Breach

fiction by michael werneburg

2002.07.26

Eisberg shrugged, though it was a radio conversation. "I really can't say."

"Thank you. We have confirmation there is waste contamination in settlements all over the continent. And we have found a new surface trail cut into the woods near a second waste repository. And we've seen some ship activity near a site that's become submerged in a shallow inland sea. These Caofsh know how to find the sites, Lieutenant. This is a planet-wide intervention."

Sitting beside her, Eisberg waved at her. She muted the line, and he said, "They're going to carpet the planet with—"

But the Admiral went on. "Engineering is already itching to dump meteorites all over the place to bury this mess. I think they're probably right. Then we can drop a concentrator and come back in a couple of thousand years..."

Eisberg shook his head in resigned disappointment.

Marl unmuted the line. "That sounds expensive,"

"I'm going to suggest we have high level discussions with these Caofsh. There's no way the Corporation stays disinterested in them after this."

"So, we're a-go on pursuing the Prince? Xin has that look in her eye, I think she's in the mood for a hunt."

"I bet she is. I'm ordering you down to 10% of normal time at the end of this conversation and authorizing you all the way down to 0.5% if need be. Burn all the fuel you need, kill anyone in your way, just get that Prince back within the hour, nominal. I'm sending you a feed from one of our satellites and am transferring its control to you. Also, I'm dropping an atmospheric jet; I'm sending you the rendezvous location and time."

"Yes, sir. Preference on whether we bring the Prince back living or dead sir?"

But the Admiral was gone.

"Sounds like he has no preference," Xin said with a tight smile.

The Prohibitions didn't like killing no matter what the reason was for, and she wondered if a confrontation between her and her peer was coming. She straightened up and set their relative time to 10% as ordered. She asked Eisberg, "How are the automated machines doing, can we leave them?"

"The crawlers have already gone inside. The fix-it's have started capping the vent. And Mr. Smooth has already reported we've got vermin in the tank."

The Engineer has his own language for the equipment that he so lovingly maintained. 'Mr. Smooth' was his scout droid, a worn old model that had been with the ship longer than even the Engineer. It was nearing the end of its useful life cycle and had earned the name Mr. Smooth by blowing its subtime field generator in the middle of an alien settlement that they'd found atop a cache a few years prior. They'd had to nuke the settlement after that indiscretion, of course, a move that had significantly raised their profile with Administration.

The vermin, of course, were the alien miners that had breached the tank. Exposed to the full-scale contamination of the inside of a waste tank at real time, they'd be barking mad by now and a thorough danger to themselves and everybody else.

"So, seal them in and we'll let the Admiral's heavies handle it."

He tapped at his instruments. "Done!"

"Let's find the Prince," she said.

"I'll take command, then," said Xin.

"Agreed," Marl told her. It was now a security operation.

"Mother, set a course at full speed in the direction of Prince's jet."

"Understood, Lieutenant."

The sled rocketed forward, climbing the uneven angled surface of the pit mine as fast as it had descended a few minutes ago. Marl focused on establishing communications with their satellite and plotting a course. With that done, she said, "The Prince's behavior this morning was strange. He was this way, then that. I think he added something to his water, maybe some kind of stimulant."

"Like caffeine?" Xin asked, surprised.

"Something elicit," Marl said.

"Unbelievable," said Hiram. He actually made a sign with his hand, warding against self-destruction and lawlessness.

Xin regarded him. "Are you Oluk, like our Lieutenant Marl?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Marl laughed. "He ma'amed you!" She knew Xin could be aggressive and hoped the security lead wasn't going to say something stupid.