Disclaimer
Love/Sex: This story features relationships between adult women. If this bothers you, is illegal in the State, Province or Country you live or if you are under the age of 18, find something else to read. There are loads of general stories out there.
Two years previously…
The lighting dimmed momentarily as the immense power required for the test cycle on the equipment began. A transportation crisis loomed dangerously over present day humanity and this was one of the few possibilities left as a saviour. After years, no decades of research, today could be the culmination of two generations of trial and error, by the Cameron family. Success could finally be in their grasp.
Two soldiers waited patiently inside the tunnel each with a lightweight wristband strapped to their forearms. Their stances were solid and unmoving and their facial expressions were blank. Silence appeared to be a dominant prerequisite for this event.
In the console room, the military’s top brass stood at the back of the room silently observing the state of affairs. Perhaps silence was something they drilled into recruits at the military academy. Next to them were two suits who annoyingly clicked pens thus proving that government people never have patience. Several technicians were seated in front of consoles monitoring every function, from the equipment about to be tested to the life signs of the subjects who were their guinea pigs.
“Al, are we set?” Jim Fever, the co-director of the project, asked his opposite number. His voice held quiet excitement while his hands were rubbed eagerly together in expectation.
Alana Cameron glanced around her as she stretched her slight body in her chair; hours of console work, especially on a test day took its toll on the body. “Yes, diagnostics show green. DNA formulation match confirmed we are as ready as we will ever be.” Her voice resounded with confidence in a deliberate show for the suits as she tried to hide her usual cautiousness. She had to give the people providing the funds for the research no reason to have any doubts in the programme.
Jim Fever twisted to face the military top brass and signalled they had a green light. One of the men, with an impressive array of medals and other imposing insignia adorning his uniform, stepped forward. From where Alana sat, she figured he was the highest-ranking officer amongst the soldiers present.
“Captain Tranter will start the experiment...she enters before Major Lane .” The man didn’t change his impassive expression as he issued what he deemed a simple order.
Jim turned to Alana who shook her head. “Sorry General, that isn’t possible. The sequence has begun and the major was programmed for initial entry first.”
Clicking his heels was the only sign he was annoyed at the comment. He moved back to stand in line with the other military personnel. “Carry on.”
“Excuse me Director Fever, I’m new to this programme, exactly what are we going to achieve today that we haven’t previously?” one of the suits asked. The derisive glance shot in his direction was measured with as much precision as hitting a target at point blank range from a laser rifle.
Jim looked heavenward. They had less than two minutes before the experiment began. Why can’t they ever send the same person from the bureau? He failed to understand that on any level.
“Allow me to introduce Professor Cameron, my co-director. She will explain everything. Please Al, if you would be so kind as to provide the eminent gentlemen from the CIA the short version.
Raising her eyes towards the man, she snorted softly. Jesus, this happens every damn time !
“The project is simple really...we are trying to harness a dimension outside the ones we are familiar with and propel a person in a matter of microseconds distances we can only dream about.”
“Where is this team going?” The agent noted something on his clipboard returning an owl like gaze back at the woman.
“Oh not far. Only the perimeter of the compound where we have personnel monitoring every inch and they will report the microsecond they appear.”
About to ask more, the general in charge whispered something to the man and his mouth closed like a trap door immediately.
“Twenty seconds Professor,” the technician at her side announced abruptly. Alana turned swiftly back to the task in hand. This was the most crucial time of the experiment and she forgot the rest of the people in the room and concentrated on what she did best - her work.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one… Major Lane now.” Her softly spoken words travelled like an echo through a tunnel in the console room, much as the personnel were about to do. For a brief moment, the major in question gave the woman soldier at his side a sneer before pressing the switch to begin the experiment…
~ ~ ~
The Past…
“It’s time.” Alistair Cameron pulled at his long handled moustache in thought as he scanned the final figures handed to him by his co-inventor, who also happened to be his wife.
There would be no going back. Faye Cameron knew that after fifteen years of research and numerous failures, today they actually believed that their idea would work. As always, she was cautious although now she asked the only question that was important to her right now. “Are you sure Alistair? When we sent the chimp, it was a disaster. How can you be sure today will be any more fruitful?”
He smiled indulgently at his wife; she was a wonderful scientist and far superior to him in many fields. Her caution at critical times like these was her undoing. It was probably why they teamed up so well. He didn’t have any trepidation of the unknown, which to him was the most exciting part of what they were doing. “Because my dear, we’ve designed the whole mechanism around human DNA not chimpanzee. Although chimps are closely related it is not enough, I’m afraid, to make the prototype work.”
“We should make another model and try it out on the chimp again." She saw his brow furl. "I know...I know you say we haven’t the funds, but I’d rather have you alive than…well you know, we can start again somewhere else,” she said tentatively. She held back the emotions that she knew would upset her husband. She’d already pleaded with him for the last month to yield. He’d been adamant and once he had the bee in his bonnet, there was no turning back. She had to accept his wishes after all we do need to take this step, her logical mind said as it took over.
“Trust me darling before you know it I’ll be back. Then we’ll have proven our theories correct and be the toast of the science world. Oh and have the champagne ready that we’ve been keeping on ice, I feel it in my bones that today is the day.” Grinning he bent to kiss the worried frown on her forehead...she was such a worrywart and rightly so, one of them had to be, two children depended on them. This had to work all of the money from their personal savings had been sunk into this project. No way did he want to be remembered by his children as a mad scientist who had left them penniless. At the end of the day, her fears were understandable but who else could he send. No one in his or her right mind would take the chance of being disintegrated if the experiment failed. The only people remotely interested had been the military and he refused to become their puppet. No, he was doing the right thing and history would record it so. He was as certain of that as he was about the day he met Faye and fell in love at first glance.
Clipping on the power pack, which weighed about the same as a soldier’s complete backpack, he left the console area and entered the vacuum-sealed entrance. Once he was in the tunnel where the experiment would take place, he waved his hand to acknowledge he was ready. Words were no longer necessary as the three other technicians all looked at the man in differing degrees of awe, admiration and fear of the unknown. Each member of the team knew there was a potential for failure and the consequence of a malfunction was death.
For a split second more, his gaze lingered on his wife’s head. Her focus was now on the panel making sure everything was green for go. His wrist panel flickered to life as a green glow emanated from it and he smiled slowly. This is my life’s work and it is going to work. Confidently he pressed the start button to begin the sequence…
~ ~ ~
Present Day…
Jim Fever watched from his vantage point of an office of glass above the console room. He could monitor everything that happened without actually being in there. As he did, his eyes strayed as usual to the woman who worked endlessly on the project to make it work. Her devotion had proven highly successful but a part of him felt responsible for the constant pressure she put on herself. Unfortunately, with the way things were now, he didn’t have the luxury of dwelling on that point. After the problems of two years ago, they had managed to remain in charge of the project by the skin of their teeth. This was primarily because no one knew the technology or the theory behind the project as well as the woman scanning streams of data for any glitches before the next transport.
She had insisted that if she remained so would he. Her championing of him had made him feel guilty since, at the time, he had been more than happy to leave her to the baying of the military wolves. He had a scientific mind that logically told him someone had to be sacrificed and for him, Alana Cameron fortunately didn’t believe such things. He had remarkably been appointed senior project director above Alana six months earlier. His appetite for success regardless of the cost to human life had been the winning factor. The general in charge of the budget for the research had personally approved him and he wasn’t going to say no, he had ambition too. Standing up, he switched on the intercom. “Al, I need you up here will you spare me a minute.”
Alana glanced up irritated before waving a hand indicating she would be there. True to her word, the woman arrived in his office a few minutes later.
“Jim, what can I do for you?” Her grey slate eyes surveyed the room, it was smart and had every possible technological gadget offered. The top seat wasn’t for her; however, she knew this man relished the status symbol. He was welcome to the trappings, all she wanted was to achieve her goal and they were as close now as they had ever been. The project was damn near perfect except for the fine-tuning. Maybe once this was over she could resume her own life. At thirty-three, she still had time to do something other than sitting and reading scientific data all day long. What that would entail she hadn’t a clue. This project had been her life long before she even knew it had taken control; it was in the genes.
“Alana, we haven’t had a chat for awhile I thought we should catch up.” The man smiled warmly. They had known each other for over ten years and had worked together well he felt.
Giving him a suspicious glance, she frowned, making her plain features plainer still if that were possible. The last time he requested a pep talk she hadn’t liked what he was going to say and today would be no different. “Okay, what shall we talk about?”
“Coffee, do you want a coffee?” Jim stood up and went over to the machine, dispensing himself a hot drink realising he had offered the wrong drink. “Sorry Al, how about iced tea?”
“How about you cut to the chase and tell me what you have in mind?” Her expression was faintly indulgent although the undercurrent of seriousness was never far behind.
“Ah…my dear Al you know me way too well.” The man sat back at the head of his large desk that doubled as a conference table.
“Yep, okay what’s the deal; our friends from the establishment have another agenda?” Her cynical response had her colleague coughing nervously.
Clearing his throat, he smiled sheepishly, “You do know me well Al. Do you recall the experiment two years ago…?”
“Hey don’t go there Jim, it was painful enough at the time.”
“Look it wasn’t our fault I don’t know why you beat yourself up so much about it.”
“Because it was my project and I pushed the final button. If those bastards want to play God again with my ‘baby’ they can take a flying leap into the nearest…nearest cow dung.” The angry response was expected, however the venom was a surprise, never expecting such a response from her, she was the most placid person he had ever met in his life.
“Al, please, it isn’t like the last time you have to trust me. Besides, you can’t say they haven’t been true to their word since then. You wanted non-interference and that’s what you got. Please for me, no, for the project, I need you to be part of the team. Hell Al, you are the team for most of the time.”
“Yeah pull the other one it has bells on, I’ve heard all this before.” Who is he trying to fool? She had seen the additional experiments carried out in the last couple of months. They were always when she wasn’t on shift, which wasn’t often, but she was human and did need to sleep.
“Look I know you hate the military, but we need the funding and they are the only ones who are prepared to give us the dollars and the …guinea pigs to work with.”
“With their underhand tactics I have every right to distrust them. My father was right and I should have respected his wishes.”
“If you had, his dreams would never have evolved. Then your parent’s life work, not to mention yours, would be only a glimpse of what could have been, rather than what is. In my opinion you made the best call, the only call.”
