“Right. All anyone knows other than my sisters, Oz's sisters and some of their kids is that I'm headed somewhere into the core.”
“You always were the secretive type,” Ayan teased. She looked to Doctor Anderson apologetically; “I'm sorry, I just don't see myself answering questions about time compression or high powered emitter systems for the next few years.”
He smiled faintly. “That's all right, I understand. Honestly, I'm just sorry to see you go so soon.”
“I'm not sure if I'm going anywhere just yet,” Ayan reassured him.
There was that weak smile again. “I have strong ties with Freeground Intelligence, as you know. There's news.”
Ayan could tell from his demeanour that whatever the new development was, it wasn't good. “What's going on?”
“I'm clear to tell you this, believe it or not, but it can't go past this shuttle,” Doctor Anderson put a hand on Minh's chair and caught the younger man's eye. “I mean it, this can't get out.”
Minh nodded at him, matching his serious expression.
“All right then. Fleet has lost communications with everything we have in the Blue Belt. The Sunspire, the Paladin, the entire third battle group. It was some kind of virus according to the few ships that got away.”
“Got away? What do you mean, got away?” Ayan asked.
“The ships turned on the crews. Anything connected to an artificial intelligence including life support, automated weaponry, navigation, everything. The survivors are scattered, so there's no way to estimate casualties but we have special recovery teams on their way out there.”
“Did my mother make it out?”
“We don't know for sure but there's a good chance. The crew of the Paladin caught it early and the order to abandon ship was given quickly. Normally she'd hang on to an asset that size more tenaciously, but according to the report the Paladin's internal security systems are all connected to the three primary artificial intelligences aboard, staying wouldn't be a good command decision.”
“So people have already made it back from the Paladin? ”
“Yes, and there should be more coming.”
“I'll leave a message for my mother to contact me if she arrives in port,” Ayan said quietly, their relationship was cold at best, but she still needed to know her mother was all right.
“There's more I'm afraid,” Doctor Anderson said quietly.
Ayan just stared at him, expecting the absolute worst.
“Jason and Terry didn't make it to the Triton. They've had trouble with the AI on the Silkstream but they're all right. There's a planet named Pandem two thirds of the way there and they're hoping the Triton can meet them.”
“Is the Triton all right?”
“As far as we know, but everything else at that end of the galaxy without a Regent Galactic logo on it is being affected by this virus. Fleet Intelligence wants someone they can disavow to go join Jason and Terry. They have to have a military record, unofficial or not, so they can continue on after a rescue attempt to be Freeground's secret liaison to the Triton. They approached me to enlist you since you and Minh have strong ties. They're also aware of the experience you have as an officer and regardless of what the Council's final ruling is they respect it and want you to be our diplomat aboard.”
“And they want me.”
“And Minh.”
Ayan lowered her head and just thought about it for a moment.
“You've only had two weeks to adjust, I'm sure they don't expect you to accept the assignment, especially not now,” said Doctor Milan reassuringly.
“Um, I'm not going alone,” Minh objected as he turned in his seat to face the three in the cabin behind more directly.
Ayan's thoughts wandered to the recordings of Jacob Valance, not the same man as Jonas, she knew, but she was certain there was something of Jonas left. More importantly, Laura was alone on the Triton, Jason and Oz could be in trouble and even though she would miss Doctor Anderson and everyone else she knew on Freeground, the Judiciary Council had just taken most of her opportunities away. The thought occurred to her then; Laura probably just watched me die. There's no way she knows I'm here, that I'm alive.
She steeled herself and said what any experienced officer should; “It's a bad command decision to send someone who is so emotionally involved on this kind of mission. What kind of favours did you have to promise to give us this assignment?”
Doctor Anderson regarded her at first with surprise then with a small, amused smile. “They approached me, I didn't even have to mention Minh, they knew he was already going. I think half of Freeground knows by now. In fact, when they requested that I approach you on their behalf I told them I wouldn't do it unless they provided me with a report on your mother's status. I was the one who squeezed them for a little more.”
“So why break well established intelligence methods? Why send someone whose emotionally attached?”
“They weighed that against the professionalism you've demonstrated over the years. You have a long history of service, shown that you can improvise, think on your feet. They also know that without some kind of history backing whoever they send to represent Freeground on the Triton, they'll be treated like a burden. At least if they send you they know they'll have a fighting chance, at least an observer and at best a voice.”
Ayan thought about it for a moment, knowing that Minh's eyes were staring expectantly. “I won't be their puppet. Even without their offer, which comes with no official rank or acknowledgement I'm sure, I'd want to join Laura on the Triton. I won't have any of their tracking devices, submit to any poking or prodding they might care to do before we leave and I'll only accept if we can do this our way.” Ayan said to Doctor Anderson quietly.
“I'll tell them those are your terms, from what I understand they'll accept.”
Minh grinned excitedly and turned back to the controls.
Ayan sighed and nodded to herself. “It's where I want to be. I want to get out there and I miss that whole bunch; Laura, Jason, Oz, and I have to see Jacob. At the least all of them deserve to know I'm alive and well. I've only been walking around for two weeks but I don't feel like I have any memory gaps. To me I was just promoted to Captain, the Special Projects Division is just beginning. Suddenly it's over, and everything's different. Everything surrounding Freeground feels complicated, sort of off.”
“You'll have to keep up your physical training on the way and when you arrive,” Doctor Milan told her. “Even though we did our best to sync the scan results with your body you still have a slightly different mental body image of yourself. Your brain isn't completely in sync with your muscle memory.”
Ayan lifted a lock of her curly blond hair and nodded. “That's pretty evident. I still expect this to be red until I see it in the mirror, but I've had infantry training before, I'll work through the physical challenges.”
“So, I hate to mention this, but you know it would take the Warpig a long time to get even a third of the way to the Triton, ” Minh interjected quietly.
“Intelligence will have the main wormhole generator on Freeground station create a high compression route, you'll be in orbit around Pandem in two or three days.”
Minh's eyes went wide, Ayan couldn't help but be surprised as well. “They can do that?” he asked.
“With a wormhole generator just short of two kilometres across, I'd hope so. It's just not something they flaunt considering how much energy it takes. They'll just say Ayan used an old Special Projects code.”
“Why all the secrecy?”
“Regent Galactic is threatening war if we send any help in Jacob Valance's direction. Freeground Intelligence is planning for the worst, however. With a third of our fleet down now, they want someone to go attempt to make amends with Captain Valance.”
Minh looked at Ayan and smiled. “I think they have the right idea. When do I get a repair crew for the Warpig? ”