Tranquility's Heirs

Part Nine

This science fiction novel has very little sex and only minor nudity, so it can't be described as erotic. But it is a love story that builds over time. It is also a war story. All characters are over 18 years old. All rights reserved.

Recap; Following a trail that outraged the computers, Grey plans to send Vandebrown into exile on the far side of the moon.

Recap; Following a trail that outraged the computers, Grey plans to send Vandebrown into exile on the far side of the moon.

* * * * * *

Chapter 9

AMBITIONS

The mood in the Governor's Quarters was somber. With Grey absent for more than an hour, five people were trapped together with no desire to be there. As Kris paced quietly near the closed monitor room doors trying to eavesdrop, Vandebrown sat behind the oak desk playing with the auxiliary computer monitor. McKinsey stared off into space.

When Mike helped Valerie back into the dimly lit sleeping chamber, he laid down next to her on the oversized bed and soothed her as best he could. Valerie clutched his hand.

"Hell of day, huh?" Mike said.

"I'm sorry to be such a sprout," she sniffled. "When Laureen suggested we reopen the moon, I thought it would be so exciting. You've been miserable since retiring from the service. Kris, too. After what happened in London, I thought I could take anything. But I can't. Not this. Guess I'm just not cut out for this adventure business."

"This hasn't exactly been your standard mission," Mike said. "I was over Africa twelve times. Down twice. Second time I crossed the Sudan disguised as a goat herder, but I've never experienced anything crazy as this moon stuff."

"It's different for you and Kris. You're so cool and professional. I haven't been any help at all."

"Don't worry, honey, I have a hunch we're all gonna contribute before this thing's over." He kissed her on the cheek, then wrinkled his brow.

"There's something we've got to talk about," he said. "So far, we've been following Laureen's lead, but she didn't know as much as she thought, and even what she knew, she didn't tell us."

"If you mean she lied to us from the beginning, I think I've figured that out."

"Doc thought the security computers would accept her authority. Coming here was a big mistake otherwise. I saw Kris and that governor kid watching the computer screen, and by their faces, I'd say things aren't good."

"How could it get any worse?"

"We might have to fight our way out. Right now, that doesn't look too easy," Mike said.

In the study, as McKinsey continued to brood, Vandebrown gave up trying to tap the computer system and started to browse among Thomas McKinsey's trophies and wall plaques. Several times he glanced at Laureen and sighed under his breath. Not that he didn't feel badly for himself, but his had been an unfocused scheme from the beginning.

He looked at Kris standing near the doorway, still trying to listen through the door, and envied the rapport she had established with the boy, cursing himself for not thinking of it first. But it will be all right, he decided. Sooner or later I'll win his confidence.

"Well, Laureen? At least we're still in play," Vandebrown said, sitting down next to her.

"I suppose," she whispered.

"Come on, cheer up," he said. "She'll forgive you. Her father's death was an accident. And as for the rest of it, well, you didn't do anything old Doctor Tom wouldn't have done himself."

"Hush, Roger. I have a great many factors to sort out," McKinsey said.

"I think you've done enough sorting," Kris said uninvited.

McKinsey turned in surprise.

"Excuse me, dear? You've been so quiet. Have you something to say?" McKinsey asked.

"Not much," Kris answered. "Don't like what you did. Not at all. But it may have seemed necessary. War makes for tough decisions. People get hurt. Guess I can live with it. The Governor knows that, too. That's all he's ever known, but it hasn't stopped him."

"Grey is a remarkable young person. And quite fond of you," McKinsey agreed.

"Me?" Kris said with raised eyebrows.

"Come now, my dear, it was obvious from the first," McKinsey said. "He doesn't know, of course. Men of his insulated character rarely do. But from your first report upon returning from the landing bay, I realized he must have taken a special interest in you. Even Michael sensed it. The reasons are obvious to even the most casual observer. Am I not correct, Roger?"

Vandebrown glanced at her, surprised. "I think you're a step ahead of me," he said.

"Men are so dense," McKinsey sighed. She leaned forward, briefly struggling to get up. Vandebrown jumped to her assistance.

"Thank you, Roger," she said. "It appears my physicians were correct. This trip will be the death of me yet."

She walked to the desk, adjusted the chair, and sat down with a nostalgic smile. A few quick entry codes confirmed her suspicions.

"This is the library records access," McKinsey said, rotating the monitor. "Your friend has undoubtedly spent thousands of hours here observing events on Earth through the lunar web. To you he's a mysterious figure, fraught with romantic overtones, but he is undoubtedly aware of every aspect of our public lives. Surely he has monitored vid broadcasts, seen news reports. In all probability he's been watching the nightly specials about our flight. My speech before the Supreme Court. Highlights of Michael's Rose Bowl victory. One of Valerie's N.A.O. concerts. Perhaps even that special W.B.C. did on you last year when you received your medal. What did the producers call it, Kris dear? Warrior Woman of the Nile?"