Giving the man a scathing stare she had to admit he was right in some aspects. Her parent’s work would still be in storage packed away like all the other memories of who they were and what they stood for. After their mother’s death, her brother had wanted to incinerate the volumes of notes that had accumulated in their research together. She had defied his wishes and secretly arranged for them to be stored where he wouldn’t find them. At nineteen and in her first year at college she hadn’t the means to do anything else. Upon graduation with a physics honours degree, she wiped away the dust and read every single notation they had made. Her saddest moments were reading the final entries her mother had ever made on the subject - her father’s death. He had tried out the project on himself and died in the attempt. Her heart bled at their misfortune, but her scientific mind dragged her further away from emotional issues to visualise what her parents had seen. A whole change in the way life could be lived if they could enhance dimensional energy.
There would be no more waiting around for the doctor to arrive in emergencies and accidents on the road would be outdated because travel in that mode would become obsolete. Her parents had such high hopes and a philanthropic attitude to how the discovery should be used for everyone. It was never intended for the sole purpose of the armed forces, which is where it would probably end up now. It had taken her two years and all the money she possessed and could borrow to reach the next stage. She had come farther than her parents thanks to improved technology. Though she felt somewhat abashed to think it, her own theories linked with her parents had been the key. A fresh mind on a subject often had startling results and in this case, they had.
Then, she’d done exactly what her father had and become an integral part of the experiment. If it failed then she would end up like her father, dead, but who would even know or care. The criteria for the experiment hadn’t failed as drastically as it had in her father’s case but it had failed. The failure had changed her life completely by creating crippling medical bills and no money with which to pay them. This caused far-reaching conclusions the least of which was the insertion of the military machine.
“Al, please listen to me it’s important.”
She dragged herself out of the memories that flooded back, many of which she wanted to forget forever. “Okay I’m paying attention, what do they want us to do?”
Hearing the resignation in her voice, he knew she would agree. What real choice does she have if she wants to remain in the loop? “They want to send a team out on a mission and need our help.”
Her fingers drummed her anger as she glared at him. “I expressly said there was no way this would be used in such a way it was part of the deal I made with them. They can’t do that. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the extra tests you’ve organised without my approval.”
Damn, so she had known about his increased testing. He couldn’t get anything by her eagle eyes. “I know the parameters of the deal you made Al, however this is different. We aren’t talking about the devil here we are talking about our world’s military.”
She snorted at his attempt to make her see the innocence in the request. The consortium, as she called them, didn’t have an innocent bone in their collective bodies. “They can’t and that’s final.”
“It’s a mercy mission Al, isn’t that one of the reasons for the discovery? Your father would be happy to sanction it if he knew all the facts.” Jim pleaded with her inner sense of right and wrong. It didn’t do any harm to his cause to bring her family into the discussion.
Her father had wanted it to be used to help people. Will I get the truth or a sham of a tale to engage my help? “Tell me about this mission.”
“I knew you’d see it my way, let’s have lunch and I’ll fill you in on the details.”
Groaning at the thought of being away from her work for too long she agreed reluctantly. She hoped it would be a short lunch and not one of his three hour feasts.
~ ~ ~
R.A.D.I.C.A.L HQ
“The general will see you now Major Tranter.” The first lieutenant opened the door to the room with a brisk action waiting for her to follow inside so he could shut the door behind her.
Tranter walked forward from her silent position waiting in the corridor. Her eyes were constantly watching the area never missing anything that moved in the vicinity, or the officer who was now showing her into the lion’s den. She took in every single action he made from the blinking of his eyelids to the tapping of his fingers on the computer console and the nervous shifting of his body in his chair. She knew he was edgy of her, they all were, and arguably with just cause. Ignorance deemed to be bliss in some quarters and the man she was about to meet had hoodwinked everyone into making it so.
Entering the room, she glanced around. It was a typical top brass office suite with a large walnut desk, adorned with the odd photograph and a stack of official looking papers. She was certain he was no more likely to read them than she was. Various hologram presentations amassed two walls, practically covering any decoration that was underneath. The third wall held pride of place the American flag, underneath a smaller World Order flag with its simple depiction of the globe enfolded in ethereal arms signalling security. Still, it didn’t make sense to her that they had the idea that the world was secure with no wars yet they continued to spend billions of dollars on the military machine. She couldn’t complain because it was her life.
“You wanted to see me General?” she saluted the man she loathed. In her opinion, he no more deserved the accolades on the walls than the politicians who had seen fit to bestow them on him,
“Ah yes Major Tranter.” The general stared hard at the woman. She was quite something and a credit to the programme he had spent the last thirty years perfecting. In the last five years, it had finally become a viable option for world peace. It ensured that the hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer’s credits hadn’t gone to waste.
“General.” She acknowledged him as her inky blue eyes traded hard stares equally with the man.
He stood up to his six feet three height. He was a distinguished man especially in uniform although out of it his wife had said no one would give him a second glance he was just the average Joe. Once he donned the suit, he emanated a strength that paralyzed some into fear of what he was capable. “Major, I read the report of your last mission you are to be congratulated.”
Tranter frowned slightly. Her stocky body was coiled like a cobra ready to spring into action as her CO supplied the pleasantries. This could only mean another mission and a covert one at that if the general asked to see her personally. “Sir, do you have another mission?”
Narrowing his eyes, the man walked around his desk and stood menacingly close to the soldier. She may have been a subordinate but her arrogant attitude said otherwise. The basic principles of the Air Force were drilled into the candidates although with the new breed their tolerance for irrelevance was limited. Small talk wasn’t part of their natural skills and was a small price to pay for having the likes of her at his command. “Straight to the point as usual Major.”
“Sir.” She dismissed his remark cynically as she waited for him to relate her mission.
“Good, the point of our meeting today is I do have another important secret mission.”
Tranter flicked her eyes towards the man who loomed next to her. He might intimidate others but not her; she could take him out in a few choice moves and he knew it. Fortunately, for him, she did understand and respect the chain of command. Another mission now there’s a surprise. It must be a little different or I wouldn’t be here Colonel Rivers usually gives the orders to the unit. “Has Colonel Rivers been briefed sir?”
The general smiled at the question. Rivers was a fine officer and would eventually go far, probably take over from him one day if he played his cards right and with the right players. Fortunately, he’d seen it his way two years ago when one of his other secret pet projects had unfortunately gone array. “Rivers is aware of the situation. I felt under the circumstances that I should be the one to…ask if you wanted this mission.”
Cocking her shaved head to one side, she listened intently to an inflection that would give this man away. She had to admit he was good. One usually didn’t quite hit the punch line before him but one day she would it was just a matter of time. “I’m at your command General.” He knew damn well there were no choices for soldiers like her; there was merely obedience.
“Two years ago you may recall the test environment that you and Major Lane participated in?” He watched like a hawk her reactions. Physiological profiles apart he had never actually seen her response to this question.
“Yes.” The clipped single word made him step away as it punctured his body like a dart from a blowgun. Hmm, she didn’t like that question, good, very good.
“And from what you recollect from the event, do you have any problem with entering the same environment?”
For a few moments, Tranter digested the question. She had the correct debriefing session at the time of the original event and anything she had felt regarding the failed mission was logged and accessible to the general. Why is he asking this irrelevant question? “No problem sir. You order my unit executes.”
“I see, this annoys you perhaps?” He saw the highly controlled body move only a fraction but that fraction gave him the advantage of knowing he had hit a sore spot. No matter how hard these soldiers were, there had to be an Achilles heel. They hadn’t quite figured out the perfect solution though over time they would. Each batch gained more than the last thus coming closer to perfection.
“Frustration only, Sir.”
“Is that because the mission failed and it is the only failure you have ever been involved in or is it because Major Lane never came back?”
Tranter bristled at the question. True, it was her only failed mission but she hadn’t been party to that failure. The technicians, scientists whatever they chose to be called were negligent, as was Lane who deserved to perish. I didn’t and that was the thought that whizzed in her brain as she considered her answer carefully.
“The failure was not of my making, it was a technical oversight.”
“You died in that test though didn’t you Tranter? Does your subconscious recall how that felt?” The general had the upper hand for only a short time until the soldier reasserted her own inner power.
“Vague recollections General, it’s all in the report that I made after the event.”
He waved his hand dismissing the answer. He obviously wasn’t going to get a rise from this soldier, another time perhaps. “I want you to use the equipment again. Since the event two years ago, there has been a ninety-five percent success rate and there will be no mistakes this time around, trust me. You are the most experienced in this field therefore I felt you should be the one to command the mission.”
“Yes sir, what’s the mission?”
He grinned and turned his back. These Radicals can always be relied on to soak up any scrap of emotional crap. Veiled affection is all they ever got and it always suits the purpose.
“Anvil Four has malfunctioned we need you and another to take the required hardware to the space station, install it and return. The crew onboard the station will take it from there; the mission isn’t difficult.” The general punched a button on the flat computer console and a hologram appeared in the centre of the room, screening the station and its current orbit. “Do you have any observation to make on the task ahead?”
“Why not send a computer technician, why a soldier?”
“Smart question Major, I have been reliably informed that sabotage might be at the heart of the crisis aboard the vessel. Sending a technician wouldn’t send the right message, a soldier would.”
“You want the perpetrator to know that you are aware of them.”
“Yes, exactly. The Anvil project is important to the world senators; they believe having all weapons of mass destruction floating in space, away from …unstable forces here on earth, important, very important. I’m sure you will agree that keeping the people happy and peaceful allows us to do our job without interference.”
“I understand the situation Sir. If the person who may have sabotaged the station decides not to keep their identity quiet do you want me to dispose of them accordingly?” Tranter felt there was more to this mission than had been said. She wasn’t impressed with the mode of transport selected for them. It really didn’t matter she was a soldier who abided by the rules…some of them anyway.
“You may take whatever action you deem necessary Major. I’ll have the mission brief coded for your eyes only.” Walking back and sitting down at his desk the general smiled briefly. “Oh, you can chose who you take with you from your current team.”
Tranter was being dismissed she heard it in his tone. “General.” She saluted her superior and left the room with a click of polished boots.
Picking up the phone, the general connected to another number. “We have a green light at my end, are you ready?” Whatever was said at the other end pleased the general as his lips curled into a thin smile.
“Excellent, I’ll watch the transition personally. Expect me at twelve hundred hours.” Disconnecting the line, he stared at the mission docket on his desk. If only all my soldiers were as pliable as Tranter or as bloody good, I wouldn’t be taking this action. Such a pity some have to be dispensable for the higher cause.
