He felt a surge of energy course through his body. Nothing overwhelming or awe inspiring but stimulating in a gratifying and edifying way. He could feel the effects of the LOE almost immediately.

  Describing how LOEs felt to the operator was always a difficult and subjective task. Mendelsohn had attempted to do so in one of his first papers on the subject, where he had likened it to being able to mentally press down on a long, continuous bar, with the pressure exerted on the bar dictating the degree of enhancement.

  Practically speaking, that wasn’t a terrible analogy, since continuous use of a LOE would could tire a user out, the effort to continually press the bar – albeit mentally – being akin to trying to hold a weight extended at arm’s length for time.

  That seemed paradoxical to Philips, as the LOE he had would increase his stamina, which should in theory extend the amount of time he could use the LOE, thereby creating a feedback loop which should allow him to use it for extended periods of time.

  He didn’t have time to test that theory now, as he had to be at the Lighthouse by 1500 and that meant he’d have to catch an air taxi soon if he was going to make it.

  “How does it feel captain?” asked Mendelsohn.

  “Feels good,” replied Philips, flexing his muscles, balancing himself on his hands and looking around to test the acuity of his vision. “This thing seems to be working as advertised.”

  “Very good,” said Mendelsohn. “I don’t think you’ll have any trouble with it.”

  “One thing,” said Philips. “I read your report on how to regulate the enhancement effect. I am experiencing the mental bar you described, but mine seems to be much more sensitive and it seems like I can depress it at any point along its length.”

  Mendelsohn smiled and clapped his hands quickly together. “Excellent captain! That means my improvements are working as designed. You can press down on the control bar at any point along its length, and that will allow you to more finely control which implant effects you want enhanced. You can define it however you like. For example, you may set the left side of the bar to control your visual implants, the middle to control stamina and the right to control something else. You can subdivide the control bar as much as you like, up to the limit of your Leven One implants.”

  “I understand,” replied the captain, as he mentally experimented, associating each section of the bar to a specific implant. “It has a very natural feel doctor. This is very good.”

  “I made another improvement,” said Mendelsohn. “It will take less effort for you to manage the controls, so it will not tax your will as much as the initial models. However, periodic breaks are strongly recommended. Even the strongest willed person will eventually run out of strength and lose the ability to control the LOE.”

  Philips nodded and refocused his awareness away from the LOE control bar and back to Mendelsohn’s office. He lifted his right arm, peeled away a section of his light armor and removed the LOE from the interface in his armpit and placed it back in its container.

  “Thank you, doctor,” he said. “This is going to be very useful.”

  Mendelsohn looked pleased.

  “Captain. It is my pleasure. Come back any time for anything else you may need.”

  “Thank you,” said Philips. “I most certainly will.”

  “One more thing captain,” added Mendelsohn. “I do hope that you report back to your superiors and tell them how helpful I’ve been in providing you with mission critical technology. It would be useful if they knew that the technology that I have provide you with is technology they are considering labeling illegal and thus no longer a candidate for further research.”

  “I hear you, doctor,” said Philips. “I will give Admiral Graham a full report.”

  “Thank you, captain,” replied Mendelsohn. “You may prefer to save the admiral’s time and skip the part about our little confrontation.” Laughing nervously, he said “that was an unfortunate incident that would only raise unnecessary questions. You know how bureaucracies sometimes have a tendency to ask questions that never get satisfactory answers.”

  Philips nodded. “No problem doctor.”

  Glancing at his watch, he added, “I’d love to stay and see what else you’ve been cooking up in here, but I really have to go. I’ve got two hours to get to the Lighthouse and even with an air taxi I’ll be cutting it close.”

  Mendelsohn pressed a button on his lapel. “An air taxi will be waiting for you at the inner gate. Oh, and captain, don’t worry about those two guards. They have already been spoken to, and your next visit here will be much more pleasant.”

  Philips looked surprised that Mendelsohn knew about that already and had somehow managed to issue instructions that he be allowed entry on his next visit.

  “Doctor,” he said, “you have my thanks. It’s great seeing you again. Say hi to Greta for me.”

  “Greta?” replied Mendelsohn. “She’s been away for three months researching the new ice fields they found on Klimas Five. Haven’t heard from her since she left.”

  “I trust she’s well,” said Philips.

  Mendelsohn shrugged. “I hope she’s well. Perhaps you can inquire about her whereabouts. They won’t tell me anything…but they might talk to you.”

  If Greta was conducting research on Klimas Five, she had to be doing it at the behest of the military, because the planetoid had been designated a Strategic Asset Level One by MILCOM, which meant only authorized personnel were allowed on and off its surface.

  “I’ll ask the Admiral the first chance I get,” said Philips. “I’ve got to be going now. Thanks again doctor.”

  Mendelsohn waved him goodbye and wished him well.

  He had never fully trusted the government and was always suspicious of covert government missions.

  Secrecy often implied danger

  He knew captain Philips was very likely going on a dangerous mission, and that made him wonder about Greta and her research on Klimas Five.

