When all four radar dishes were oriented forward as they were now, the Gagarin lost two knots in speed due to wind resistance, but that was of little importance to Lonsky as they were stationary, thrusters fore and aft holding them in place against the wind and current.
Lonsky turned as his senior communications and computer officer, Tanya Zenata, entered the bridge. There was supposed to be separate officers for each specialty, but the combining of the jobs was another cost-cutting measure forced on Lonsky.
“Sir, we have a radio communiqué from Moscow.”
Lonsky took the paper and read it. His eyebrows arched as the import struck home. Lonsky started laughing, causing the scant bridge crew to turn and look at him. He couldn’t help it. He fell backwards into his command chair, still laughing, tears now flowing down his cheeks. “We’ve been sold,” he finally managed to get out.
Boreas paced back and forth in his office, staring out the large bullet-proof window at the field of antennas that was his province. When HAARP was off, the entire facility was guarded by an electromagnetic wall, impenetrable to remote viewers, Psychic Warriors, or any living thing. Numerous local animals had died when they crossed the buried cables that transmitted the field. A brain, whether in the real world or a virtual essence, could not cross the electromagnetic barrier that was on a frequency inimical to the mind’s own electromagnetic operation.
Beyond the field, the Wrangell Mountains loomed over the site. Boreas often looked to them. Not to enjoy the beauty of their white peaks against the blue sky, but because of the threat he felt lurked there.
The phone rang, cutting through his dark mood. It was McFairn, confirming the plan they had come up with the previous night.
After hanging up with her, Boreas made a call on his secure satellite phone to Kirtley, giving the necessary order. Then he made a final call. The other end was answered immediately.
“Yes?” The voice was deep, one used to authority, the overseas connection perfect despite the scrambling and encryption. The equipment was cutting edge, not penetrable even by the NSA.
“We are taking action against the Ring.”
“Good. Nexus has been dealt with in the United States.”
“Are you sure you got all of them?”
There was the shortest of pauses. “We’re not certain.
But we’ve taken care of the important ones. They have no immediate access to the President, and by the time any survivors make contact and are verified, it will be much too late.”
“What about Souris and the Ring?”
“Try to track down their Aura transmitter using your new Psychic Warrior team. Then destroy it and the Ring. What is the status of HAARP?”
“CS-MILSTAR goes up soon. We’ll be on-line worldwide in less than two days. We still have to get the unlock codes for the MIL STAR satellites, but I anticipate being able to do that without too much trouble. And then it will finally be over. After all these years.”
“Don’t underestimate them.”
Boreas looked at the mountains. “I won’t.”
“We’re going operational in eight hours.” Kirtley had satellite imagery of Colombia spread over the conference table, his team gathered round. Dalton, Jackson, and Barnes stood in the background.
“You’ve only been ‘over’ once,” Dalton pointed out. “I don’t think you’re ready to be operational.”
“It’s not debatable, Sergeant Major.” Kirtley slapped the tabletop. “We’re leading the effort to rescue your fellow green beanies. I would expect even you to be happy about that.”
“The team got ambushed,” Dalton said. “What makes you think the team going in to save them isn’t going to be ambushed also?”
“Because we’ll be going in first, clearing the way,” Kirtley said. “The conventional team that follows us is coming just to recover the hostages.”
Dalton rubbed his forehead, trying to keep the growing headache at bay.
“And we will have one practice session this afternoon before the actual mission,” Kirtley added. “A live fire run-through at the urban combat range at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.”
“What do you want us to do?” Dalton asked, indicating Jackson and Barnes along with himself.
“We’re done with you. You’ll be released to go back to your units once my team is operational.”
“That’s it?” Dalton was surprised, even though he had known this was coming eventually. “What about the rest of my team?”
“They’ve been officially classified as missing in action,” Kirtley said. He turned back to his imagery and his own team.
“They’re not missing,” Dalton argued. “They’re in the other room.”
“Then wake them up,” Kirtley said sharply. “Bring them back, have them walk out here, and you can take them with you.”
“You told me they wouldn’t be abandoned.” Dalton took a step forward, several members of Kirtley’s team getting between them.
“And they won’t,” Kirtley said, “but they also won’t be going home with you, will they? And they have to be classified as something, don’t they? Some sort of explanation given?”
Dalton knew what Kirtley was saying made sense, but he viewed it as the first step to eventually pulling the plug on the bodies in the other room. And once he was gone from Bright Gate, there was nothing he could do about it.
“I have a suggestion,” Dalton said.
“What?” Kirtley’s response was less than enthusiastic.
“Let Jackson, Barnes, and I participate in your test this afternoon. We’ll be part of the opposing force. The big problem my team had on our training exercise at Fort Hood was that we had no one shooting back.” He turned to Dr.
Hammond. “Couldn’t our avatar weapons be set on a low power, enough to indicate a hit but not hurt each other?”
Hammond nodded. “Yes. I’m sure I can get Sybyl to program that.”
“Our opponents won’t be avatars,” Kirtley said. “They’ll be real flesh-and-blood people.”
“I wouldn’t count on that,” Dalton said. “We sensed a presence when we were at the villa. Besides, we can act like flesh and blood-keep our avatars on the real plane and not use the virtual to do any jumps once we’re at the training site.”
He could tell Kirtley wasn’t thrilled with the idea, so he pushed. “You need all the help you can get. Trust me on that. You don’t want to end up like the other two teams.”
He could see the flicker that passed over Kirtley’s face as the last point hit home. “All right. You go over with us and to the first jump point. Then you’ll go on ahead to be part of the opposing force.”
“Now it’s your time to prove your loyalty to me.” Raisor’s avatar floated an inch off the floor, a disconcerting image when combined with the translucent aspect of his appearance.
“How exactly?” Cesar asked. Valika stood behind him, off his right shoulder, Souris was working, preparing for the next test of Aura, the final one before they were ready to be fully working in combination with the Gagarin.
“Not only will you help me,” Raisor added, “but you’ll also be helping yourself.”
Cesar waited for more explanation.
Raisor had searched through the computer’s files for what he was looking for. Now he used Aura’s capabilities to project an image of the Mount of the Holy Cross in the air between him and Cesar and Valika.
“That’s where Bright Gate is located. Inside that mountain in the middle of Colorado. You’re going to help me get in there, and out with what I need.”
“And how am I going to do that?” Cesar asked.
“You’re going to lend me your associate”-he pointed at Valika-“and her laptop. I transferred more than the eight hundred million you needed. You can spare, say, ten million-a drop in the bucket-to hire the men and equipment we need in the United States to accomplish my task. If you need contacts, I have some that I met while working for the Agency. And they will have my assistance.” He turned to Souris. “You have your original prototype of Aura, don’t you?”