"Think of it," Vandebrown said, sharing McKinsey's glimpse of insight. "That boy growing up here alone, watching the world go by. You're right, he must know all about us."

"Oh, Roger, it's more than that," McKinsey continued. "Don't you see? For some reason we don't yet understand, this young man feels a special kinship toward Kris. Perhaps an identification with her war experiences."

"Hadn't thought of it like that," Kris confessed, feeling vaguely self-conscious. "This one's definitely going on my list of things to talk about."

"Perhaps one day further discussions will be possible," Grey said, abruptly entering from the monitor room.

Kris was shocked by his ashen appearance. His stance was unsteady. Grey studied the expressions of the humans, realized he was out of character, and relaxed his face into a bland mask, fighting a powerful urge to flee. He wanted to avoid ever having contact with humans again, but knew in his heart that wasn't practical.

"You humans have managed to stay out of trouble for more than an hour," he observed. "Congratulations."

"What happened, Grey?" Kris asked.

Grey was caught off-guard by her familiarity, the expectant looks of the other humans intimidated him further. What are they doing here? he wondered. Why did they have to come?

"Grey? Are you all right?" Kris asked again.

"I am well. You should sleep now," he advised.

"Insufficient response," Kris said. Grey recognized the humor but failed to smile. "What happened in there? What are we going to do?"

We? Grey thought. Ridiculous human.

"A hopper is being prepared for Major Vandebrown's transfer to Far Side. The remaining humans will be sent home."

"You're really going through with this exile business?" Vandebrown asked.

"Dead humans are of little service to me," Grey insisted.

"And I?" McKinsey asked haughtily. "Am I simply being sent home?"

"That is my intention," he said, too weary to be impressed by shallow theatrics. "Silent Wind is in preflight. Launch time thirty-six hours, eighteen minutes."

"What about the computers?" Kris asked, surprised it all sounded so easy.

"We have outlined our respective positions," Grey explained. "Where is Colonel Zopek and Doctor Fairfield?"

"They fell asleep in your bed," Kris answered.

Grey frowned, puffing at the unprecedented inconvenience. "There are extra beds in the hotel," he advised. "Confine yourselves to the central community areas. The perimeter corridors are uncommonly dangerous at this moment."

"Where are you going?" Kris asked.

"The landing bay. Major Vandebrown's hopper requires special flight instructions."

"You know I'm going with you, don't you?" Kris said. "Face facts, you're in no condition to travel alone."

Grey balked at her presumption, then reconsidered her proposal. Asking for help never occurred to him, but now that it was offered, he sensed specific advantages. He recalled that Kris was the most competent of the humans.

"Administration will authorize the appropriate certificate," he agreed. "Take my light armor, it fits you well. Major Vandebrown, you have eight hours to prepare for departure. Purchase whatever comforts you require. Services has been instructed to accept two hundred kilograms for shipment. Will a preliminary advance of ten thousand credits suffice?"

"Yes, I'll try not to get carried away," Vandebrown said, surprised by his generosity.

"Carried away?" Grey asked, the term unfamiliar.

"He means greedy. He's good at it," Kris said.

Grey faced Vandebrown squarely, attempting to see through the jaunty human's exterior into the creature underneath. Vandebrown soon found himself under the strangest scrutiny he'd ever experienced, the intense gray eyes powerful enough to mesmerize. He felt relieved and faintly drained when Grey finally broke off eye contact.

"Greed is irrelevant. In time, whatever you want will be yours," Grey said. He turned to leave, anxious to escape the stifling room.

"Doctor McKinsey, you will confine yourself to these quarters under house arrest," Grey said from the doorway.

"I understand, dear. Will we have a chance to talk before departure?" McKinsey asked.

"Unlikely," Grey replied, refusing to look her in the face. He turned abruptly and disappeared into the outside corridor.

"He doesn't seem to like you," Vandebrown said.

"We all cannot possess your charm, Roger," McKinsey parried. "Enjoy your exile."

Vandebrown laughed, glad to see her spirits returning. McKinsey allowed herself an aristocratic smile.

____________

Grey wasted no time after leaving the Governor's Quarters. Within minutes he had donned his radiation suit, visited the medical center for chemical assistance, and headed for the science elevator, plunging the shielded car down toward the reactor level at full drop.

When the elevator doors snapped open at the top of RA-1, Grey bounced out with both sidearms drawn. He needn't have been so dramatic, the staging area was empty. He holstered the weapons, racked his shield on the rear shoulder carrier, and took brisk hops down the tunnel.

