Forbidden the Stars Part 22

"What the h.e.l.l is going on?" Michael roared. is going on?" Michael roared.

Calbert Loche stared at him dumbly, at loss to an explanation as anyone else in the room.

One of the techs turned in his seat. "Sec cam shows five men in the lift. They'll be here any minute."

In antic.i.p.ation, everyone turned to the doors, awaiting the new arrivals much like barracudas in their lair ready to spring on anything that came within view.

When the doors opened, three men dressed in army fatigues and holding sub machine guns entered the room in standard military fashion, deploying themselves one on either side of the door, the third entering halfway into the room. All stood at the ready, their SMG's held vertically across their chests.

The fourth military man entered, his narrowed eyes a.s.sessing the room strategically, expertly. He wore the dress uniform of a Major-General, his branch cap and collar badges showing him to be attached to the infantry corp. His cool a.s.sessment of the room seemed to pa.s.s right by Michael and the others.

He turned around and said to someone beyond the doors, "Secure, sir."

"As if I expected otherwise, General," said Alliras Rainier sardonically. He strode into the room, and despite the tone in his voice, gave the military man a nod of concession.

Ignoring the looks of cool detachment with which he was being regarded by Michael, he stepped up to the CEO of Quantum Resources, Inc., and held out his hand.

Michael took it, but kept his silence, forcing his old friend to explain himself and the presence of armed men on private property.

"Michael," Alliras addressed him. "For the time being, I would ask that you suspend all communications to and from this site until I can debrief you."

"What is going on? We've got a team, for all intents and purposes, stranded and cut off from all communication almost five hundred million kilometers from here-"

"We should talk in private." Turning, the Minister's eyes found Calbert Loche. "You might want to hear this, too."

Making up his mind immediately, Michael nodded approval for Calbert's partic.i.p.ation, and then said to Raymond Magrath, "I'd like you to join us as well, if you don't mind."

"Not at all."

A concerned mien fell over Alliras, but he did not protest as he followed Michael and the two other men into one of the attached conference rooms.

Inside, they quickly took their seats, though Michael had the urge to stand and pace. He looked to Alliras to begin.

Because of the Minister's position, and his long-standing relationship with Michael, he gave Alliras the benefit of the doubt, and a certain degree of respect. With any other person, Michael would have not been able to check his impulse to shout and badger.

As CEO of Quantum Resources, Michael was technically a part of the private sector, and although his company was accountable to the Canadian s.p.a.ce Exploration department as well as NASA, that did not preclude his deferment to them, or allow for any surprise inspections or unexpected takeovers. Alliras's explanation would have to be very good.

"The USA, Inc. has gone to Defense Condition Two," was the first thing the Minister said, and that was sufficient to grab Michael's full attention. "Canada Corp. followed a few minutes later."

"What?"

"Unofficially, of course. It's the Chinese."

"The Chinese?" Calbert protested. "Again?"

"I thought we had treaties in place. There hasn't been any serious trouble with the Chinese in over a year!" Raymond furrowed his brow. Michael recalled that Raymond's wife's grandmother had been born in Hong Kong before the reversion to mainland China a century earlier, and had immigrated to Vancouver shortly thereafter. China was the only bastion of communism left in the world, after the death of Castro in the Cuban Papal Revolution that had led to that country's pledge to democracy and joining the United Earth Corporate many decades before.

The Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, the official Canada Corp. attache to Quantum Resources, sighed.

"Two days ago, the Orca 1 Orca 1 landed on the moon. The captain, one Justine Turner, was touring the station this morning, and because of her close involvement with the Alex Manez affair, came under the impression that the young boy was on the moon with her. She thought she spotted him under escort of three men, one of them decidedly Chinese. Following after, she saw them enter the Chinese Sector of Luna Station, and was refused admittance to the area. She reported this back to NASA." landed on the moon. The captain, one Justine Turner, was touring the station this morning, and because of her close involvement with the Alex Manez affair, came under the impression that the young boy was on the moon with her. She thought she spotted him under escort of three men, one of them decidedly Chinese. Following after, she saw them enter the Chinese Sector of Luna Station, and was refused admittance to the area. She reported this back to NASA."