  Sitting at his desk, he keyed his console and called his friend, Larry Kamota, physicist, pilot and sometimes smuggler.

  “Larry? Good to see you again,” Mendelsohn said into the view screen. “Larry. I’ve got a mission for you.”

  Larry said “what kind of mission Karl? Is this going to get me in trouble again?”

  “Trouble? No! What kind of trouble have I ever really gotten you into?”

  Larry raised his eyebrows, “do you really want me to count?”

  “Never mind,” replied Mendelsohn. “Have you ever heard of Klimas Five?”

  “Vaguely.”

  “Figures. It’s a government secret. Let me tell you about it.”

  Chapter 5

  The air taxi ride from Mendelsohn’s facility to the Lighthouse was smooth and uneventful.

  Just how Philips liked such rides to be.

  He’d made it to the Lighthouse thirty minutes ahead of schedule and used the extra time to further test interfacing with the LOE and improve his intuitive connection with the mental control bar.

  Normally, thirty minutes of training was not enough to call yourself an expert on such things, but this LOE was so smartly designed and so simple to use that the thirty minutes Philips spent with it went a long way into making him an expert.

  His wrist alarm sounded at exactly 1500, prompting him to disconnect from the LOE and put it back into its carrying case. The carrying case was made of a very durable and shock resistant material, and Philips had no concerns carrying it with him in one of his inner pockets.

  Philips guessed that the material was tough enough to easily take several rounds from a typical side arm – a guess Philips used to guide his decision on which pocket to store it in, selecting the one closest to the left side of his chest. A little extra protection couldn’t hurt.

  Philips made his way to the visitor’s accommodations area, where he sat down and waited for Leah and Wheeler, who he expected to be on time.

  Sure enough, he saw the Master Sergeant in the security line, patiently waiting his turn to be scanned, prodded and poked by the automated security screens as well as the human guards who oversaw the operation.

  The Lighthouse space elevator was considered High Critical Infrastructure and was treated as such – everyone entering, making use of and exiting the facility was subject to extensive security screening, regardless of their rank or position in the government. Only the very highest officials received a free pass, and even they usually opted to go through at least a portion of the screening process, the better to appease the public and bolster their image as not being above the law.

  Philips could see the Master Sergeant as he entered the first screening area. His belongings were separated from him and subjected to their own scans.

  Wheeler had decided to bring his own equipment, much of it lethal and a clear violation of Lighthouse rules. While Philips was sure that they would receive ample equipment once aboard the Resolute, he knew that old soldiers like Wheeler often preferred to rely on their own equipment, and he was not going to let any security screeners ruin his friend’s day.

  Philips jogged to the security station processing Wheeler and his belongings and flashed the Fleet Admiral’s insignia badge at the human guards.

  “Official business guys,” Philips said. “Let this man through with all of his belongings.”

  Wheeler smiled, while the two guards frowned.

  “Sorry sir,” said one of the guards. His badge identified him by his last name – Parker.

  “I can’t let him through with all this gear.”

  “We’re on a priority one mission, Mr. Parker,” said Philips. “You can run my insignia badge through your verifier, you’ll see that this is authentic.”

  “I will do that sir,” said Parker. Philips handed him his insignia badge, which the guard ran through an authentication machine.

  A few moments later he handed it back to Philips. “It checks out sir. However, this is a High Critical Infrastructure facility. Even priority ones are not permitted to carry this kind of gear on the elevator. You can speak to my supervisor if you’d like.”

  “No time for that,” replied Philips. “I need you to offer me some options.”

  The guard shrugged. “There’s just one option. Mr. Wheeler can surrender his gear and get aboard the next elevator whenever he wants. But the gear will not be going with him. Too dangerous.”

  Wheeler had a huge smile on his face. He seemed to be enjoying the exchange between Philips and Parker and liked having the hotshot captain advocating for him for a change.

  “A compromise then,” said Philips. “How about if my friend here agrees to surrenders all his gear, you will guarantee that it will be waiting for him at the end of the elevator ride?”

  “One moment sir,” replied the guard. “That requires authorization.”

  The guard’s fingers worked quickly across his console’s surface. A few moments later he returned and said, “my supervisor has agreed to deliver this equipment to Terminus Station and make it available for pickup when you arrive.”

  Looking at Wheeler, he asked, “good enough for you?”

  Wheeler gave him a thumbs up. “It’s a fine compromise captain. I’ll pick it up at Terminus.”

  Philips nodded. “Agreed Mr. Parker. Please be sure to secure all this gear. Apply the highest security protocols that you have for such equipment.”

  “Of course, sir,” replied Parker. “The only reason my supervisor agreed to this is because I authenticated that insignia badge and because she spoke to Fleet Admiral Graham directly.”

  “Your supervisor called the Fleet Admiral?” asked Philips, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

  “Yes sir.”

  “He personally guaranteed that you and your party are not a threat to the Lighthouse but he could not say the same thing for this equipment. So that will be ferried up via cargo transport.”