RA-1 was sturdy exercise. The steep, dimly lit tunnel was neither wide enough nor high enough for free falling, requiring extraordinary control at higher speeds. He trotted down to the disposal chute observation platform and paused to catch his breath, the radiation suit heavier and clumsier than armor.

It had been a long time since he'd stopped to gaze through the observation port at the sparkling waste products falling into the reactor below. The bits of radiated particles and processed refuse glittered on their final drop into the burners, and Grey remembered the time, many years before, when he had almost joined them, the time he had survived a terrifying fall down the chute and managed to escape through the maintenance vent.

Then, in the reflection of the port window, Grey saw an apparition appear. It was Professor Sharkov.

We stopped on this very spot, Grey remembered. My first real conversation with a human. An intelligent human, even if he was naive. Grey nearly laughed recalling how incompetently Sharkov had stationed himself against the patrolling seeker.

But I was here to help him, Grey thought, and there was no red alert. No surprise attack on the Loop. The final moments in the community level reception area returned, the warning sound of seeker jets, the brief blur when Beta scanned them in the alcove and changed course. Professor Sharkov standing unaware, as usual. The blood. Ridiculous human, he sighed. I should have saved him. I should have saved all of them.

Grey fought back his emotions and charged into RA-2, using the slightly higher ceiling to hurl himself down the tunnel dangerously fast. The shaft dropped steeply through solid rock to the storage platform above RA-3 where he slowed to take the checkered safety wall good shoulder first. The run had felt good, but he trotted down the last tunnel segment slowly, composing himself. He hadn't come so far to play games.

The entrance to the reactor level appeared at the bottom of RA-3. He stopped to punch in the entry code, opened the shielded safety locks, and marched through each of the three protective chambers. The control pod was quiet, the illumination subdued. Dimly lit indicator panels showed the reactor phase at low cycle. Below him, through the observation window, the core chamber hummed smoothly. Grey went to the primary modulation station and woke the reactor, priming the accelerator.

"Excuse me, Governor," the Energy Computer said, arriving on line at the first sign of activity. "What you are doing?"

"Initiating a step-two variable reaction. What does it look like?" he said.

"Did we not agree to retire the step-two variable phase until the energy cannon is put on line?"

"We did," Grey said.

"Then why are you initiating a phase now?"

"Why do you think?"

He raised the power level and went to the override switch before the Energy Computer could interfere, setting the cycle mode for a gradual climb to variability. The floor unit begin to pulse aggressively.

"That should do it," Grey said. "Don't worry, I'll be back to adjust the variable stage in forty-eight hours."

"But what if you don't?" the Energy Computer asked. "With all the conflict occurring up above, it may be difficult for my supervisor unit to manage the variable stage alone."

"Affirmative. It's important that I return," Grey said.

He took one last look into the core chamber, then activated the timer and folded the cover down, locking the control panel.

"Governor, this activity must be protested," the Energy Computer said. "The timing of this experiment is most inappropriate. If the variable stage goes uncontrolled, severe damage will occur to the energy links. The reactor would be off line for an indeterminate period."

"That would be unfortunate. Please monitor the reaction closely. Refer problems to the Defense Computer," Grey said.

"Defense? What can Defense do?" Energy asked.

"That is for Defense to decide," Grey said.

Forty-five minutes later, Grey met Kris at the upper end of the community level promenade. She was surprised to find him wearing a radiation suit.

"What have you been doing?" Kris asked.

"Negotiating," he replied.

Grey entered the administrative offices and went back into the cashier's vault where he quickly shed the radiation suit and put on fresh armor, a lighter suit than his normal preference but particularly adept for what he had in mind.

"Which way are we going?" Kris inquired, breaking the gloomy silence.

"Ask few questions, just move fast and keep your shield ready at all times," Grey instructed. "I understand you hold a guardian certificate with top rating in team tactical. One of the first females ever to win a Black Sash."

"Yeah, that's me. Toughest bitch in field operations," Kris said proudly. "What's your rating?"

"I have no rating," Grey said.

"No rating? But you're good! At least, from what I've seen so far."

"An official rating cannot be earned without a team score. I've never had the opportunity," he said, suppressing an old disappointment. "When it's time to deploy, do so quickly. Stay close enough to angle my flank. I'll work off your pivot."

"We're not going to the landing bay, are we?" she said.

"Not directly," Grey replied.

They ducked through the secure hatch above EN-3, crossed the length of the engineering level without incident, and accessed a wide, gently sloping cargo tunnel. There Grey had a small four wheeler standing by loaded with a munitions trunk. He jumped on, indicated for Kris to mount the opposite running board, and the tractor started up the tunnel, gathering speed when they approached the storage level.

Just as they emerged from the tunnel, Grey suddenly rolled over the hood of the tractor and accelerated forward in a bouncing sprint, spreading a screen of jammers as he swept through the entrance area. When the speeding vehicle caught up to him, he made a leap for the running board and managed a secure hold. Before Kris could even ask what he was doing, the tractor turned sharply and halted in a freight elevator. The doors snapped shut and the elevator began a rapid ascent.

