"We have to start somewhere," Hawkins replied.
"You have had generations to start," the voice replied.
Fran jumped in. "Our governments have a hard time believing that all this is really happening. They did not want us to come through to talk to you until they could be more certain. You did not allow them the time to be certain. It was your time limit that precipitated the events in Tunguska.
"You said it took the Coalition six hundred years to react to the Swarm attack. Yet you give us only twenty-four hours. Three of the four people whose names you listed for the Russians are dead because they tried to come to you. That sacrifice must mean something.
"The fact that all of us sitting here have sacrificed everything to come to you and make this offer and that we are willing to give our lives to retrieve this other bomb-that should mean something to you. Surely your Defender can understand the importance of a race whose individuals are willing to sacrifice themselves for the common good. And we are individuals-we are not like this Swarm that we have been told about that you are fighting. The most precious thing to each of us is our own individual life. Yet we sit here and offer those lives to you. Three of us have already given their lives up. If that is not enough, there is nothing more we can give."
The last sentence seemed to hover in the air during the long silence that followed. Finally, after a minute's wait, the Speaker's voice echoed. "You have twelve hours. We will consider what happens in that time with regard to our final decision." The three points of light started to fade.
"Hold it!" Hawkins yelled out. The lights froze at half size.
"What is it?" the Speaker asked.
"What happened to the marines who went through the Ayers Rock portal?"
"They are secure. We will let you see them and allow them to return to their start point."
"What about Don Batson?"
"What about Don Batson?" the voice replied.
"Where is he? He came through Ayers Rock with us but disappeared when we linked up with Colonel Tuskin."
"Batson's present location is unknown. We will scan for him."
"Are there are any other portals that we can return through on Earth besides the one at Ayers Rock?"
"The Tunguska relay is only temporarily closed. We can reopen it."
Hawkins looked at Tuskin, who shook his head. "It's well guarded. We'd never make it out."
"Well, we can't go back through Ayers Rock either." Hawkins shifted his attention back to the light. "Is there any other way we can get back to Earth besides going through Ayers Rock or Tunguska?"
"Why can you not return through Ayers Rock or Tunguska?"
"Because we came here without permission of our governments," Hawkins said. "We told you that."
"If you are not working in concert with your governments, how will you find the missing nuclear weapon?"
"We will go after the people who might know where it is," Hawkins said.
"Where are these people?" the Speaker asked.
"The first one we have to find is in the southwestern part of Russia," Tuskin answered.
"We need your help," Pencak said. "We are willing to do all we can, but if you could help us, it would make the odds of our success much greater."
The red point of light flared up, immediately followed by the other two. Hawkins watched, fascinated by the play of the colors. This went on for half a minute, then the flank colors subsided. "The Defender does not believe this is worth our time. The Mediator believes you should be given a chance-you have the will but not the means to accomplish the task you have set up for yourselves.
"I had the deciding opinion. We will give you some aid. The skimmer outside will take you through the Tunguska portal. The portal will be programmed to allow only the skimmer through. Once through, you may direct the skimmer to take you to any location you desire. The skimmer has"-the Speaker paused briefly, then resumed-"for your purposes on your planet's surface, virtually unlimited range at high speed. It avoids your people's detection systems by flying low, using physical features of the terrain to reduce both the visual and electronic signatures."
A small door on the side of the room slid open, the noise catching Hawkins's attention. Two large black cases lay just inside.
"Inside those are personal weapons systems used by humanoid members of the Coalition Space Force. We will lend you two to help in your attempt. The weapons are plasma projectors. They will destroy anything the beam touches; the pressure on the trigger determines the strength of the beam. The body armor will defeat most individual weapons common on your planet and aid in your camouflage. Your military men will understand how to use them. If some of you are staying here while the others search, this room and the others in this complex will be left available."
The colors disappeared and the room was black for a second, then the elevator door slid open, bathing the room with its light. Another door, previously unseen, opened to the right of the elevator and a corridor beckoned.
"We're going to get a hot reception if we go through Tunguska," Tuskin commented.
"We don't have any choice," Hawkins said.
"I think that skimmer might be more than a match for whatever your people have around the portal," Pencak pointed out.
"They seem pretty confident we'll know how to control it," Fran said. "I don't like the fact that they say they don't know where Don is. They've managed to know every time people came through the portal and where they were."
"Yes, but that might be because the portals were activated," Levy said.
Fran shook her head. "There's something more going on here than we can see. I think Don saw or knew something that he wasn't supposed to."
"What?" Hawkins asked.
Fran shrugged, unable to shake her uneasiness. "What's the plan now?"
Tuskin flipped open the lid on one of the black cases. "Look at this!"
Hawkins opened the other case and they considered what was inside. The weapon was surprisingly short-a blunt-barreled gray pistol. Hawkins lifted it, searching for a safety. There appeared to be none-just a trigger on the rear grip. The armor was a silvery body suit that seemed much too thin to do what the Speaker had said it could. Hawkins pulled his on, the large size flopping over, causing him to tuck in the sleeves and ankles. Apparently humanoid soldiers of the Coalition were larger than he. When he looked over at Tuskin, who had done the same thing, he was surprised to see that Tuskin's suit had changed from silver to almost white, matching the walls behind.
"The suit changes to fit the background," Fran noted. "Like a chameleon."
"We're a lot better off than we were," Hawkins said. "We might even have a chance now."
"Why are they helping us so much?" Fran asked.
"They aren't helping us very much at all," Hawkins argued. "Loaning us the ship and these two weapons systems isn't much skin off their nose-that is, if they have noses. If they really wanted to help us, they'd come through the portals and present themselves."
"It's a test," Levy said. "If we can't accomplish this, then we aren't worth their messing with. If they came through the portal it would make it all too easy. I think they are trying to see what our race is really like and what we are capable of."
"You think all of this is just a test?" Hawkins asked. "A setup?"
"Yes, but I also think they want us to succeed," Levy answered.
"That's not what they say," Hawkins retorted.
"But their actions point that way," Levy said.
"They could be doing quite a bit more in the way of help than they are," Tuskin noted.
"Something's not right here," Hawkins said, letting the plasma projector dangle. In some ways it was all too easy, but in others, all too confusing. "I think Debra's got a point-this is not what it appears to be. I'm not sure I even believe their story about the Swarm. Maybe that was just a cover for something else."