He barked enter and his aide walked in with a data stream. “From Anvil Two, Sir. They will be in position in three days.”
“Ah very good, I’ll reply personally to Cransky. When is my appointment with the chief?”
Consulting his data diary the younger soldier replied efficiently, “fourteen hundred hours today, you are free until that time.”
Dismissing the man with a shake of his peppered grey head, he picked up the files on his desk. He summarily looked at each one for ten seconds before depositing them in the outbox; his aide could do the leg work and summarise the contents for him.
Prior to leaving the aide asked, “Shall I bring in your coffee now, General?”
~ ~ ~
Denise Tranter left the general’s office speed along the narrow administration corridor ignoring the stares of several of the lower ranked personnel. Quite a few shuffled quickly away from her position retreating with a furtive glance in her direction. She was used to it and even had her idea of fun with a feral stare of her own that she had mastered. It quite scared the shit out of many of them.
Having spent all of her life on this particular site it was home to her. The only time she ever saw the outside world was when she was sent on missions. To her, the outside world was like living permanently in a nightmare. She preferred the high concrete walls and laser-enforced fences to what laid outside the walls. Many of the people on the other side didn’t even believe that people like her existed and thought they were only the stuff science fiction was made of. Let them I don’t care. All that mattered to her and her only goal in life was that she lived for the next mission and completed it successfully.
Opening the exit door into the glare of the early morning sunlight, she smiled, loving the feel of the heat of the sun on her bronzed skin. Flicking back her head, she felt the bristle of a new growth of hair on her neck. It is time for another head shave but first I need to choose who is going on the mission with me.
As her booted feet crunched on the gravel before hitting the tarmac, her strident march changed to a light tap, tap, as she headed towards her objective the First Elite barrack’s room. Crossing over the compound’s main drive area, she glanced at the sign posted in front of the solitary building. It was stark in appearance, serviceable some would say, which was exactly how they liked it.
Radiation. Anatomical. DNA. Infusion. Contribution. Armed. Level.
First Elite Barracks
Quite a mouthful, shortened to Radicals, and in many ways it suited them well, at least this arm of the project. There were three others, science, medical, and commerce, each based on different continents, it kept the power brokers of the world happy. Western Europe had science, Eastern Europe medical, and Asia produced the commercial personnel.
Passing the sign, Tranter entered the building and walked over to the main briefing room, pressing a small switch to summon all personnel in the barracks. Within two minutes, everyone that was not allocated a mission arrived in the room. She surveyed her fellow brethren some would say brothers and sisters in arms, without sentiment. They had been born in the same lab that was all, quite calculating and therefore emotion involvement wasn’t part of the structure.
Sergeant Lewis growled out as clear as a bell, “all personnel present and accounted for.” He then saluted Major Tranter who was the head of this particular group. No one had made it any higher in the ranks; somehow, before promotions they were fatally injured and terminated. The major had climbed the ranks higher than anyone of their kind had before. Some felt that the powers behind the concrete curtain might be finally agreeing that their particular expertise was needed in the world. At least that would explain why Tranter had been allowed to climb the ladder of opportunity.
“At ease. I’ve been summoned by the general for another mission.” A groan went up in the room that held five men and four other women. They all wanted action and she’d been on the last dangerous tryst. “I need a volunteer.” As she expected, all the hands of those present rose in the air. She nodded her head in acknowledgment of their enthusiasm.
“Private Stark, be ready by eleven hundred. The rest of you I’ll see tomorrow and don’t forget we have that challenge with B command coming up. We all know what we want out of that, don’t we?”
The disappointed members of the unit who were rallied to another cause readily responded with shouts of, “To win, win, win, no option but to win.”
The words echoed in the room as they filed out all except Sergeant David Lewis.
“I see he chose only the best once more. From the stats I uploaded most any of the team can handle it, why you again?”
Tranter smiled slowly, her eyes crinkling cynically. “As usual you’ve read my mail Sergeant.” A quip neither of them took seriously as the man narrowed his gaze and gave her a closer look.
“Maybe, he doesn’t like you. Makes you wonder if he’s not telling you everything, I’d be careful Major, he inevitably sends you to a hellish situation. Did he provide any more information than the basic stats I’ve downloaded?” They both knew whom he meant, and it was true, the general always sent for her when the going got tough. Lewis was right, not that she required reminding, she would take extra precautions as she always did after the previous fatal mission he’d personally authorised.
She could ignore the question; Lewis wouldn’t ask again, missions, any kind of mission, were the meat on the bone for them. He was however, the closest to a friend that she had, probably because they had experienced almost as many operations one way or another. That, and they had both experienced death, not many had in the current unit set up.
Her face contorted slightly into an expression he knew meant she was seriously thinking about his request and was about to divulge sensitive information. Trust was the prime mover for them in this unit for they would rather die than give anything away to anyone outside their current fraternity.
“Remember the mission two years ago when I died? They want me to use the same equipment again. Mission parameters demand it.”
The matter of fact tone was expected, “Is it safe now? I heard some pretty strange rumours about what they were going to use that technology for.”
Flicking the soldier at her side a sarcastic smile, “Gossip Lewis, really when did you become a member of the normal race.”
David Lewis bellowed out a hearty laugh that peeled around the conference room. It suited him, as he was a six foot five, solidly built man; a gentle tone wouldn’t have fit at all.
“I don’t gossip, and I’m insulted you want to put me with the rabbles who think they are superior to us. The colonel was doing the gossiping I only overheard the conversation, part of my job.”
Arching an eyebrow at the mention of her superior’s name, where is he anyway? “Ah well I forgive you then, we can’t expect anything else from a mere Normal being can we. What did they say?” She was interested, who wouldn’t be, especially if the first time it ended in your premature death.
“Something about speeding up the cloning process, didn’t understand it myself, the Techie wasn’t around to advise me.”
“Gottcha, well I’m out of here. Keep the others on their toes something tells me there could be more going on than the general allowed me access.” She turned away from the man and headed for her room to shower and change before she rendezvoused with Stark.
Lewis watched her go ruefully shaking his head; the general was a bastard of the first order and worse to the major. Made you wonder what went on in the guy’s mind when he saw the product of his own DNA sent on impossible situations with the possibility of dying. Shrugging he let that thought slip by before thinking, he is worse than a bastard he is the devil incarnate if one believed in such things. He must have a sadistic vein running through him. He was the one who always made sure his daughter was nominated as the prime candidate for the most dangerous missions. Maybe he is using his spawn to do all the things he couldn’t and probably gets off on that in a big way.
Lewis sighed heavily and headed back to the office and the roster, thankful he didn’t have to take orders from his biological ‘father’.
~ ~ ~
Alana stared at her console wondering how she had allowed Jim to convince her that what they were doing was for the best. A part of her knew deep down that it was all her fault, the military intervention, if only…
“Professor they’re here, want to personally check the data into the computer?” Sam Ramsey asked quickly, his voice jolting her out of her wandering thoughts.
“Already,” glancing up at the clock on the wall of the cream walled observation and control room. “I’ll do it we don’t want any mistakes do we.” Little realising the young man next to her felt peeved at the remark, as he would have been the person to input the information.
“I could do it Professor, you’ve trained me well.”
Alana turned to the young man who was an undergraduate from London , spending his sabbatical on the project before his final year. From all accounts, he was the very best of the batch of that senior year, and she had to agree. Sam had quickly picked up the pertinent operations on the project with the speed of a comet travelling through space at twice the speed of light. He wasn’t cocky with it either or at least not with her. In the past, she’d had to put up with some real pains in the butt. Sam was different he listened, learned and carried out what was asked of him, the perfect student. Maybe she should have asked him to dinner and found out a little more about him, then again when did she ever go to dinner. She must be the most boring scientist on the planet save the manufactured ones that she had made a part of the deal with the powers that be. No clone or radical or whatever they were called would be allowed on her project while she was still a dir ector. One day though she would have to concede that it wouldn’t be her project, then what…
“Sorry Sam it isn’t about you, this is something I have to do. Maybe I’ll tell you about it one day.”
The young man with his mousey hair flopping over his face grinned at her, “Soon I hope.” He left her to the final analysis prior to confirming the status.
Pressing her intercom to Jim, she told him that she was going to prep the team personally. Her co-director didn’t have the time to query why she had to do it as the connection died as he peered down into the control room and saw her leaving the room. “She must know best,” he muttered. He was interrupted again by a message to say the general and some other observers were on the way to his office.
Alana negotiated the turn in the corridor leading to the preparation room, opening the door with her access code the door slid open noiselessly. Entering the stark white area, she watched silently several technicians help the personnel involved in the mission complete their cleansing stage. From her vantage point she saw only opaque images of a man and a woman, unable to make out anything distinguishable except they were both well muscled and presumably at the peak of fitness. From this angle, the woman looked more toned than the man did however, the screen could be deceptive.
It wasn’t!
Major Tranter left the area first and stretched her body that was still stinging from the electronic bombardment of the micro cleansing. Even Radicals had the occasional kink in the muscles. Alana, watching the soldier, had to admit her initial observation had been correct. As the younger man arrived in the clothing area, she could see he wasn’t as toned muscle wise. Alana had a suspicion that the woman was vaguely familiar but she would have to work that one out later.
“Professor Cameron we have the information recorded during the bio-scan.”
Turning away from the two who were suiting up, Alana glanced at the data and then back to the doctor who was in charge of the physical preparation. “No surprises I hope this time Pat?”
The doctor had also gone through her own particular guilt trip over the deaths of the armed personnel two years earlier. Now with all the modifications and the ultra checks, that they carried out it was impossible that would happen again, at least that particular scenario. Doctor Patricia Forsyth knew that Alana worked endlessly to achieve that goal; it was a standing joke with the base personnel who didn’t know her. Cameron didn’t have a life beyond the console experiments she lived and breathed. “Not this time Alana, do you want to talk them through the procedure? Although it might not be necess…”
“Yes, I’ll do that now.” Alana wasn’t listening as the niggling thought that she knew the woman officer on this mission grew. But where?
Patricia Forsyth didn’t say anymore as she opened the secure panel separating the personnel from the rest of the technicians. The professor passed through a small pulse anti-bacterial shower before she entered the clean area.