"If we move fast through the staging level, there'll be no organized opposition," Grey advised over his transmitter. "Stay with the tractor if we become separated, the course is programmed. However, if the tractor is disabled, destroy the guidance system immediately!"

Kris nodded just as the elevator doors opened and the tractor lurched forward, traveling through the wide staging level at a brisk pace. As the vehicle reached the far end, they turned down a spiraling cargo ramp back toward the storage level underneath. Again Grey rolled over the hood to spread jammers, finding the tractor hard to catch even in the lighter armor. He was breathing hard when he finally took hold of the running board.

"Let me try the next one," Kris requested.

"Five meter spread," he said, passing her a handful of metallic sponges without argument. "Drop them under the maintenance monitors and fire detectors."

The tractor transversed the broad storage level toward the landing bay, jutting between the loading docks at high speed, but just as they approached the hanger entrance, the tractor suddenly veered off again, turning up a spiral ramp back toward the staging level.

"Now!" Grey commanded as they reached the top of the ramp.

Kris snuggled the jammers under her arm and rolled over the hood as she'd seen Grey do, took a quick bounce for clearance, and accelerated through the entrance, scattering the jamming devices around the tunnel sensors.

As the tractor raced by, Kris turned and skipped, reaching for the running board, then was forced to skip again, her first burst of acceleration falling short. When the tractor started to pull away from her, she pressed even harder, each long legged stride carrying her forward with greater momentum, but she wasn't quite close enough to catch the tractor at a full run. Finally the vehicle slowed to negotiate a turn and Kris managed to jump aboard.

"Damn it to hell!" she cursed breathlessly. "The faster I run, the faster this damn thing goes!"

"Affirmative. I increased speed using the manual override," Grey said with the hint of a smirk.

"You're dangerous to underestimate," Kris laughed, encouraged to find him enjoying a human quality.

"Security has been saying that for years," Grey boasted. "Prepare to disembark."

The tractor finished the run through the staging level and spiraled down SR-4 again, but this time Grey and Kris bailed out, backtracking to the cargo elevator as the tractor raced off in the opposite direction. With-in minutes they had accessed the White Towers basement, rode up the heavy airlock elevator, and emerged through the rotunda, bouncing out on the veranda overlooking the northern mare.

"What are we doing?" Kris asked, glad when Grey slowed his frantic pace. "I know you're up to something, but I'd be more help if I understood your plan."

They dropped off the side of the veranda down a steep slope and turned into a long, rock strewn gully that descended toward the southern highway. The area just above the road was cut sharply by a series of parallel rills that had been mined, creating a series of irregular trenches. Grey halted beneath a particularly deep, wavelike crevice and drew Kris back into the recess. After checking the area with his scanner, he connected their intercoms directly with a patch-line, cutting off the radio transmissions.

"This will secure our privacy," he said. "What is it you wish to know?"

Kris could see Grey's face through the visor, the recess dark enough to suppress the reflection from the plain.

"I've got to sit down," she said, leaning back on the embankment. To her surprise, Grey offered no objection, leaning comfortably against a rock.

"You like it out here, don't you?" she asked.

"It's good to have freedom," Grey replied.

"You know, when Val first told me about this mission, I thought she was spinning me," Kris explained. "But Laureen seemed so confident, I figured maybe she knew something the rest of us didn't. Even though she screwed up, I'm still glad I came."

Grey remained silent. He felt like saying something about the humans being unwelcome, but wasn't sure if it was true. Not entirely.

"Why the demonstration?" she asked. "And what's with the trial and this exile business? You're certainly not fooling anyone."

"The computers won't move against your party until they reach a consensus," Grey said. "If I can stall their decision modes long enough, it may be possible to act while they're unprepared. Sending Major Vandebrown to Farside establishes a precedent. If he survives the journey, then I'll try to save additional members of your party using a similar formula. At the very minimum, I've delayed a confrontation."

"For how long?" she asked, sensing something unspoken.

"Silent Wind will be ready for launch sooner than I've entered in the maintenance log. I believe Defense and Life Support will accept a fiat accompli if I can bypass Security."

"What if we're not ready to leave so soon?" Kris asked. "I mean, what if some of us don't want to?"

"Then you'll be killed," he said. "Like the others."

"The Russian expedition? You know, you've haven't been honest with me about that. Valerie showed me the morgue."

Grey winced and felt strangely violated. It never occurred to him the humans would go in there without permission.

"How well did you know them?" Kris asked.

"I didn't know them. Not when it mattered."

"Tell me what happened? Please, I've got to know."

"Will you tell me about Aswan?" Grey asked.