Before anyone could pose any questions, Alliras continued, "Also, this morning, Dr. Sakami Chin was scheduled to report for debriefing under arrangement with the Chinese Government. Standard procedure. Both he and his governmental representative failed to show up. Now, in the political spectrum of things, such an occurrence would not necessarily precipitate any kind of military response-it is a minor infraction of our treaty with the Chinese Republic.

"When the USA, Inc.'s Foreign Secretary approached the PRC for comment, he was stonewalled for most of this morning, then, the Chinese Consulate in Washington issued a statement to the effect that NASA was responsible not only for the kidnapping of the valuable world resource of Alex Manez in an attempt to monopolize the technology he represented, but went so far as to thereafter kidnap two Chinese nationals, Dr. Chin and his governmental representative."

"What!" Michael cried out. "That's preposterous. They think we kidnapped our own citizen as well as one of theirs?"

"Not as preposterous as the fact that the Chinese have also declared that the United Earth Corporate has conspired and effected the takeover of their allotted sector of Luna Station."

"Their-? You mean-"

"Yes. The Chinese seem to have lost communication with their people on the moon." Michael shook his head. "You know what this suggests to me?"

"Of course. A third party interest. The politicians are negotiating with the Chinese as we speak to form a joint investigative committee. The Chinese know well that it wasn't NASA or any of the other country corp.'s, but their foreign policy requires they cover their own a.s.s first. We'll get to the bottom of this soon enough; but for now, we have a rogue element that is obviously tapping into secure links with our s.p.a.ce operations."

"Speaking of which," Michael reminded the Minister, "our team in the asteroid belt is probably starting to feel like they've been abandoned."

"Not to worry. I've already commissioned a skimmer from the Canuck Flyer to rendezvous with your team and explain that we need a blanket on communications until we resolve the lunar crisis. They should arrive in a matter of about twelve hours or so. I'm sorry, but your operation will have to be temporarily suspended."

Michael shared a conspiratorial look with Calbert, and then said to the Minister, "What if I can promise you an absolutely secure communication with our team? Could we continue then? Every moment we delay costs us a lot of money and resources. Our team will have to be replaced if this goes on for a few days or more, and knowing politicians, it just could. If I can clear security with you, may we proceed?"

Alliras was on the verge of summarily rejecting the proposal, and then he caught himself.

"How?" he asked.

"You remember the charity last summer, when I got the message about the Macklin's Rock incident?"

"The code you and Calbert worked out. Messages on plastic and such."

"Yes. Public thoughtcomm is mimocorded as standard procedure. This is the same kind of situation, only at a longer distance."

"You can't send a plastic memo five hundred gigs in any reasonable amount of time," the Minister protested.

"Right. But the regular EPS is being monitored, just like thoughtcomm here on Earth. Even if we used just our code, there is always the possibility that it would be cracked. It's not the message that has to change, it's the medium."

"What? The only methods we know of sending messages is radio. Electronic Pulse Signal can be intercepted at any frequency, if the hackers know where to send out their nets."

"This time you are wrong. There are an infinite means of sending messages. Radio broadcast is only one of them. How do you think we keep up-to-the-minute account of our craft in the asteroid belt? Radio or EPS is too broad a frequency, too c.u.mbersome. We track our ships with optical radar. Lasers. It's just a matter of programming to piggyback a message on the beam in either direction. As far as security is concerned, any attempt to intercept the laser beam will register on our monitors; we can then change our code.

"Although the ships used by us are charted from CSE and NASA, Quantum Resources members all know our codes and rotations. I can guarantee a secure up- and down-link to the asteroid mission. Any attempt to intercept the beam would be known immediately by us. I would think that, given the current political climate, any positive discovery of Kinemet would be in our mutual best interest."

Michael let the Minister ponder this for a few moments. He was fairly certain Alliras would agree, and he was not disappointed when his old friend finally nodded.

"All right. I'll trust your techs. But I have to leave the guards here and downstairs as a matter of SOP's."

"Of course."

They stood, and Michael accepted Alliras's offered hand. They shook, and exchanged slight smiles.