Entering the room, she was hit by the glare of the white walls and the lights that reflected brilliantly inside. Damn I forgot my goggles!
Blinking rapidly, which wasn’t helping, she spoke to the two people behind the final screen opposite her. “I’m Professor Cameron, I’ll explain the procedure to you and that way it will minimize any reservations you may have.”
Then, there it was, a familiar voice pattern, now why is that. She couldn’t see the person clearly but knew it was the woman speaking.
“Professor there isn’t any need to explain the operational procedure, we know it.”
Puzzled and slightly put out at the arrogant tone she didn’t think clone soldiers were taught arrogance. “Unless you’ve done this before I’d suggest you listen carefully.”
There was a small silence as finally Alana’s eyes cleared and she stared into the inky depths of cold calculating eyes, as the soldier spoke so did her memory.
“I have done this before my name is ...”
“Tranter…Captain Tranter, but you’re dead!” Alana gasped. What does this mean? I was told that both parties had been fatal casualties. It was one of the reasons she had never forgotten the episode; how could she when she felt responsible.
Tranter ignored the dead part of the conversation as being irrelevant. “You recall me, good, Private Stark and I are ready for the transfer.”
She’d heard that voice repeatedly in her head. The scream of pain, the final dying conversation before the whole experiment had collapsed and with it, she thought the lives of two souls. Shaking her head, Alana couldn’t believe she was talking to someone who was dead, even a clone couldn’t be…fully matured in two years. They didn’t have the technology - strike that, they obviously did!
“I don’t understand, why did they tell me you were dead?”
The major cast the professor a long searching glance. One of the skills of the trade was to analyse a person on contact, it was invaluable in most cases. This woman was having a hard time for some unknown reason coming to terms with the fact that she had risen from the dead so to speak. A lack of communication obviously, what else was there a lack of, there was no room for error this time around. “I’m sure when you have completed whatever it is you need to do, someone will advise you accordingly. Now we need to maintain our schedule...or do I pose a problem to the mission?”
Unable to clear the footage running like a documentary in her head, Alana remained silent. She was pulled out of her flashbacks as a voice finally reached her, “Professor, do I pose a problem for the mission in terms of the equipment?”
“No. The equipment is safe or as safe as any form of travel is,” she said defending her baby with gusto. No more deaths on her watch, although she now wondered if any deaths had been attributed to the earlier experiment.
Tranter summed up the situation and probable precarious thoughts the woman had, it happened to these supposedly superior humans, “ Major Lane did die and he wasn’t resurrected. Shall we proceed?”
Caught like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle, Alana frowned before nodding her head. “Excellent choice Professor.”
Ten minutes later, with all the data computed and Alana back at her console, she watched in bemused silence as the pair entered the tunnel. It was like turning back the clock two years…
~ ~ ~
Two Years Previously
“Captain Tranter transfer commencement, three, two…”
Agonising screams and a loud pitched siren noise permeated the speakers in the console room as the loudspeaker connected to Major Lane emitted what could only be the final sounds of his life force expiring. The room was silent and still, no one wanted to believe that the sounds coming from the speaker were of a man dying…in agony.
“Abort the command for Tranter, abort it….”
“No!”
Alana couldn’t believe her eyes as she was pushed aside. Her gaze that had been locked for a few precious seconds on the woman who had trusted her was now thrust upon the general. He had remained cold and silent as he punched the console button to complete the sequence and a death sentence.
Seconds later the same noise could be heard but the screams from the woman were muted. For Alana, it was as if the captain was gritting her teeth trying not to feel the pain of the experiment failing and resulting in her certain demise.
With a wretched traumatised scream at Jim, Alana shouted that he have the perimeter checked for any signs of the bodies.
What had seemed like a century but turned out to be a little over a few minutes the partially charred bodies of the two officers were recovered. They appeared exactly where they were supposed to except they arrived minutes later than the immediate exchange expected.
Alana’s eyes flashed upwards at the man. He returned her stare nonplussed a faint smile pursed his lips, he wasn’t human he couldn’t be. The next words proved it conclusively…
“The experiment worked ladies and gentlemen, now to iron out the glitches.” He strode out of the console room with a fawning entourage leaving only the team involved in the project to wonder what had happened in the last hour.
Tears that she refused to shed in front of the military and government personnel finally cascaded down Alana’s cheeks freely. “We killed two people Jim and he didn’t care. He could have prevented one of them from dying, what kind of man is that?”
Jim felt like the whole weight of the world had been placed on his shoulders for the hour that had passed. He didn’t understand why they had failed it shouldn’t have happened. They would have to go over every single equation and notation made in the last six months, maybe even a year, next time they’d get it right…if there was a next time.
“Sorry Al what did you say?”
Alana knew she was speaking to the wall as a glazed expression from her co-worker confronted her. Why did she think it would matter to him, he wasn’t like her, she cared about the project but also the people who gave their lives to see it through. And today, she would remember two more faces and names that had sacrificed their lives to her family’s project. What else could she do under the circumstances…except one thing. The military would no longer control the project, no matter what leverage they used with financial backing. She still did have the last say.
~ ~ ~
Present Day
“Professor Cameron are you with us?” the voice that haunted her dreams on and off for the past two years insinuated itself into her brain. She didn’t know if she hated that more or him at this moment as her eyes turned to stare coldly at him in defiance.
Jim saw her glance and shook his head. Why now, guess some people never catch on. “Al do we have a green light?”
“Yes…all data is inputted and we are ready to initiate the sequence,” she spoke to Sam who at her side began the countdown. Her clipped tone broke any threads that had attached to her of memories of old.
Three, two, one initiation now!
“Major Tranter on my mark you will press your sequencer, mark.” Alana pressed a button on her console confirming the request as her eyes shifted to Stark and she repeated her request.
“Professor we have initiation,” The senior technician in the holding area closest to the tunnel acknowledged.
Alana held her breath as they waited for the confirmation from the two transporters that they had arrived safely at their destination.
“General, Tranter here, we are at the requested coordinates we will send another communication in fifteen minutes, Tranter out.”
A cheer went up in the console room as self-satisfied smiles and handshakes seemed to flood the room. Except for the two people who manned the console, checking on the data stream that gave them the life-signs of the personnel used in the experiment.
“Sam, good work.”
Sam grinned, his youth excited at being at a place were, in his opinion, history had been made. Alana had to concede that they had literally transported two people thirty thousand miles from their original location. I should be celebrating for this success made possible by my parents and yet I am a worry wart. Obviously, I’ve had too many hours at the console maybe now it is time to find a new life.
“My god Professor this is way cool who would have thought I’d be here to witness this. I can’t believe I’m here, it’s such an honour and look what I have to tell them at the University, wow!”
“Sam, Sam please why not go and enjoy a drink with the others I’ll watch the consoles.”
Sam looked at her. He wanted desperately to make new powerful friends but knew that this woman, though she didn’t know it, was more powerful than them all put together. She had it all in the palm of her hand. No one, and that was no one, knew this project as she did and it was remarkable how humble she was at this time. “Are you sure, you should be there in the thick of things it is your triumph.”
Alana laughed for the first time in ages. She liked the young man’s attitude, at least he had thought of her. As her eyes scanned the room, they found Jim grinning enough to split his face, doing his host bit chatting to all as long as they preened his feathers.
“Go ahead Sam, I don’t drink.”
He scrambled out of his chair and headed for the fun. Alana gave a weary shake of her shoulders. It had been a long road to reach this point, but they had done it and now she had to think of the future.
“This is Tranter I need to speak with base.” The clipped tones of the soldier she had seen only half an hour before and who was supposedly thousands of miles away greeted her.
Flicking on her mic Alana replied, “Hello, do you need anything?”
There was silence for a few seconds, “Are you base communications?”
“Yes, we have twenty-four-seven communication with your superiors, shall I call them?”
“Unnecessary, your name and rank will do.”
“I don’t have a rank at least…Professor, Professor Cameron, my name’s Alana.”
“Professor Cameron we are set to make the adjustments required however, there’s a solar flare up we will be out of contact for four hours.”
“Got that, want me to call the general?”
“NO!”
Alana grinned. Hey, there is hope for everyone if the recruits didn’t like him either.
“I’ll wait here for your communication in four hours Major Tranter.”
A small silence ensued and the next words astounded Alana, “Did anyone ever tell you Professor that you need a life?”
Alana was stunned, this was a Radical speaking and they never commented on emotional stuff… or is that another fabrication about their kind.
“When you return maybe you’d like to help me out in that area?” Alana was amazed she’d said that, what, on earth was she thinking for god’s sake.
“Perhaps, our coordinates are 23-11-07 , confirm?”
“Confirm 23-11-07 .”
The link died as the phone’s shrilling disturbed her chaotic thoughts about the soldier.
“Cameron.”
“Al, please you have to be here and celebrate with us. We’ve sent everything from backpacks to monkeys all over the globe but now, now we’ve done even better we’ve sent human beings into space.“
“I’m okay where I am, someone has to monitor our…friends.”
“Al, give it up you’ve done it, all of it everything your parents expected…no more than they did, you’ve transcend space itself.”
“I’ll be happy here, you take the congratulations for both of us, that’s more your field.” The link ended as she pressed the silence switch.
She was proud though, very proud of her mom and dad. It made everything worthwhile, everything…and had the Major said perhaps?
~ ~ ~
Stark looked at his superior having no doubt that everything would work out. After all Tranter was the supreme of the military radicals, no one else had achieved as much as she had in their short life spans. She had even died once only to be brought back to life. No one knew for sure if they retained all their memories, although Sergeant Lewis often remarked she was a ‘one of’. He took notice of Lewis for he was honest hard core military.
“Major I’m ready when you are.”
They had encountered nothing out of place but Tranter searched the area anyway. The ship, according to the manifest, was maintaining the status quo and there was no clear evidence of any contamination, none at all.
“What do your senses say Stark?”
“They are clear Major. Are you ready for me to download the programme to check for viruses?”
Something isn’t right. Stark should know he had been top of the list when it came to the honing of his senses. Centuries ago, they had called it witchcraft or psychic powers, now it was the enhancement of the brains functionality in a particular area of the organ. “I’m going to check with the bridge. You load the software and when I give you my mark, have that virus set to go. Only on my mark Stark do I make myself clear?”
“Absolutely Major, on your mark only.” Stark had been honoured to be part of the operation. Everyone knew Tranter’s reputation and if the mission was difficult, the chances were she’d make it easy and bring everyone involved home safe. Barring the one mission, which she had no control over, she had done so and her merit list was too long to recall every mission she’d successfully partaken.