"That's not fair," she replied softly.

"Fairness is relative," he insisted.

Kris paused, realizing that if she wanted answers, she'd have to give some. At first she didn't think she could, but after a moment of reflection, she discovered that talking about it might not be so hard after all.

"It was three years ago this November, while the Independence was stationed off Africa," she remembered. "Nothing we had could get at the power stations feeding the Emir's Nile defenses, but somehow we had to knock them out. Our squadron was assigned to run the valley, strike under their radar, but we lost both wings during the approach. Then my Eagle took a hit on closing. Barret, that is, Commander Galloway, refused to abort the run. He went down short of target and I had to ditch."

"Why do you fault yourself for the mission's failure?" Grey asked.

"How did you know...?"

"My cable intercept has retrieved your psych file," Grey admitted. "The analysis indicates..."

"Goddamnit! This isn't fair at all!" Kris said. "You know all about me and I know all of nothing about you!"

"Fairness is..."

"Yeah, well, screw fairness! You want to know the truth? If I'd stayed on Barret's wing another thirty seconds, everything would've been all right. Instead I put my bird down, and Barret got killed. That's the truth."

"I understand," Grey said.

"That's it? I understand. You're not going to lecture me about war and how it's not my fault?"

"Fault is irrelevant. The past can't be changed, only learned from," Grey said so quietly Kris wasn't sure if he really believed it.

Grey kicked at the loose moonrock beneath his boot and sat down on the rocky ledge next to her. His sigh was audible over the intercom.

"I was surprised when Black Raven appeared on radar," Grey said. "Computer... that is, the Life Support Computer, tried to keep their expedition secret from me. I had never met humans before, and their shuttle needed fuel and fresh seals. They were here three days, and on the last morning, just before their scheduled departure, they attempted to seize the base. A seeker killed Professor Sharkov in the reception area. The northside retractor fatally wounded Catarina in the Loop. Peter died of wounds in the reactor tunnel. Commander Koltov..." Grey stopped. Kris could hear him struggling to compose himself.

"I killed Commander Koltov in the reactor pod while he was threatening to sabotage the controls."

"Doesn't sound like that's what you wanted," Kris said.

"No, it wasn't what I wanted," Grey confessed. "Come, we don't want the Security Computer getting restless."

"Please, not yet," Kris said. "It's so nice out here. It's the first really quiet moment we've had."

"That is true," Grey agreed.

"I do have one last question. That is, if you're willing to give me a straight answer. Why are you doing this?"

"I have explained my strategy," Grey said, preparing to unclip the patch-line.

"No, I mean, why risk your life for a bunch of strangers? What do you hope to gain out of all this?"

Grey hesitated as he considered her request for information, then unplugged the patch-line and put it back in his utility pouch without comment.

__________

Hours later, tired but excited, Kris returned to the Governor's Quarters where Mike and Vandebrown were in uneasy but polite conversation. Armored but with visor open, she sat down on a stool in the study for a few minutes rest and tossed a packing case at Vandebrown's feet.

"Governor says for you to try this out," she said.

"Body armor? And a sidearm?" Vandebrown asked.

"Yeah," Kris said. "Val and Laureen sleeping?"

"Valerie decked down about half an hour ago," Mike said. "Doc's getting cleaned up. Where you been?"

"You wouldn't believe me," Kris said, waving her arm. "We went all over. Up this tunnel, down that tunnel. We crawled up spaces that weren't tunnels at all, just cuts through the rock. This place is honeycombed with 'em." Kris unlatched her upper body armor and fanned the sweat on her neck.

"And what happened to my nephew?" Vandebrown asked.

"Off to the landing bay," she said. "Mike, you should have seen him! We were challenged by nightwatchers twice, once in the garage and again on our way back. You've never seen anyone set and shift so fast!"

"It's the lighter gravity," Vandebrown suggested. "His natural adaptation makes him better suited to mobile tactics."

"I'll give you that, but it's more," Kris said. "His coordination is first rate, every motion for maximum advantage. He might even be as good as me!"

Mike and Vandebrown grinned, though neither underestimated her praise.

"His demonstration in the Loop was impressive. Though I didn't see enough for a truly professional appraisal," Vandebrown agreed.

"Appraising must be hard to do when you're belly crawling," Mike jeered. "Kris? If the tunnels are so dangerous, what in hell are you running around up there for?"

"Grey called it a negotiating tactic," she said. "Personally, I think he was just trying to piss off the Security Computer. Anyway, it's time for us to get going. Hopper's shaking out."

"So soon?" Vandebrown said, opening the packing case and taking out a heavily armored suit. He recognized it as an old armory model with a refurbished tactical scanner and new e.s.

"Yeah, Grey says the sooner you're doing something useful, the sooner he'll be able to rely on you," Kris said.