"And I hope you keep me updated on Luna Station. I have a vested interest in Alex Manez, and more than just because of his connection to Kinemet. His parents were under my sphere of responsibility."

"I understand," the Minister told him. "I'll keep in touch."

The four men exited the conference room, and with little more than a nod to Alliras, Michael got right down to business.

"Calbert, initiate laser 1 protocol. I'm sure there are more than a few of our fellows up there eager to hear our voices."

"Yes, sir. Initiating protocol," was the reply as the control room burst into activity.

Luna Station: Luna :

Alex was marched through a maze of corridors. Finding his way out would be impossible: the halls all looked the same and the only markings on various doors were written in Chinese characters. The pirate captain on his left was grim-faced. It was as if he knew he was selling Alex's life over to whoever had hired him, and though it left a sour taste in his mouth, was determined to see the contract to the end. through a maze of corridors. Finding his way out would be impossible: the halls all looked the same and the only markings on various doors were written in Chinese characters. The pirate captain on his left was grim-faced. It was as if he knew he was selling Alex's life over to whoever had hired him, and though it left a sour taste in his mouth, was determined to see the contract to the end.

Alex suddenly realized that the games he played on sim were nothing but fantasy. There was too much dichotomy in real life; translating that reality into a game would take all the fun out of it. Nova Pirates was much easier to play when the lines between good and evil were easily defined.

The captain was on the side of evil, but so was the doctor who had tried to be nice to Alex, and make him feel comfortable. But were they any different from Justine and the people back on Earth? They all wanted Alex for his powers, for his relationship with Dis Pater. Dis Pater. Did anyone, good or evil, truly care for Alex himself. Did anyone, good or evil, truly care for Alex himself.

The long walk finally came to an end at a non-descript freight elevator. They entered the elevator, and the pirate punched the lowest b.u.t.ton; since the b.u.t.tons were inscribed with Chinese characters, Alex could only a.s.sume they were heading for the bas.e.m.e.nt.

Not a word was spoken on the short trip down, but Alex looked up at both of his escorts; neither would return his glance.

The elevator door opened to opulence. The sight before him was so grand that it was a good minute before Alex the absence of artificial gravity in the room; the magnetos were not operating this deep below the surface of the moon.

It was as if this were a whole new world within Luna.

Alex had never seen such luxury displayed before him except in elaborately produced DMR vid-flicks.

The room was large enough to dock a mid-sized s.p.a.ce freighter, though it would be crowded with all the furnishings and draperies covering the floor and walls of the room.

Settees, couches, antique chairs, vases that must have dated back centuries, as well as fine works of art Alex recognized from cultural reference adorned the room. Four thick pillars had been erected at geometric points within, though only for decoration; the polysteel used to construct the station was strong enough to support itself without the use of any kind of pillars.

Dragons hung from the ceilings. Red, Gold, Green, and Purple, they were embroidered on long banners of silk and satin.

Any kind of wood was almost as expensive as gold on Luna, when including the cost of transport, but in the middle of the far wall of the room there stood an enormous oak desk, waxed to a brilliant shine, its legs embellished and carved with images from Chinese mythology.

From behind the desk, a figure dressed in a robe of richly woven red and gold silk slowly stood. There was a satisfied smile on his oriental face as he shuffled around the desk and toward Alex and his two captors.

"Greetings, gentlemen! Greetings. Welcome to my humble little slice of the universe." He spread his arms open in a welcoming gesture.

As if he hadn't spotted Alex the moment the boy stepped out of the elevator and had not moved his penetrating gaze from the object of his obsession, he said, "Ah, I see you have brought me my prize. For which-I believe this is how they say it in those pirate vids-you will be handsomely paid."

As if struck by an out-of-place sense of conscience, the captain said, "You're not going to hurt him-"

The Chinese man looked deeply offended. "Hurt? Why, I would sooner cut out my own heart. Young Alex here represents the world to me. Nay, shall I even say it? He represents the entire Universe. Hurt him? On that account, my dear swashbuckler, I can a.s.sure you, your fears are completely unfounded.