“Watch your back, Stark.” Tranter’s clipped voice echoed a telepathic warning in his younger head. Though, if you looked at it logically, she was probably younger when it came to the number of years she’d been out of the test tube, second time round.
She had one last serious glance at the young private before turning the corner of the darkened service corridor to locate the command centre. No doubt, she would find an irate captain at the helm wondering what the hell was going on.
~ ~ ~
Jim Fever stared at the figure of the woman the console. She hadn’t left the area in over six hours, refusing the invitation by those present to congratulate her. Alana was just way too devoted to what she called her duty. If she could hear herself, she sounded more like a military service person every day, how ironic. Tapping his long chin, he grimaced when he felt the stubble that had sprouted up giving him that rakish look that seemed to please many women. This weekend he was going to take a few days away and chill out. Perhaps even take up that offer from the blonde receptionist who appeared to be offering him more than his phone messages.
That didn’t solve the problem of his workaholic colleague. Maybe I should persuade her to join me for the weekend. Purely platonic as he wasn’t interested in the committed career woman in his bed. He preferred someone more amenable with the right assets that had nothing to do with brains. Picking up the internal phone, he pushed the preset for Alana’s extension.
“Hey champ you can take a rest you know, let Sam have the console for a couple of hours, we’re not due extraction for at least another five hours. I’m sure you want to be at your best for that manoeuvre, what do you say?”
Alana blinked rapidly as Jim’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “I’m fine I’ll have all the rest I need when the process is complete.”
A heavy sigh greeted her response as she heard him mutter something under his breath before his tone cleared as he spoke directly to her. “I could make it an order Al; you aren’t superwoman or one of those manufactured humans that were sent on the mission.”
Snorting at his attempt to tease her she had wished on occasion that she had been one of those kinds of beings. At least it appeared when they had a second chance they came back 100%. “You’ve never indulged in strong arm tactics Jim, leave it to the military…or have you been unduly influenced by them recently?”
“I’m no lackey for the government Al I’m a scientist like you. We just have different ways to measure up for the role that’s all. Take an hour, have something to eat, rest your eyes. You can even have Sam call you in exactly one hour, how does that sound?”
Alana knew he was only thinking of her well-being or probably the projects. He was right she could do with a break, as the final process although the easiest still required her full concentration and right now, she did feel a little jaded. “Okay, I’ll do that want to share a tea with me?”
With a chuckle of satisfaction, Fever grinned into the receiver, “Not now Al, I’m going to take a much needed nap or if I’m lucky sleep for three hours, I’ll be back in an hour before the countdown, see you later.”
With a shake of her head, Alana replaced the receiver and explained to Sam that she needed a break but to call her back if anything changed anything at all. There was no use in calling her back in an hour because she would probably be back in half that time. After all, Jim was taking some shut-eye and he’d never know.
~ ~ ~
Tranter knew the layout of the schematics of the ship she had used her photographic memory on the blue prints. If there were any possible place to hide a device or unauthorised person, she would know of it. Now she had the luxury of checking every conceivable area to find them, or it, with that the solar flare-up taking precedence over everything else.
Anvil Four was the largest of the Anvil crafts in commission, if this particular station went to the wall this would be an area of space no one would venture into for years, perhaps centuries. Even Earth wouldn’t be immune from the impact, seasons would change and the chances were that humanity wouldn’t survive. However, that was merely speculation, her breed might fair better, or at least the technology might save any remnants of civilisation as the Normals called it.
The access point to the bridge came into view as she strode purposefully forward; the doors slipped open easily. Entering the area, she quickly tracked each member of crew in the confined space. Captain Erille at the centre of the main console turned to acknowledge her presence.
There were two other members. Navigator Stephens ignored her altogether and Technician Willard who smiled in her direction which was a strange reaction from one of her kind. Then again, the scientific arm of the project didn’t have the discipline that the military did.
“Have you found what you were looking for Major?” Sorrel Erille had been annoyed with the unexpected arrival of the soldiers. She hadn’t been informed that anything was wrong only that they had used experimental technology to board her craft. What if something had gone wrong, had the authorities thought of the destruction that could cause. Knowing the damn military, she doubted it.
“Not yet, we will. Stark is downloading software to ensure your mission parameters are even safer Captain.” Tranter stared coldly at the civilian who ran the ship. She had read her biography to-date; she had been the ideal candidate for the post. Though the woman probably thought their presence offensive and uncooperative, she would continue with her original assignment and then leave them to their own mission.
“Good that means you will be leaving shortly.”
“Shortly,” the single word reply indicated that this soldier was giving little away and hadn’t in fact finished what she had started.
“Anything else I can do for you?”
“I take it the rest of the personnel are resting?” Having read everything about Anvil Four, Tranter knew there were at least another five personnel aboard she hadn’t seen yet.
“Doctor Fulton will be in medical bay; Reagan is probably creating something wonderful from our lack-lustre provisions to tempt our appetites. Chief Engineer Lake is sleeping; he’s had a hard time in the last couple of days various engine components were malfunctioning. Technician Shibanion is monitoring the systems in his absence. That leaves Corporal Arkan and she’s one of yours. I’m surprised you haven’t checked in with her already.” The captain’s cynical gaze matched the dripping sarcasm of her words.
Tranter's cold expression didn’t change as she continued to trade glance for glance with the craft’s commanding officer. “Captain, thank you for your time I’ll check them out if you have no objections?”
“Me, and if I did do I have a choice?” Sorrel Erille voiced acidly. The exchange between them had a snicker emanate from the navigator who actually glanced in their direction for all of ten seconds before returning to his work.
“We all have choices Captain, however in this instance, no you haven’t.” Tranter slipped out of the command area as fluidly as she entered leaving the captain to utter her oaths about her parentage to the others present.
Deciding that the medical bay was the closer destination Tranter entered that area first, and was surprised to see what she thought was a familiar face. The name hadn’t given anything away and she hadn’t been privileged to all data on the personnel there hadn’t been the time.
“Ah extra security, that’s all we need. What can I do for you…Major…?” Fulton ’s eyes bugged out as he inspected her as he would a dissection.
“Do you know me Doctor?”
Clearing his voice nervously he continued to stare at her. Walking menacingly closer Tranter repeated her question.
“No! At least I don’t think so, not unless you’ve risen from the dead,” the Doc’s quip was closer to the truth than he knew. Now, at least she knew where she had seen him. He must have been part of the initial medical team and one of the last images she’d seen prior to her death.
“Have you experienced anything suspicious onboard Doctor?”
“Nope, been quiet on my front, only cultures and simple experiments on my list, although the engines were playing up, though I think they’ve been fixed now.” The doctor continued to stare at her with a strange expression on his face. She wasn’t about to engage his curiosity and answer his silent questions.
“Excellent, I’ll leave you to your…experiments.” Leaving the doctor with a puzzled expression, ah well he had three years to figure it out and then he could always ask his buddies when he got back to earth.
Tranter tried and failed…actually failed to make telepathic contact with Stark. How very odd she thought as she pushed her com-link asking him he was doing and satisfying her that everything would be in place when they left. This is turning out to be a waste of my time. One of my junior officers could easily have handled this assignment.
She headed for the engine compartment since that was the best place to check, as that appeared to be the only area so far that potentially could have been infiltrated. Minutes later, she entered the confined space for decontamination before entering the large domed area where the heart of the station lay. As she set foot in the room, a tall man quickly loomed next to her catching her by surprise. The fact that she was in space must be sending her senses off course a little. I’ll have to discuss this with the medic-techs back at base.
“Who are you?” the cautious engineer asked. His voice held a tremor as he stared into the cold eyes of the soldier. He hoped it wasn’t going to be the last words he uttered.
A feral smile crossed Tranter’s lips as she glared at the timid man. If she had wanted to take this craft over it would have been easy at this juncture. It was another demerit point and one she would ensure was mentioned in her debriefing session.
“Major Tranter; I’m here to ensure that no one is sabotaging the mission.”
Shibanion breathed out a sigh of relief, thank god for that. Odd though no ship had docked with them that he was aware of and he’d been on duty for over 36 hours. “When did you arrive, I wasn’t called to supervise a docking procedure?” He was sure that Chief Lake would have told him if he’d supervised the operation.
“That’s unimportant, what was wrong with the engine?”
Tranter’s clipped end of discussion puzzled the technician as he pressed a security alarm on his belt.
Allowing the intruder into the large expanse of the engineering area, Shibanion pursed his lips before replying. He needed to stall until Arkan arrived. “If you follow me I’ll show you.”
The nervous tone and the moistening of dry lips alerted Tranter to a possible problem. She would have be disappointed with someone in this crew with such a valuable cargo, if they hadn’t cause for concern at a stranger’s appearance. The man was going up in her estimation and it would save her time locating the security officer onboard.
“The coil diverter was damaged, we replaced it and now we’re functioning okay again. If you look inside the cavity you will see the old coil, the chief wants to check on why it malfunctioned.”
The door to the engine room slipped open and a woman at least five inches taller than Tranter stepped inside with her firearm ready for any trouble. “Shibanion what’s the problem?” The Radical’s eyes had already seen who was with the technician and felt a sense of regret that she hadn’t had a problem to solve. It was rather boring on a peaceful mission.
The technician flashed security a flustered look as he turned to stare directly at the woman next to him, “I thought as a member of your fraternity were onboard you’d want to be here.”
Tranter had to hand it to the flustered man he was doing a good job of digging himself out of a hole of his own making. “You must be Corporal Arkan, I’m Tranter.”
“Major, I was told you were aboard, anything I can do to help?” The officer had been briefed of the arrival of the two military personnel. Virtually gushing, if one of their kinds ever had that emotion in them, over the honour of being in the presence of the most decorated of their kind, it was awesome.
“Shibanion has indicated the problem and that it wasn’t suspicious.”
A clearing of the throat by the man at her side had her cold eyes surveying him once again. Without a word, the mere flicker of her eyebrow asked what he wanted to say on the subject.
“I didn’t say it wasn’t suspicious. Chief Lake is more conversant with the parts but that type of equipment has never been known to malfunction before.”
“I see, how long is Lake ’s, break?”
“The chief was working solid for forty plus hours so I guess when he wakes is the best call or if something goes wrong again,” Shibanion replied smartly.