"Rely on him?" Mike laughed.

"I take exception to your pathetic ridicule," Vandebrown replied, suiting up quickly. "Had I known from the beginning the boy was my nephew, this mission would have gone quite differently. Quite differently."

"I bet. If Doc's love for Val wasn't enough, I don't know anything that would have stopped you," Mike said.

"That's your weakness, Colonel," Vandebrown said. "You really haven't given this mission much thought, have you? You react instead of anticipate. You misjudged the purpose of this flight, you misjudged McKinsey, and you underestimated me. Even your opinion of our young governor shows a continuing lack of appreciation. Quite frankly, Colonel, I expected better."

Vandebrown gathered up his gear and walked toward the monitor room. "Say good-bye to Laureen for me," he said. "And get her some help. She deserves the best."

"We'll be back in about twelve hours," Kris said. "Grey says for no one to leave these quarters under any circumstances. He was very explicit. Under no circumstances. The Hotel Computer delivers food. I think it's good advice, Mike, the halls will be dangerous."

Mike nodded.

"And don't worry about Val, she doesn't need any mothering," Kris said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"And I sure as hell don't need yours!" he said, pushing her hand away.

"Well, to hell with you, too," Kris snapped, whirling on her heel. "But if you're not gonna help, at least stop getting in the way!"

She exited through the monitor room, waving Vandebrown on and locking the door.

"Michael?" McKinsey asked, emerging freshly showered from the rear hall. "Did I hear voices? What's going on?"

"Shut up, Laureen," Mike said. "Please, just shut up."

____________

A few minutes later, Kris and Vandebrown reached the reception area where the tour guide was waiting for them.

"At last! At last!" the robot said. "Come! You are due in the landing bay!"

As the trio entered the narrow passage that led down to the engineering level, a seeker suddenly appeared on their right from the mouth of CA-3.

"Alpha," the tour guide quickly assured them.

They resumed their journey through the community level defenses, the tour guide cautiously in the lead with Alpha cruising behind them. They passed through the engineering level and up to 100W, watchful and a little wary to find everything so quiet.

In landing bay minor, Grey finished checking out the largest hopper he had in service, giving special attention to the extra booster. He was glad to find the three engine surveyor exactly as the checklist reported, fueled and flight ready.

He walked over to the maintenance station and activated the monitor, bringing up the information channel and scanning the central flux. The Defense Computer and Communications Computer were coordinating off-planet surveillance, the possibility of invasion keeping the agitation level high. As instructed, the Security Computer had concentrated forces in the Loop. The Maintenance Computer was directing repair of the perimeter defense stations while Life Support supervised patching landing bay minor's emergency hatch. The minor systems were either contributing resources or settling down for the night cycle. Though Grey knew appearances could be deceiving, he doubted the computers were false entering.

With a few minutes to spare, Grey bounced across the landing bay to the experimental research dock and rolled back the temporary screen. There, accompanied by two permanently assigned engineers, was a prototype space vehicle cannibalized from a retired cargo shuttle. Though the engineers were doing the actual assembly, Grey was proud to be an important part of the project. The electronics weren't anything original, and the guidance system was just a standard Hubble, but the booster was his own design, a variation of the Energy Computer's step-two variable reactor.

"Lunar Republic Starwatcher One," he said, reading the letters stenciled below the bridge window.

He stepped into the dock for a closer inspection, admiring the sleek lines with a special glow. Three more years to preliminary shakedown, he calculated. Well, maybe not three. Probably four or five. Six? He sighed. Suddenly even one week seemed longer than all of eternity. Humans! he fumed. Why must they be so interfering?

The airlock opened on the far side of the bay and the tour guide appeared, followed shortly by the rest of the party. Alpha swung high on main thrusters scanning for opposition, then sought protection in the upper reaches of the cavernous ceiling. Kris entered the bay with her sidearm drawn, cautious until she saw Grey at ease near the research stall, then she holstered her blaster and waved Vandebrown on.

"I've never seen a shuttle like this before," Kris said, walking into the dock for a closer look.

Grey declined to respond, a little uncomfortable with the humans swarming all over his spaceship.

"This is a deep space craft," Vandebrown said without guessing. "Armed, I believe. Nice design."

"Can I ask something?" Kris asked.

"You may ask," Grey replied.

"Do you stay here because you want to, or because you have to?"

"Stay where?" he asked impatiently.

"Here? On the moon?" Kris said. "You have at least two flight able shuttles. Could you use one to escape? You know, to Earth?"

"It that humor?" Grey asked, walking back into the stall.

"Sorry," Kris apologized, looking to Vandebrown in surprise. Vandebrown snickered and joined Grey at the bottom of the boarding ramp.

"I like your ship," Vandebrown said, sprinting up to peer inside. "I see she's built for extended thrust. What are your goal points?"