  Philips shrugged and thanked the guard.

  After they had cleared the security zone, Philips stop to look at Wheeler. “What exactly did you bring with you?”

  “Just a few things I figured we might need.”

  “Like?”

  “My Mark 7 assault plasma rifle,” said Wheeler. “A couple of variable length combat knives. Some frag grenades. A Mech Assault Combat Suit. Maybe a couple of other things.”

  “All of those things are illegal on the Lighthouse,” said Philips. “No wonder.”

  “It was probably the nuke,” said Wheeler.

  “The what?” asked an incredulous Philips.

  “Nuke.”

  “You brought a nuke with you?” asked Philips, staring at the Marine in disbelief.

  “Just a couple of small tactical nukes. Nothing that could blow up an entire city.”

  “Even a tac nuke could level the Lighthouse if it goes off inside!” said Philips. “All things considered, they let us off easy. Had this been anything else than a mission at the Fleet Admiral’s direct request, we would both be sitting in a holding cell somewhere right now.”

  “They’re just afraid,” said Wheeler. “You know how jumpy guards get. They’re afraid of everything.”

  “I’m afraid of nukes,” replied Philips. “Imagine one of those things going off.”

  “We’d be toast.”

  “Exactly,” said Philips. “Anyway, what’s done is done and you are getting to bring your nukes along.”

  Changing the subject, he said, “I wonder what’s taking Leah so long.”

  --

  Leah had seen the man out of the corner of her eye. He didn’t look particularly out of place, but there was something about him that made her feel uncomfortable. Call it intuition or a premonition, a sixth sense or just a sign that her Level Two Augmentation implants were functioning properly, she knew there was something wrong.

  After captain Philips had left her apartment, she’d gone back to Thinker’s Square to see if William was still there. She had hoped to meet him for dinner that night, but given her new plans, she felt rescheduling in person rather than through her virtual assistant would be the polite thing to do.

  Back at the square, she spotted William browsing a couple of art installations. She had seen those pieces herself earlier in the day – the artist said they represented modern society’s struggle to know itself.

  Leah could appreciate the artistic journey the artist must have taken to construct the pieces but could not necessarily feel the destination.

  It didn’t matter though, because she wasn’t here to study art – she was here to break a date with William and then head off for the Lighthouse.

  “William!” she called, weaving through a small group of students just hanging around.

  William turned and smiled when he saw her. “You’re back. I thought you had something urgent to attend to.”

  “Well, yes, I do,” Leah replied. “I can’t meet you for dinner tonight. I just wanted to tell you in person.”

  “No problem at all,” William replied. “I figured as much.”

  And that’s when Leah first saw the man. He was standing behind one of the sycamore trees that dotted Thinker’s Square, about 15 yards away. It was hard to make out his features, partly due to the shadow the tree cast over him and partly due to what Leah guessed was an anonymity screen.

  Such screens could be used to subtly distort the wearers’ appearance, rendering them in such generic fashion that it would be almost impossible to visually identify them in a police lineup.

  That’s why such devices were illegal, and what suggested that the man was up to no good.

  Leah purposely grabbed Williams by the arm and led him on a stroll through the square, making sure to randomly meander from place to place, the better to gauge if the unidentified man was really watching her.

  While she couldn’t see his eyes at this distance, her Level Two implants suggested that based on the movements of his head in relation to her changing locations and the repositioning of his legs and feet as a function of her meandering path, there was a 99% chance the man was watching her…or William…or both.

  “William,” she said. “I think that man over there is following me…or us…but probably me.”

  “Who? How do you know,” asked William, looking around aimlessly, unsure who she was talking about.

  “Stop,” she said. “You are tipping my hand. Now he knows that I know.”

  “Who knows?”

  “I’ll show you.” She put her arms around William and playfully danced with him. “Follow my lead. I’ll position you for optimal visual alignment.”

  A few slow pivots and William was now facing the man, his neutral gaze falling just shy of dead center.

  “With a neutral gaze and based on lighting conditions,” Leah said, “your line of sight acuity has been maximized and you can also make use of your peripheral vision to detect movement at range. Do you recognize that man by the tree?”

  A moment later said “I have no idea who he is. I can barely make out what he even looks like. Don’t ask me to describe him to you, his features are hard to describe.”

  “That’s by design,” said Leah.

  “By design?,” said William. “Don’t tell me they have released distortion fields to the highest bidder now.”

  “No William,” replied Leah. “That man is wearing an anonymity screen. Very much illegal.”

  “Wait a minute,” said Williams. “He is watching us isn’t he.”

  “That’s my guess.”

  “And your guess is better than anyone else’s,” said William. “Look. Let’s just get out of here. I’ll walk you back to your apartment.”

  Leah didn’t think that was their best option. However, before she was able to say as much, William yelped as a patch of red began expanding across his left shoulder.

  “I think I’ve been shot!” said William, pressing his right hand over the wound.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21