"I have received the datavise sent by your ship's doctor, and the results are everything I expected. You have honored your end of our pact to the letter. Now, if you would be so kind as to leave Alex and me to get acquainted, my a.s.sistant Dexter will see to your generous reward."

From nowhere, it seemed, a teenager with bad acne appeared and gestured for the pirates to re-enter the freight elevator.

"I thank you, gentlemen, for your service to me. You have no idea how you have benefited me, and yourselves, for I shall remember the alacrity with which you have completed your objective.

"Good day."

The pirates were immediately dismissed from his awareness, all his attention focusing uncomfortably upon Alex.

Feeling his heart beat a few pulses per minute faster, Alex had no choice but to await the other man's lead. He had briefly contemplated making a break for it, but to where? The pirates would not offer him sanctuary. And he would very quickly lose himself if he ever managed to find his way out of this room of opulent splendor.

He blinked when he realized there was an open hand thrust out before him. "Good day, Alex. My name is Chow Yin. I'm sorry that we had to put you through that terrible, terrible ordeal, but I a.s.sure you, it is for your own good."

Alex debated whether to shake Chow Yin's hand, or bite it and try to run. Demurely, he extended his own hand to his new captor.

"Good. It seems you are not only a fortuitous youth, but one who has intelligence as well. That is good. Come, Alex, and make yourself comfortable."

Chow Yin led Alex to a voluminous couch placed in front of a short table covered with fruits and pastries and gla.s.s carafe's of juice-one-hundred percent pure, if Alex had to guess.

"Help yourself, if you are hungry."

"Thank you," Alex managed to say as he helped himself to a macaroon.

Any normal ten-year old would either be completely terrified in Alex's situation, or completely oblivious. Alex was neither. Although he felt some trepidation when contemplating his future, the knowledge of his own powers helped comfort him. If the circ.u.mstances turned malevolent, he knew he could plunge the entire room into darkness. With his vision, he did not need light to see. He doubted Chow Yin could match that skill with all his money.

And he did not doubt that Chow Yin had paid for his capture precisely so that he could plunder that ability from Alex. He had to form a plan of escape. He saw no way out, and for the moment, he could only bide his time.

Chow Yin sat upon the couch very close to Alex, too close for comfort, really, but Alex had no room to move farther away. He paused in mid chew as Yin put a thin hand upon the boy's shoulder.

"Now, Alex. I brought you here for reasons you might at first suspect, but rest a.s.sured, I have your best interests in mind. My best interest as well. I will not hide that fact from you. Yes, you have some special abilities that could benefit me in ways that would change the very face of the solar system. Oh, how I've longed for those changes.

"You see," he said, "I am exiled from Earth. I cannot return. Oh, not for any reasons political or criminal, I can tell you. It's because of a twist of fate."

The oriental pulled up the silk leg of his pajama to show Alex the wreck life had made of his leg. Alex couldn't swallow the half-masticated piece of chocolate and coconut sweet in his mouth, and nearly vomited it out, but somehow managed to keep it right where it was.

Yin dropped the pant leg, and mercifully covered the ma.s.s of scar tissue.

"My bones are brittle. They could not hold up my body weight in Earth's gravity. Even the artificial gravity on the moon here that they have installed in the last ten years is too much for me; that is why I have had to retreat to my little haven here under the surface. Even Luna Station is forbidden to me. I am trapped.

"But s.p.a.ce...ah s.p.a.ce...now that is wide open.

"Up until now, there have been so many physical limitations on exploring s.p.a.ce. What! A trip to the asteroid belt takes upwards of a month. Insane! And costly. Too costly. Why should it be that only the ultra-rich country corporations can go and plunder the incredible wealth in the belt? The rest of us grow relatively poorer as they grow so much richer. It is a story that has been repeating itself for centuries on Earth.

"It is time to change that. If quick, cheap s.p.a.ce travel is provided, then anyone with a little entrepreneurial spirit could start up their own asteroid prospecting business. How many people grew wealthy in the Alaskan Gold Rush? Entire families pulled themselves from the muck of poverty, and became powers unto themselves, able to determine their own futures, instead of being the puppets of their governments.