"Mars at alignment in twenty-one days," Grey said.

"Twenty-one days!" Vandebrown exclaimed, sure he must be exaggerating. "What kind of power plant are you using?"

"The primary is a step-two variable converter," he replied. "In theory, even greater speed may eventually be possible, but I don't have a frame capable of accepting that much stress."

Vandebrown realized Grey was serious and whistled before taking a look at the engine compartment. He emerged a few moments later in awe.

"Prototypes are my specialty. I've tested more than my share over the years," Vandebrown said.

"I've reviewed your service record," Grey said, happy to catch Vandebrown's insightful glance.

It's good this human's life won't be wasted, Grey decided. He turned to leave and noticed Kris as she wandered toward the hopper. Something about the female caused a disturbing emotion that he immediately sought to suppress. Vandebrown witnessed the brief interest with an unseen grin.

"Come, Major. Jezebel is ready," Grey said.

"Mister Governor?" Vandebrown inquired as they caught up to Kris in the middle of the bay. "Does the christening on that ship mean what I think it means?"

Grey glanced into the far reaches of the ceiling, ran a scanner check of the shadowed recesses along the walls, and hurried them on, relieved when they reached the improved safety of the lift area. Taxied from preflight, the hopper waited for them on the elevator.

"Starwatcher refers to the Lunar Republic's prime directive," Grey explained, taking the checklist from the engineering unit. "All of Tranquility's resources are devoted to the project."

"I always thought Starwatcher was some sort of internationalist conspiracy," Kris said.

"Terran cooperation is only part of the strategy," Grey said. "After the alliances establish a permanent peace, a fleet must be built, deep space detectors placed, and a new generation of weaponry developed."

"You're talking about Vegans, aren't you?" Vandebrown asked. "Strenskovy's Vegans? I thought that hoax was exposed years ago."

"Professor Strenskovy misinterpreted his original findings, but he rectified the error prior to his death. Unfortunately, new observations need to be made, and there is much unverified data."

"Even if there are Vegans, wouldn't it take hundreds of years to get here?" Vandebrown asked.

"Technically, Vegans is an incorrect term," Grey said. "Vega is a young star incapable of having developed intelligent life forms. The transmissions from Vega indicate the star system was occupied by a colonizing race twenty centuries ago. Assuming they have spacecraft capable of attaining half-light speed, a starship would take approximately sixty years to reach Sol. If they began their expedition when Strenskovy estimated, and if Governor McKinsey's amended calculations are correct, we may only have eight years left. Perhaps less."

"What are you guys talking about? I thought Vegans were a string group?" Kris asked.

"Thirty years ago, a Russian astronomer claimed a hostile alien presence threatened Earth from one of the polar stars," Vandebrown remembered. "Jaime once told me... my God. That's what he was trying to say. That last day in the landing bay. He said someday I would understand."

"The Custodians believed Strenskovy's theory correct," Grey said. "That's why they felt the revolution necessary. Because Strenskovy's original theory was under discredit, they sought to promote Starwatcher secretly. The Lunar Republic has only one purpose, and that is to organize defense of this solar system."

Grey opened the hopper canopy and indicated for the others to climb in, Vandebrown accepting the pilot's seat.

"That's what this is all about? A bunch of aliens?" Kris asked, searching Grey's expression for reassurance.

"Affirmative. Please sit next to the Major," Grey said.

"But what if the theory is wrong?" Kris asked, climbing past Vandebrown to the flight engineer's station. "You know, like, is this invasion thing carved in stone or could someone have made a mistake?"

"No one can be sure, Captain," Grey reflected. "Perhaps there are no aliens, or maybe their starships are slower than expected. They may suffer a malfunction in space. The expedition could be recalled or rerouted to a different star system. The variables are impossible to calculate."

"Then all of this could be for nothing?" Kris asked. "The evacuation. The destroyed expeditions. All for a dead scientist's error?"

"That is a possibility," Grey admitted, still standing on the outside running board as Kris and Vandebrown settled into their seats. "However, as long as the threat exists, Starwatcher must continue."

"Then you intend to unite the alliances yourself?" Vandebrown asked, twisting to look at him. Kris was interested, too. Suddenly everything seemed to fall into place. Even McKinsey's motives appeared clearer.

"It shouldn't be difficult," Grey said. "Once the humans realize the danger, they must unite for self-defense. Of course, it's possible some will prove stubborn, in which case steps will be taken."

"That energy cannon our cameras picked up," Vandebrown remembered. "And you're developing a step-two variable converter?"

"The converter is for the space vehicle," Grey said. "I already have a step-two variable reactor for the energy cannon."

"My God! And Laureen thought I was ambitious!" Vandebrown exclaimed. "What do you intend to do?"