Tranter’s eyes darted around the engine room. It would be a good place to render the craft disabled temporarily or permanently dependent on what a perpetrator’s goal was. “Arkan I would suggest you remain in this vicinity and contact me every fifteen minutes with an update. I’ll check on the progress elsewhere.”
Leaving the room, Shibanion blinked several times as he felt the relief of the woman exiting the area. “She didn’t look friendly, do you know her?”
Arkan stared at the solid door that had shut behind the officer. “Know her, no. Know of her, oh yes and if she’s here you can guarantee one thing.”
“Christ, don’t tell me, trouble right?” Rolling his eyes at the prospect he’d taken this job because it was peaceful and he didn’t have to put up with the nagging of his lover to make it legal.
“Trouble…no not for us but if we have a problem here those involved will be in trouble, she’s our best soldier.”
Shibanion grinned at Arkan’s description, “If I didn’t know better I’d say you hero-worship that woman. Anyway, I thought all you Rad’s were created equal.”
Arkan gave the normal an icy stare, “Equal from birth perhaps, however after that it is the sum of our experiences that make us what we are and she’s the best we have.”
Sarcastically Shibanion commented, “Guess I should be licking her boots, as she’s deemed to prevent us from…something.”
Arkan closed the gap between her and the normal and gripped his tunic lapel roughly. “Never, ever speak of the major in that tone within my hearing Shibanion or you will mysteriously end up on the other side of the airlock.” The soldier released the shocked man and stepped out of the room to check the storage area in the next bay.
~ ~ ~
Alana stared into the depths of her iced tea, wondering what her parents would think of the project that they had devoted their lives to; which had cost them inexorably their lives. Worse thing was all she tangibly had of her parent’s memory was this project. Now that she had been successful, or would be once they successfully extracted the military personnel, what would happen to her life next? The thing that hurt most was that she couldn’t share the achievement with her only sibling. He hadn’t spoken to her for over a decade after learning about the secret she had kept hidden from him. They’d attempted a brief reunion after her accident, however his terms for that were unacceptable. He wanted her to forget the project and go back to Texas and his ranch. This would have meant turning her back on everything she had worked to achieve. That had been the last time she’d seen him or spoken to him although they did send each other a bi rthday card every year. At least he hadn’t totally cut her out of his life and right now she desperately wanted to share her, and ultimately posthumously, their parent’s grand dream.
The communicator attached to her hip shrilled, as she looked down at the instrument that she rarely wore…today was different. Looking at the message scrolling across the surface she scrambled away from the table as if scolded and headed back to the console room. Minutes later, she whisked into the area and stared quizzically at Sam.
“You aren’t going to believe this Professor.”
“Try me Sam?” Her attention was now on the consoles that monitored the life-signs of the two soldiers involved in the operation. “That can’t be?” Alana whispered in disbelief.
Sam nodded his head in agreement it shouldn’t be but it was. “The monitor stopped transmitting life signs ten minutes ago; I called you after I verified that all our equipment at this end was functioning correctly.”
Alana quickly ran her own diagnostic on the console; Sam was stating the truth the equipment was working perfectly. “How long do we have until we have contact?”
“Half an hour, shall I call the general’s office?” Sam asked awkwardly, knowing the man wasn’t on the professor’s favourite list of people. However, this was different, it concerned the military and they would demand to know if there had been a problem.
“Sam, hold it a second, how about we find out in few minutes if we have a problem. Why worry them unduly? It might just be the solar flare up. I promise I’ll call the general personally if anything is wrong.” Alana looked at the monitor once more sucking in a silent breath. She hoped that she was right and it was merely a glitch, though that wouldn’t account for one of the monitor’s showing perfect signs and the other flat lining. Let’s hope nothing had happened to one of the soldiers. If it did, she’d have to concede that perhaps this family project was doomed with the kiss of death.
Thirty minutes and counting….
~ ~ ~
Tranter’s com link blinked rapidly as she lengthened her stride to reach Stark. He should have downloaded the security software the general had personally entrusted to her when she arrived at the project headquarters. He had insisted that this way no one could tamper with the data and an uncompromised copy would be loaded onto Anvil Fours’ computer.
“Tranter here…are you done Stark?”
Static replied to her question. What a time for her telepathic sense to malfunction; it would be around forty-five minutes before they could contact base communications.
“Stark do you copy?”
After several seconds of static, Stark’s voice finally broke through. “Major you need to see this…” The static replaced anything else he tried to say.
“I’ll be with you in a few minutes, Tranter out.” Switching off her com link, a slightly puzzled look strayed over her features for a fraction of a second before it was gone. Once again, her usual bland expression crossed her face, hmm…so this could be where trouble comes into play. Her feet gathered speed propelling her towards her subordinate.
Rounding the corridor several minutes later she saw Stark leaning into the service hatch obviously engrossed in what he had found. Her feet, moving in precise military fashion, arrived in his personal space. She then leaned in to find out what he had found so interesting.
“Stark, what do you have you for me?”
The private didn’t move. She bent in for a closer inspection, her hand grasping his totally malleable shoulder…he fell forwards into the hatch.
Sucking in a deep breath, she dragged the soldier out of the enclosed space his limp body testament to his silence. A laser burn in the centre of his chest had ripped his heart to shreds. The impact cauterised the wound immediately ensuring that the blood didn’t flow. Placing him against the wall, she carefully withdrew her weapon glancing around the empty corridor. Peering inside the service cavity, Tranter saw that before Stark’s death he had delayed the download of the software. Should she or shouldn’t she continue as her finger hovered for a few seconds over the control panel before pressing the abort switch. Tranter released the slim micro disc from the panel and slipped it into her pocket. The interesting thing was why the ship’s computer hadn’t alerted everyone to the weapon’s fire. Also, why hadn’t they taken the software, wouldn’t that have been the motive for Stark’s death.
Bending toward the body with grim features she retrieved Stark’s personal bio-disc. When she arrived back at base, they would examine the disc and know for certain who killed him. However, she could make preliminary enquiries while she waited for her superiors decided what to do next. Perhaps if the powers that be agreed he would be cloned again; he had been a very promising member of the unit. Carefully storing the disc in a sterile data pocket, she slipped it into the same pocket as the software. No one was going to secure those items unless they went through her and that meant literally.
A couple of feet away she punched the internal communicator requesting immediate medical help at the scene. Then, she demanded to see the captain privately.
~ ~ ~
“What you are implying is ridiculous and impossible!” The station’s captain, Sorrel Erille slammed her fist hard down on the desk in her private quarters. Who the hell does this woman think she is talking to?
Major Tranter coldly stared at the captain. Her face was unmoving ignoring the emotional tirade that she had been subjected to from the moment she’d entered the captain’s presence. It didn’t solve anything and proved even less in her book.
“You’ve heard about my soldier, he’s dead and the doctor agrees it wasn’t self-inflicted, therefore if we don’t have an interloper aboard…” Her gaze became glacial as she saw the women opposite her about to speak…the words were never uttered. “I will need all personnel who cannot verify their whereabouts at the time of Stark’s death to be detained in the mess room until they are exonerated.”
“That’s impossible. I need them to continue their work…this ship doesn’t have the luxury of extra manpower in the event of a crisis. The whole point of the mission was to prevent one.”
Tranter digested the information dismissing it immediately. “Your people sleep captain, and others obviously cover their respective roles.”
“You can’t do this you have no authority!” Erille barked out her face blood red as she passed a hand over her dry lips. She was unable to admit that at this stage she had a murderer aboard her station.
“In less than five minutes I’ll have all the authority I need…unless of course, you plan to take the same action against me that became Stark’s fate?”
With a further slam of her hand against the desk, captain Erille rapidly stared at the major. This was getting them no place fast and she wasn’t stupid; far from it. “I take it you haven’t any clues?”
Tranter heard the change in tone pleased that the captain had seen sense. “No, do you have a decent computer technician aboard the ship?”
“Stephens, my navigator, is the best we have.” She hesitated a moment. “Except, there’s a problem if you were going to show him sensitive data.”
“What?”
“He’s only cleared for sub-level one data. I suspect the information you brought onboard is far greater than that?”
“Yes, first level two. I’ll request clearance from HQ. I’ll keep you informed of my findings regarding your crew, Captain.”
Erille sat down in her chair and nodded her head, “I’ll send my people your invitation to the mess.”
Tranter quietly nodded her acknowledgement then proceeded to leave the captain’s quarters.
“I’m sorry you lost your soldier Major.”
Spinning on her heels Tranter stared dispassionately at the captain as she replied, “Thank you, however I haven’t lost him…yet.” Her hand went unconsciously to the breast pocket holding his personal data stream. Nope, I haven’t lost him yet. If she had the disc back to the technicians at RAD HQ within the next twenty-four hours, it would be as if he hadn’t died at all the powers that be agreeing the procedure.
Tranter left the room before the captain could ask what she meant.
~ ~ ~
Alana alternated her stare from the communication console wishing it to spring into life, to the clock that apparently was in slow motion. The timepiece was digitally counting down the seconds left to the four hour solar blackout.
Sam Ramsey, felt helpless as he continued to gaze at the life signs, or indeed the lack of, on the monitor that registered Private Stark’s heart and brain patterns. At least the major’s appeared to be functioning at full throttle, so much so the heart beat had picked up in the last hour. He was only an undergraduate, but it indicated to him that the professor’s hope that it was a malfunction appeared a long shot. He glanced across to the woman he wanted to emulate, hoping, he would one day be half the scientist she was. A rueful look crossed his face as his mind wandered over the tough breaks she’d had over this project. Now, it looked like another disaster was looming on its chequered history.
“Professor Cameron, the link should be available in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one…”
They waited for all of a millisecond before the professor attempted to regain contact with the mission personnel.
“This is Project Command Centre; can you hear me Major Tranter?”
The static that had been evident during the communication blackout would have been welcomed instead of the painful silence that greeted them. At least with the static they would know it was still the after effects of the conditions up there.
Attempting to contact the military personnel again, Alana repeated her question. This time she diverted the bands to take in both Tranter’s and Stark’s personal communication devices.
No answer.
“I think we need to contact the general , Professor.”
Her face as pale as a ghost turned to his. He felt her distress at the prospect of informing the military that it appeared likely that more of their personnel involved in her family project had potentially perished.
