"Nobody ever told me there was a record," Moore shrugged and pulled the arms into place. The seam in the back of the armored e-suit sealed itself, and the armor grew hard in place over the seal layer.
"Lieutenant, don't you follow politics?" the colonel asked, snapping the glove layer on with a slap. "That is the official witnessed record they teach at suit quals. President Moore here had an AIC-confirmed, thirty-seven and a half days of survival in his suit during the Desert Campaigns."
"No, sir. I'm not very interested in politics. And the Desert Campaigns was before I was born, sir."
"Young man. Lieutenant, uh," Moore looked at the kid's nametags. "Ulrich. Lieutenant Ulrich, just because you aren't interested in politics doesn't mean it isn't interested in you. I suggest you start learning to follow who leads you a little more closely."
"Uh, okay, sir." Lieutenant Ulrich didn't have the slightest idea what Moore was telling him, but he might, one day, if he lived long enough. Moore dropped it and focused on his suit.
Abigail, how's our plan coming?
I think I've got it figured out, sir. But I suspect you'll have very little time, from debilitating the AIs to taking the bomb away. I estimate that you'll have seventeen seconds. Then keeping it away will be the hard part. There is no doubt that once they overcome the jamming, they will detonate the bomb.
Understood.
"Mr. President!" General Brown shouted from the cockpit. The soft whining of the troop carrier's engines nearly drowned out his voice.
"Yes, General?"
"The U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln and the U.S.S. John Tyler have just come out of hyperspace in a hovering orbit of about three hundred kilometers above Orlando, sir."
"Understood. Have my orders been relayed?"
"Absolutely, Mr. President."
"Colonel, if you please?" Moore took the helmet from the spec ops marine and dropped it in place over his head with a hiss, a swish, and a twist. The brain bucket locked into place, and cool fresh air filled with vapor stimulants flooded Alexander's face.
The colonel knocked three times on Moore's faceplate and held a thumbs-up. Moore relaxed and felt the suit come to life around him and then manipulated his armored hand, giving an armored thumbs- up.
"This is Mobile One, copy?" Moore said. His visor kicked on with a faint red and green glow, and a system readout zipped past his eyes. His DTM battleview flooded his mindview, and the menu icons floated out in front and to the side of him in his peripheral vision.
"Mobile One, copy that. We read you clear on wireless, lidar, and QMs," his AEM handlers at the USSOCOM pentagon Tactical Operations Center replied.
"Mobile One, hold tight for sensor update package."
"Roger that," Moore replied. Then he DTMed the open channel for the aircraft. "General, where are we?" He popped his visor up, causing a slight hissing sound from the overpressure air escaping.
"Sitting down now on I-4. Dean is standing there like an idiot waiting on us."
"Right." Moore brought up the weapons store list in his DTM. The HVAR on his back was fully loaded, and his armory pack was maxed with rounds, grenades, and his special surprise.
Abigail, you finished handshaking with my suit?
I own this suit, sir.
Thought as much. Tell me what I have.
It is state-of-the-art and brand new, as far as I can tell. The jumpboots will take you a little farther than your old one, but you should adjust quickly. If you want lidar or QMs, just tell me or you can do the DTM interface toggles yourself. There's more, but you'll be fine, sir.
Thanks, good girl. You do whatever has to be done if I ain't doin' it. Got it?
Got it, sir.
Chapter 16
October 31, 2388 AD
Tau Ceti Planet Four, Moon Alpha (aka Ares)
Near the Tau Ceti QMT Orbital Facility
Saturday, 7:28 AM, Earth Eastern Standard Time
Saturday, 3:28 AM, Madira Valley Standard Time
Kira wiggled her fingers and toes and could feel them still there. The throbbing in her face hadn't stopped since she had regained consciousness a minute or so earlier. She tried to open her eyes, and the light penetrated through them like needles. She squinted several times trying to regain her senses.
Where am I? Kira asked her AIC.
As best I can tell, we are on the Phlegra battle cruiser again, Allison answered.
How long have I been out?
About thirty minutes.
That's not enough time for them to bring me back to the Phlegra.
You're right. They didn't. We met it in orbit. We are somewhere in space now. Closer to the star, I think.
Where are we going?
My guess is back to Sol space.
But why?
That I don't know.
Any idea what blew my cover?
I'm thinking the bullet wound or some blood on the airplane ejection seat?
But they'd still need a DNA sample that you hadn't fudged with to compare it to.
Perhaps we trusted that Elise Tangier too much. She must have gotten one somehow. Maybe in one of her sexcapades she kept some of your fluids. Who knows?
I was sloppy?
Sounds like it.
Shit. We've got to get out of here.
Therein lies the dilemma.
Kira struggled against her bindings and then moved her head up enough to look at herself. She was naked and zip-tied with her arms out wide and her legs spread over stirrups of a gynecological exam bed with zip ties around each foot and one at each knee. She struggled against them but that only managed to dig them deeper into her skin, making them more uncomfortable.
This can't be good.
No, it's not. You've been examined in every way imaginable. I fear that the worst part has yet to happen.
Any ideas?
I'm scanning for something to hack into that will help, but so far, nothing but a centrifuge in the next room will talk to me. After we left earlier, they reset all the security protocols. I'm still hacking away, but it will take a while.
Keep at it.
"Comfortable, I see," a female voice said, following a hiss of the hatch sliding open. Kira struggled to get a better view. A slender woman in skintight camouflage pants, army boots, and a black, skintight, long-sleeve, armored pullover approached her. The black turtleneck led up into a ski mask of red, white, and blue stars and stripes and a long black ponytail of hair flowed up and out the back of it.
"General Ahmi," Kira said, trying not to look back at the woman in a way that would give away her fear. But Kira was terrified, and there was little way of hiding that.
"They call me Her Majesty now." Elle leaned in over her and slid a synthleather gloved hand down her cheek, to her neck, and then to her breasts. Elle lingered on Kira's nipples a bit and then dragged a finger sensually to her navel. Then instantly changing from sensual to angry, she slapped Kira across the face. The hit reawakened the pain from the rifle butt to the nose she had taken earlier, and her head rang like a bell with pain. She was most certainly lightly concussed, if not worse. Kira fought back at the pain and the stars surrounding her vision.