"Starwatcher's future hasn't been determined. The computers still have control of the project," Grey admitted. "They believe brute force will compel the alliances into submission. My studies indicate more subtle means are necessary."

There was a long silence. Grey wasn't sure what the humans were thinking, but he sensed nothing that felt like outright disagreement. He was glad, feeling both happy and sad as he slipped an information packet from his pouch and set it down on the seat for the humans to find later.

"Is that what your conflict with them is about?" Vandebrown asked. "Why don't you let us help?"

The words sounded familiar. Grey looked at Vandebrown briefly. Very briefly. It was there, the same expression. Colonel Koltov's words echoed in Grey's mind. We can't go and leave you alone. We can't go. They stayed.

"Negative," Grey said, fighting an angry impulse. "You arrived at an inconvenient time. The sooner you depart, the safer it will be for me."

He stepped wide of the hopper's running board to regain his composure, adjusting his sidearm and glancing back into the quiet landing bay.

"What did I say?" Vandebrown asked.

"I don't know," Kris answered, just as puzzled.

Grey stood alone for a moment, then climbed back up on the craft and signaled for the elevator to start. The groan of heavy hydraulics vibrated underneath them.

"Hello, Jezebel. I have a clear checklist. Do you?" Grey asked.

The on-board flight computer activated, the instrumentation panel reading brightly.

"Affirmative, Governor Waters," Jezebel said. "All systems clear for launch. Are there any amendments to the flight plan?"

"Negative. Proceed as programmed," he said.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Vandebrown asked, still hoping for an out. "What happens when we get up top? Won't we be vulnerable to the surface defenses?"

"The Defense Computer won't violate our agreement," Grey said. "But just to be sure, Jezebel is going out through the northern canyons. The ground defenses there were dismantled to support the southern perimeter quite a few years ago."

"Grey! Should you be revealing the colony's weak spots? To him?" Kris interrupted.

"After Major Vandebrown has seen the data at Farside he will become Starwatcher's most loyal supporter," Grey explained.

"You say that with such confidence, I'm almost inclined to believe you," Vandebrown said.

"It would be unwise not to," Grey said.

The elevator reached the first stage airlock and halted while the safety hatches below them closed and the secondary hatch above them began to open. Suddenly Grey slammed the canopy shut and jumped back from the hopper.

"What's wrong?" Kris asked.

"I must return to the landing bay," Grey announced over Jezebel's intercom. "Please escort Major Vandebrown to Farside and wait for me. May your path be swift and sure."

He turned and bounced into the maintenance hatch where he scrambled through a service access and disappeared in a great hurry.

"Wait! Come back here!" Kris yelled.

"He's already gone, Captain," Vandebrown said.

The elevator began to rise again, the airlock removing the atmosphere as the lift approached the surface launch tube.

"Fuck!" Kris cursed, struggling with the canopy. "He locked us in! We're locked in!"

"We're both headed for exile!" Vandebrown said, amazed by the sheer audacity of the situation.

"T-minus one hundred seconds and counting. Prepare for launch," Jezebel announced, the autopilot taking control of the craft.

"No! No! No!" Kris shouted, pounding the canopy release lever with her fist. "Abort the launch! Abort the launch!"

"Please enter abort code," Jezebel requested.

"I don't know the goddamn code!" Kris screamed. "Open the door!"

"Negative response," the on-board computer said.

"Emergency override. Request escape procedure," Vandebrown ordered.

"Nice try," Jezebel responded. "Prepare for launch. T-minus sixty seconds and counting."

"I'm not letting him do this to me. I'm not," Kris cried out.

The elevator locked into place and the hopper was drawn forward into the launch tube.

Down in the landing bay, Alpha hovered over the middle floor area on rear guard. The maintenance area was unusually busy, the ground crew units performing final launch certification on Silent Wind. A securatron appeared near the community airlock access, but remained back, content to observe. Alpha offered no provocation.

Then a disturbance in EN-1 put Alpha on alert and the seeker shifted sideways to investigate, dropping slowly on hover jets. The tunnel lighting was dim and the heat sources confused, causing Alpha to move closer to the entrance.

Epsilon was just inside the mouth of the tunnel, hovering on whisper jets. An exchange of cautious signals followed, then Epsilon began to retreat. Alpha swooped low to maintain contact and discovered the entire airlock system open, a serious breach of protocol. Alpha scanned the mobile retractor too late.

There was a flash, impact, and Alpha veered off attempting to compensate for a damaged hover, but a second burst tore through the thruster housing and fused the flight control matrix. The crippled seeker spiraled down and crashed against the side of the engineering tunnel, spinning precariously close to the top of the ramp. When Alpha began to issue an emergency alert, a securatron appeared and gave the seeker a nudge, causing the helpless traitor to roll down the steep ramp into the darkness.