A stunned Mithun blurted out what everyone knew. “No one on board has the authority to do that, not even the captain.” He moderated his tone as he added an afterthought to Jacob. “No offense.”
“None taken,” the captain replied while maintaining his focus on Hallet. ”You’re right. Only the Board could cancel or postpone the mission. This guy probably knows that, too.”
The sergeant nodded again. “He demands that you contact corporate headquarters and get them to stop all preparations. He also wants media access via the ship’s system. He says he has a ‘manifesto’ that needs to be broadcast to the world.”
Kajsa looked horrified. “You can’t do that! Whoever this insane person is, we can’t give him a planet-wide platform to spread his views!” She struggled to regain her composure, then added, “Not that any ranting on his part would actually have any effect on the colonization program, but it would be bad—”
“—Publicity,” an equally anxious Mithun finished for her. He stared hard at Hallet. “You’re ship security. How did this person get on board with explosives?”
Daniels replied before Hallet had a chance to respond. “Explosives designed for clearing and excavating are part of the supplies for the colony. This person didn’t need to bring any with him, not if he found a way to bypass locks and cargo bay security. Then he could access what’s already been brought on board.”
“How could he do that?” Kajsa asked.
“I’ll be sure to ask him after we’ve prevented him from blowing up an important part of the ship,” Daniels replied tartly. “If he goes through with this, and if he’s used enough explosive material, he could do more than blow the cargo bay door. He could damage that portion of the Covenant’s superstructure as well. That could delay departure for months. In addition to which there’ll be enough negative air pressure to suck out anything not locked down or properly braced for travel. A lot of that equipment—especially the special terraforming vehicles—was custom-built, not off the shelf. That might take years to replace. This guy probably knows that, too.” She looked over at Hallet. “Let’s go.”
Mithun took a step as if to follow. “Are you going to try and reason with him?”
Her reply was matter-of-fact. “If Sergeant Hallet can’t get a clear shot, yeah, I’ll reason with him. First have to see what kind of explosive setup he’s put in place. If it’s something that will ignite if he’s taken down, then preemptively removing his head won’t work.” Turning, she hurried off, walking fast while blistering Hallet’s ears with one query after another.
Now it was Kajsa’s turn to move to follow. Putting out an arm, Jacob gently but forcefully restrained her.
“Nothing we can do except get in the way. Leave it to my wife. She knows the cargo bay and the cargo better than anyone else on board.”
Visibly uneasy, the tall company rep swallowed hard. “I was thinking… I was thinking maybe if Mithun and I were present, we could try reasoning with him. As ranking representatives of the company, we could make him an offer to stand down. Money, a future platform on which to safely express his views—anything to keep him from carrying out his intentions.”
Jacob’s reply was kindly but firm. “We don’t know who he might be working with or what else he might want besides putting a stop to the mission. Unless Weyland-Yutani is prepared to comply with his demands, in a public forum, it doesn’t sound like you’d have much luck trying to persuade him.” When the rep still looked ambivalent, the captain added, “Besides, you want this kept as quiet as possible, right?”
Mithun muttered aloud. “How do you keep ‘taking someone’s head off’ quiet?”
Jacob put a reassuring hand on the smaller man’s shoulder. “Hallet will already have cleared the area. None of the workers in the cargo section has access to the Covenant’s ship-to-surface relay system, so they can’t contact anyone on the ground. After this is over we’ll get them all together in one place and explain that the future of the mission, as well as a number of jobs, will be at risk unless this incident can be kept under wraps.” He paused. “We won’t have to specify whose jobs. I think we can keep a lid on this.”
Kajsa eyed him approvingly. “I didn’t think publicity management fell within a starship captain’s purview.”
He smiled slightly. “Then you don’t know how many careful answers I’ve had to give in the course of dozens of interviews during the past several years.” As he looked past her, his expression turned somber. “It’ll be a lot easier, of course, to manage the consequences if the missus can resolve it while keeping that section of the ship intact.”
Mithun eyed him curiously. “You don’t seem overtly worried about your wife’s safety.”
“It isn’t that I’m not worried,” Jacob told him evenly. “It’s just that I have complete confidence in her abilities. I know she’ll handle it. Hallet’s fully qualified, too, and completely competent, even if our head of Security is down on Earth.” He gestured toward another corridor. “Let’s head over to the bridge. We can monitor everything from there.”
The two representatives chattered nervously as Jacob led the way. He’d meant what he had told them: barring catastrophe, it should be possible to keep the incident confined to the ship. If necessary, a few suitable lies should be sufficient to calm any hint of concern. Just like he had lied to Mithun.
Though he didn’t show it, Jacob was worried sick.
III
The plan was in motion. The decision had been unanimous. If some on the Covenant died as a result, it would be so that billions might live.
Whatever was necessary to stop the colonization ship from departing was justified. Action could be delayed no longer. Each passing day brought the extraterrestrial mission closer to departure. Each rotation of the Earth represented missed opportunities. They bent to their work.
If on occasion one of them expressed uncertainty or showed hesitation, their resolve was easily stiffened. The reluctant person disappeared for a short time, and was subject to a full sensory barrage of the Prophet’s visions. Following this, the hesitant acolyte would return, his or her resolve redoubled.
Terror was a powerful motivator.
“You okay?”
Daniels asked the question of her companion as they hurried through the ship’s corridors. She would have felt more secure had Lopé been on board and in charge, but the chief of Covenant Security was on the planet’s surface, striving to fill the last available position on his team. Not that Hallet was incompetent: far from it. As with the rest of the crew, every member of the security team had been selected for a combination of military skills, physical competency, and attitude—the latter would be especially important when they arrived at Origae-6, and ship security became the colony’s first police force.
Instead of speaking, Hallet replied with a terse nod.
Privates Cole, Ledward, and Ankor were waiting for them at one of the personnel entrances to the massive cargo bay. All of them were wearing EVA suits. As Daniels stopped and caught her breath, Hallet queried his team.
“Any change?”
His big F90 rifle held out in front of him, Ankor shook his head once. Daniels recovered enough to notice that the safety was off. She didn’t have to ask if the weapon’s velocity setting had been adjusted for use inside the ship.
“Nothing,” Ankor replied. “He’s still back there by the main loading door, behind something with six wheels and a main cabin thick enough to stop anything short of a shoulder-fired piercer round. Which we couldn’t use inside, anyway.”