“I know,” she said dejectedly. “Why don’t you take a break Sam, there’s nothing more we can do at this time.” Though her words echoed ominously in his head, he wondered if she was giving up. The tone of her voice certainly indicated that possibility. This hadn’t been anything to do with her the project had worked.
“I’ll stay awhile longer Professor…who knows they might have a delay at their end.”
Alana wished that prospect were feasible although right now she felt that was a bleak hope. Moving slowly away from her console, she picked up the phone at the central command post. Her ears pricked as they heard a faint voice. She was damn sure it was a voice as she pivoted back to her desk so sharply she almost fell out of the chair. Immediately placing her communication equipment in her ear she spoke into her mic, “Major, is that you?”
After several seconds of static the major’s voice slowly cleared. The rich tone of her clear voice could be heard careering off the speakers in the room.
“Yes, I have a situation here I need to speak with the general.”
The clipped, cold words whipped through Alana like a snowstorm, there was no more hope Stark was dead.
“Sam, make the call please. Major, we lost Private Stark’s vital signs over an hour ago can you verify the situation for me? I was hoping in terms of faulty equipment,” her concerned pitch emanating over the line to the officer hundreds of thousands of miles away. The seconds delay could be taken as sorrow for the passing of a comrade, or, merely the fluctuation in time and space, Alana chose to think the prior.
“Your equipment is functioning perfectly well Professor Cameron, Stark is dead. Have you the general on the line yet?”
The matter of fact tone indicated that was all the information forthcoming at this time.
“Sam?”
“Do you want a personal line Major?”
“Secure channel only…thank you.”
The thank you was a bonus making Alana smile slightly at the acknowledgement.
“You’re welcome, the general is on-line now.”
Hearing the growling vocals of the general, Alana switched the communication device to privacy and turned to Sam with a sad expression. “I guess we’ll know soon enough if it was anything to do with us or not. Perhaps I’d better wake up Jim…he’ll want to know if there’s a screw up again at our end.”
Sam watched the scientist carefully before replying. “If anything happened to the solider it wasn’t anything to do with you Professor.”
“You don’t understand Sam, this is my project, I’ve committed my life to seeing it through…I guess you’d call it fulfilling a family’s dying wish. I can’t bear to think my father died for no reason if we failed.”
“All the same, I think the project worked. Don’t forget they were on a military operation. I’m inclined to think it had something to do with that rather than anything we did.”
Alana gave the young man at her side a reassuring smile. “Okay Sam, I’ll wait for the verdict before I blame myself.”
Five minutes later the general called asking to speak with Fever. Since he wasn’t there the general grudgingly, spoke with Alana.
“Professor Cameron I have a situation on the Space Station. Who do you have on staff that can be used in your equipment and has knowledge of computers at the first level two entry?” The man’s voice bordered impatience as he waited for her response.
What is he asking? Does he want one of our personnel to resume Stark’s mission? Surely that isn’t part of the deal Jim made. “I’m sorry I don’t…”
“Professor, do I have to spell it out for you? I need a high clearance technician who has their DNA stored into your machine. If I send one of my people it will be at least two hours away plus however long it takes for you to compute their DNA. I want someone with Major Tranter in less than half an hour…that’s the only window available for a successful mission.”
Mulling over the requirements, there were only four people who could be remotely classified within the parameters that the general had requested. Doctor Forsyth, Jim Fever, Sam and herself.
“Name them now Professor.”
Carefully stating her choices she held her breath as he took all of five seconds before he barked back Sam’s name. Without a second word, he issued the instruction for the young man to go and that he would be returning to the research area within the next two hours.
Alana’s eyes rolled as she listened to the man’s instructions. She slowly turned to Sam who was waiting expectantly for the information. “He wants someone with technical knowledge and a first level two data access to help the major.”
Sam’s eyes blinked rapidly. He knew without her saying that he had requested him out of the names that he’d heard the professor say moments earlier. Looking at it logically, he was the only choice; the most expendable. That didn’t make it easy though; he certainly didn’t want to go and become another statistic. Why should he…he wasn’t military.
“Sam you don’t have to go, I’ll find someone else.” Alana had seen the shock quickly replaced by a horrified expression as the penny dropped.
Sam’s features cleared slightly. “But who will you send if not me?”
For a full thirty seconds Alana Cameron remained silent. Then, for the first time in years her mind settled. All the yoga lessons I learned in the hospital have finally achieved fruition, she thought. Logically Sam was the correct choice and if push came to shove she would have insisted and he probably would have agreed. However, sometimes logic didn’t always come into play. Right now what she was about to do had as much to do with logic as having your cards read by a charlatan gypsy at a fairground.
“I’m going.” Holding up her hand to prevent him from speaking out at her decision she continued, “I’m more than qualified for the role, and I know I can trust you with my baby Sam. Let’s begin the DNA loading I’ll talk to you again after I’ve been passed by Doctor Forsyth.”
Sam watched in bemusement as she pressed a small button on her console and a door slid open revealing a pair of gleaming metallic artificial legs. The professor removed from their temporary storage area and with a deftness of years of practice, quickly strapped them into place activating their sensory circuits. Within two minutes, she had collected a data download of her personal statistics and set off for the tunnel.
~ ~ ~
Tranter gave her less than attentive audience a cool stare, taking in their body language as well as her senses allowed. For some reason she was feeling less than one hundred percent in that area. Some adjustment would have to be made for travelling in space, if this was to be a regular occurrence. She dismissed the doctor she had previously spoken with as a possibility; something in his eyes that told her he preferred to save life rather than take it. Chief Engineer Lake , on the other hand, was an unknown quantity. Though he looked like he had been drug out of bed backwards, sleeping in his quarters was a shaky alibi in her book. Then her eyes strayed to the chef, Reagon. He reminded her of a grizzly bear because of his bulky frame and hair that hung past his shoulders; in her opinion it drastically required cutting. Shibanion and Arkan had been each other’s alibis. There had been only one way they could have reached Stark and that would have meant literall y going through her. They had not, unless unbeknownst to her a vanishing cloak had been invented.
“Hey, look, I need some shut eye…get this over with will you.” Lake puffed out his muscled chest as he gruffly spoke directly to the major.
“By all means Chief Lake , ” she said curtly. “As you are all aware, we’ve had a death of one of my people onboard the station. I therefore require the doctor here to take samples of your skin for any residue left by a laser scorching. I’m sure you will have no problem with that if you’re innocent…it is a simple procedure and we will know within the hour.”
Lake glared at the soldier. This was not a military ship and the only authority onboard he accepted was the Just who was this jumped up officer to think she could give him orders?
“If you were wondering Captain Erille has approved my methods. The sooner this is done, the faster you can go back to your regular activities.” Tranter gave one of her small derisive smiles then caught the look in Lake ’s eyes. Perhaps her original perception of him had validity for she had seen that look before and knew what it meant.
A voice from the back of the room drew their attention, “Major Tranter has full authority to carry out any tests or interrogations she sees fit. I trust my people; therefore we have nothing to hide and to prove that I’ll be the first.” Erille had slid into the room unnoticed and surprised Tranter with her words and actions. Perhaps the captain had more balls than she had at first thought. Generally, civilians were not known for their bravado, they left it to others nowadays…people like her.
Fifteen minutes later the doctor had taken the skin samples and turned to her with a question brimming from his eyes.
“Go ahead Doctor.”
“What about your skin sample?” His eyes never left hers as she gave him an icy appraisal.
Touché. Stretching out her arm, she peeled back the tunic sleeve allowing him to take a sample.
“As you appear to be so methodical perhaps you need to take a sample from all the crew.”
Mack Fulton turned his face toward hers; there she saw a shadow of a smile play on his lips as he replied, “Already done. I’d hate for you to think I was inefficient.”
Tranter gave the man a sardonic glance as a genuine smile tugged at the sides of her cheeks, “I never thought anything of the kind after all I know otherwise.” With that, she left him announcing she was going to the cargo hold to wait for Stark’s replacement.
“Those military bitches are all the same,” Lake slurred. Sleep beckoned him like a hypnotic drug.
“Actually they aren’t, she’s one of a kind trust me,” Doctor Fulton quietly responded.
Lake gave the doctor a second glance as he headed for the door. “You know her?”
All eyes in the room diverted to the Doctor who turned a minor shade of red as he answered, “Not exactly know her…hmm, more like I’ve attended to her on a professional level a while back.”
Sorrel Erille wandered closer as she quizzically stared at the doctor. Is he a military spy? “Were you once military Mack?”
Mack Fulton smiled warmly at the station’s captain. He respected her and thought he was falling for her; though that kind of activity was out of bounds until the mission was complete. They had shared several meals alone together and she seemed to like him too…maybe not in the same way, but he could hope. They had another fifteen months of living closely together in the tin can they called home to find out if they might try a more romantic relationship. Ah, who am I kidding, she probably has a million guys back home waiting for her.
“Doctor, are you still with us?” Captain Erille smiled at the man. She liked him; he was turning out to be a good friend and one needed that on these long tours. Right now though, he looked like he was on another planet and from his expression it was a pretty good one.
“I’m sorry…I was miles away,” Mack Fulton spluttered as he felt even more self-conscious than before.
“Doc, how do you know the army bitch, for Christ sake?” Lake growled. His grumpiness growing by the second as his lack of sleep induced body kicked in viciously.
Clearing his throat quickly, Mack ruefully answered, “I was the field doctor on a sensitive experiment…she was one of the…a, guinea pigs I guess you’d call her at the time. It went wrong…I helped that was all.”
Lake muttered under his breath as he left the area, “Pity it didn’t kill the bitch!”
Fulton stared after the man for a few moments then thinking no one else was listening quietly responded, “That’s just it, she did die.”
Erille heard the softly spoken words and decided instead of commenting she would go to the command area. There, she had the peace of space to watch over and mull over the chaos that had engulfed her station in such a short time.
~ ~ ~
Doctor Patricia Forsyth was still in shock as she helped Alana go through the final checks before entering the tunnel and submitting herself to the experiment. Although they recently had a successful transfer glitches had happened more often than not. That was why many on the base called the project a secret name, Nemesis. It was as good a word as any as this particular project had seen more fateful endings than successful ones.
“Al, please reconsider…send Sam…you know Jim is going to go ape when he arrives and finds you changed places with your assistant.”
Alana had thought about this scenario a thousand times since the first time she had entered the tunnel. She remembered standing in the very place a few years earlier wanting to be part of the adventure. A part of her knew no matter what, she would attempt it again. And, damn it, she was here and at least this was for a good cause…maybe.
