exeter finished his move and fired up the cigar. He took a long, contemplative puff and resisted the urge to curse out loud.

  Why now?

  The delegation entered the Aeternan system at the moment Lt. Mars tracked down a century-old global map of the brontinium mines.

  “Look forward to your report, Lleyton. I hope it’s more positive than what I’m about to walk into.”

  He arrived on the hangar deck with Rafa just before the UNF transport opened its starboard egress.

  “This will not be fun,” Exeter said.

  “Try to be optimistic, X. What have we got to lose?”

  Exeter couldn’t help but smile when he saw the first member of the delegation. New Adm. Bradley Geyermann, his best friend at Central, saluted. Exeter and Rafael returned the honor.

  “Told you I’d return someday, X,” Geyermann said. “Adm. Kane, permission to come aboard.”

  “Granted, Admiral. I appear to be at a disadvantage.”

  Geyermann introduced himself.

  “My apologies for the secrecy. The High Admiral worries about intercepts. She takes a measured approach these days.”

  Sounds just like Yvonne Madrigal, Exeter thought.

  “Not a problem, Admiral. I gather you and Comm. Woolsey are well acquainted.”

  “I dropped him off in this hangar fifty-five standard days ago. Never expected to reunite so soon.”

  “Nor did I,” Exeter said, shaking hands. “Congratulations on the bar. Well earned.”

  “With your help.” Geyermann turned to his right. “Maj. Janus Lustre, my aide.” He pivoted to the egress, where a silver-haired woman in a hover-powered medchair flew onto the deck beside a tall, dark-haired man with a tan bodysuit and cultured beard.

  I’ll be damned.

  “Lana Devonshire,” Exeter said. “Did you not tell me six months ago you were ready to walk away, so to speak?”

  The only Special Intelligence Director in history waved her wobbly and webby left hand. The other remained still, like the last time they saw each other.

  “You make fun, Exeter. My body betrays me, but this brain is lethal as a flash peg. So they keep my name on the door. Clear?”

  Her lips wriggled to form a wry smile. Exeter cupped Lana’s good hand and kissed her cheek. Six months might as well have been six years. She was thinner, shakier, dying.

  “I’ve known you for a quarter century, Lana. Clarity has never been your weakness.”

  “Don’t talk in the macro, X. It reminds me of the inevitable.” She nodded toward her escort. “This is Jack. No more need be said.”

  Yet Exeter knew enough: One name, almost certainly fake, no doubt affiliated with SI’s dark rooms. The agents who put everything on the line, often outside interstellar law.

  “We won’t need long, Admiral,” Geyermann said. “A small, private room will suffice.”

  “We’re all set. Follow me.”

  Exeter walked alongside his old pal.

  “Let me guess, Brad. Madrigal chose you because you’re a friendly face.”

  Geyermann stifled a laugh.

  “You know her well. She worried about sending others from the Table.”

  Sounds spot-on.

  “Hmm. They started whispering the moment I left.”

  “You give them too much credit. They whispered every time you passed them in the corridors.” At the lift, Geyermann added: “You salvaged the Admiralty and cleansed the fleet of Requiem, but even men of honor bear grudges.”

  Maj. Lustre interjected.

  “The alliance between the UNF and ADF is too strong to risk unnecessary tension, Commander.”

  “Agree, Major.”

  Geyermann added: “I brought in Janus from the Fourth Fleet. We served for years on the Pinatar. My XO. Like you, I wanted a friend and confidant in my company.”

  As Devonshire entered the lift first, Exeter whispered:

  “You don’t paint the best image of Central.”

  “It’s not their commitment, X. We’re on the same team. It’s the personalities. The ambitions. We’ve seen where that led us.”

  “Indeed.”

  Exeter shut down the conversation until they reached the Level 3 conference room. He and Rafa sat across from the visitors. Geyermann did not take his seat straightaway.

  “The floor is yours, Admiral,” Rafa said.

  “Thank you, Adm. Kane. Our orders are simple: Relay intel, take questions, and get out of your hair. We’re here because you’ve earned the courtesy, especially after saving Amity Station last year.”

  Geyermann flipped open his pom and threw open a holo laden with statistics. Exeter recognized many.

  “Black Star continues to grow at a staggering pace, despite our best efforts. Ships, weapons, infrastructure, and personnel are effectively level to our own. Intersystem war is inevitable. In our worst-case projections, we anticipate casualties into the billions. Interplanetary trade will collapse when we no longer can protect the shipping lanes.”

  So far, Exeter heard nothing new. But he also realized Madrigal wouldn’t have sent a delegation unless conditions had changed. Geyermann continued.