“Can’t Pat, Sam was devastated when he thought he had to go. He’s not ready, I am!”
“I’ve known you for ten years Al and everything that is you is this project. Instead of reaping the rewards for your efforts, you’re going off on some stupid undertaking that you think only you can do. You know if I didn’t know you as well as I do, I’d say you had a death wish.” Pat was exasperated. She was probably about the closest to a friend that Al had, barring Fever, and he didn’t count. He was only out for number one and wouldn’t be where he was without this slight woman. Alana had more daring do in her little finger than he had in his whole body.
“ If you want the truth Pat, whatever the job I’m not sure I can do it. Probably Sam would have been better; after all, he’s the computer whiz kid. But, he didn’t want to go, what choice did I have…send you? Wake Jim up and send him? No, as strange as it may appear to you I actually want to go,” Alana finally responded.
Alana’s enthusiastic words had merit if for nothing more than it saved her from going. The experiment she would have gladly undertaken but this was different; someone had died at the other end. They didn’t have all the facts and the chances it might happen again were a distinct possibility.
“Al, thank you.”
Alana diverted her concentration from the final computations she was making to the woman she classed as a friend. Why did she say that? “Thank me for what Pat?”
Embarrassed the doctor grinned slapping her good-naturedly on the shoulder. “No reason, are you ready?”
Puzzled, but wanting to focus her attention on the task at hand, Alana smiled back. “Yes, we need Sam to start the countdown in thirty seconds when you exit the sterile area of the tunnel.”
“When you return how about we celebrate?”
“What would we celebrate?”
For a few moments, Patricia was at a loss. As far as she was concerned, seeing Al alive and well was the biggest reason, but that wouldn’t go down well. “How about we celebrate the success of the generations of Cameron’s?”
“Thank you Pat, you don’t know what that means to me. I’ll hold you to that. See you in a few hours.” Alana walked towards the tunnel entrance to begin the final preparations.
Patricia Forsyth felt sad and she didn’t know why. All she knew was that at that moment in time she was despondent for her friend; it felt like she would never return as she was and that could mean only one thing - death.
~ ~ ~
Tranter waited for the emissions to settle and the physical form of whomever the general had chosen to replace Stark would emerge. The disorientation of the process had twisted her gut for a few moments when she’d arrived. That may have been an unconscious reaction to her previous travel using this prototype technology. Now, it definitely was new technology and no longer an unsubstantiated experiment.
As the distortion cleared, the major shook her shaven head as she finally saw the techie the general supplied her with…an interesting choice.
“Professor Cameron why are you here?”
Alana Cameron had used her baby only three times. The first had been a mitigating disaster of epic proportions not only on her physical bodily functions, but also to her concession to the military machine. The second had been a year ago when she was unable to bear the guilt of anyone else being injured or worse killed. Particularly as the year before a team was lost, though now that was debatable as the woman she thought dead was as alive as she was. And now this third time, having weighed the pros and cons in the same impulsive mode she made all her important life-changing decisions. Now facing the major she had previously felt sorry for she wondered why. At the time she hadn’t analyzed her feelings for the emotions had hit her hard and instead of working them out logically she had hidden them away for further research.
“You said get a life; well here I am as ordered.” There seemed to be an after effect of the travel for Alana was sure she wasn’t responsible for her response that was so out of character.
Denise Tranter positioned a well placed palm over her mouth to stifle the smirk that bordered on laughter that the remark warranted. To her knowledge, in both her lifetimes she could not recall ever allowing a normal to extract such a response from her. It probably was another damn effect of this travel and more material for the boffins to work on when she got back…if they got back.
“I can see that. The general sent you?”
Alana shamefacedly hung her head for a moment before she answered. “No, they were going to send my assistant…he’s a kid fresh out of Uni…as his superior I decided you had a better chance with me.”
The major gazed at the woman whose comment verged on conceited except that her stance declared otherwise. True, the woman’s IQ might even rival hers; beyond that, her lack of superior attitude didn’t ring the normal bells of an arrogant fool. Anyway, at this moment, they had no time to dwell on the whys just to complete the task at hand. “Okay, Professor I’ll take you at your word…for now. I have Stark’s equipment, which I’m sure you’ll need to complete the mission.”
The matter of fact words stung Alana for a moment. Didn’t the major care that one of her own had died? And, for her peace of mind, she wanted to know just how that had happened.
“I’d like to see Private Stark, Major. I want to ensure nothing in the transfer brought on his demise.” Her grey eyes gazed unwaveringly into the cold ones of the officer.
“We don’t have time for that right now, I need you to complete the mission…and then if you feel it necessary you may view Stark’s body.” The words caused Alana to give the woman, who was briskly moving out of the containment area towards the service corridor, a second look. She spoke of the private’s body as if it was a piece of meat without any meaning. How emotionless could one become?
“Later then.” Alana picked up her own valise containing a few pieces of her own equipment she had brought with her.
A few minutes later, Alana, unaware of his gruesome last minutes, was crawling into the space that had previously held the corpse of Stark. The wound had left no lingering evidence in the area and was therefore clean. Only those that had experience could see the scorch marks and would know that a weapon had been fired recently.
“Here is the software that needs to be linked into the mainframe onboard. I take it you are familiar with the process?” Tranter asked quietly as she watched the professor awkwardly manoeuvre into the small area. It is a good thing this isn’t a timed dry run…she would fail dismally.
“Hmm thanks, no not really but how difficult can it be? A computer is a computer is a computer, right?” Alana daren’t look up. Her flippant remark would have only caused the woman standing guard over her to think she was out of her mind, or worse, incompetent.
“I hope you aren’t serious?”
This time Alana did peer out of the confines of the hollow space. “Sorry, I was attempting a joke, it won’t happen again. I’m reasonably familiar with the links, it most likely will take me longer than your people, but I’ll be in a position to download the data in say three hours.”
“Can’t you do it any quicker?”
“Not if you want it right the first time and I take it you do?”
Pursing her lips, Tranter considered the time frame. The general had been adamant that the data be linked within the next two hours without being given any specific reason. He had engineered this woman to be here instead of military personnel so it had been his call. An hour later shouldn’t be too bad, anyway what the hell could happen in that time? “I’m going to have Corporal Arkan stay with you while I investigate another issue.”
Al was dismayed at the prospect of another stranger looking out for her back. In a strange way, she trusted the major implicitly but who was this other person? “Is the soldier one of yours?”
Tranter heard the uncertain tone in the professor’s voice. Although emotions rarely affected her, she knew the Normals were slaves to them and this was just another proof of it. “Arkan has a background similar to mine, she can be trusted.”
Tranter moved away to the communications panel and requested Arkan’s presence. She left Alana with no option but to continue the task ahead of her which, although not exactly daunting, it wasn’t going to be a piece of cake either. She sighed then selected the data disc and ran the first of several diagnostic operations.
~ ~ ~
Sam didn’t know what to do. Should he call the operations director? Maybe the general has already informed him of the change in plans. Or, should he remain silent until they both arrived and let them make of it what they will? Once he completed the professor’s transit and confirmed with the medical team that nothing problematic had occurred, he transferred her life signs to the monitor that had originally housed Private Stark’s. The professor had been gone two hours and so far so good…no problems. Her last communication to state she had begun the data transfer and would make contact again when it was complete had been forty minutes ago. Staring patiently at the monitor, he hadn’t heard someone enter the room.
“Hi Sam, how’s everything going? My god, don’t tell me Al actually took my advice and is having a decent break.” Jim Fever smiled at the young man. He predicted Sam would have a meteoric career if he set his stall out correctly and being part of this project was a marvellous beginning. Though he would only privately admit it, Sam was gaining the best possible experience from the best in this field and that would be Alana Cameron.
Glancing up with a guilty expression on his face, Sam stared at the director of operations, gulping before he answered quietly. “She isn’t taking a break and I’m afraid we’ve had a problem.”
Jim Fever rushed over to the monitors showing the life-signs of the project principals. “What’s the problem and where is Al?”
Sam gave the man a worried look expecting his thunderous outburst as he hurriedly informed him of the status of the project.
“Why the hell wasn’t I informed earlier? Who authorised Al to do such a stupid thing anyway? My god I knew she felt responsible for the project but this is madness.”
Before Sam could reply, another party entered the room, General Horatio T. McAndrew. He strode inside, his face a blank mask as he surveyed the room, his eyes settling icily on the young technician.
“Why are you here?” His bellow almost blew Sam out of his chair.
Jim Fever answered for the young man, “He’s here because Al decided to go in his place. If anything happens to her General, I’ll hold you personally responsible. Why couldn’t you send one of your people? Mine don’t come under your jurisdiction that was Al’s deal when the project was passed over to you.”
The general surveyed the room with a cynical smile on his face. Ah, this is an added bonus. “I didn’t twist anyone’s arm Fever, has she completed the operation?”
“Not yet, she said she would contact us when it was completed. She began downloading approximately forty minutes ago,” Sam finally answered as calmly as his heightened adrenalin would allow.
Glancing at his watch, the general’s expression was unmoving as he considered the delay and it’s implications to his plans. “Contact Major Tranter, I want to talk to her,” he commanded.
Jim Fever didn’t like this man, he never had; however, his career prospects had risen enormously since hanging onto his shirttails. Right now, he wanted to ban the man from the control room but didn’t have the courage.
“Sam, contact the major please.”
“Yes sir.” Sam made the connection.
A couple of minutes passed before the major’s voice was heard over the intercom.
“Tranter.”
“Major, this is General McAndrew, what’s the delay?”
Fever and Sam glanced at each other as they heard the barked cold question.
“No delay General, Professor Cameron is processing the data as quickly as she is able to under the circumstances.”
McAndrew’s features tightened as he heard the tolerant tone in his major’s voice. That tone wasn’t part of the makeup with the Radicals; they suffered no emotional lapses it was their ace card. “How long before the download is complete?”
“I will check and be back to you. At the present time I’m completing my investigation into Stark’s death.”
Now the general really did look angry as he snarled into the microphone, “Major, Stark is unimportant, he’s dead end of story. I want you with Cameron now…ensure she completes on time.”
“General your time scale was impossible…”
“You have your orders Major!”
Jim Fever and Sam stared at the monitors then at each other as they noted a faint tremor in the equipmen