Breach
fiction by michael werneburg
2002.07.26
Marl gasped as she sat with the assistance of the others. "Mother, how did he bypass the controls!"
"As acting Captain, he has that authority," the AI reminded her.
Xin was visibly enraged. "Leaking that kind of data to rival species. It's an unimaginable disaster. Anyone involved in a breach this bad is going to be made an example of!"
Marl interjected. "Chrissy, you can do this. Stay focused. David, can your tricorder track the Prince?"
Eisberg, sending the sled forward, seemed to consider that. "I can certainly gather a lot of information. Mother, I'll help with machine learning to work out which data correlates."
The AI said, "There are several known correlate factors. Let us start gathering data."
###
Two hours later, the crew was riding above the planet's surface. They had been looking for the Prince practically the entire time since planetfall. But a planet 97% of the diameter of Earth and with twice the land area was a big search area. If Eisberg and Mother hadn't picked up the residual subtime trace left by the Prince's stolen craft, they would have no idea where to start.
To take her mind off the tension, Marl looked at their surrounds. The sky was a brilliant blue, and the two colors of light from the twin suns made everything appear vividly three-dimensional. This planet's plant-life had a purple tinge that gave the fields and forests a unique color scheme. From time to time, they would come across a flock of grazing animals, and there was almost always some airborne life to be seen. It looked like a wonderful world. Between them and it of course, was the oblong bubble of their subtime field. Ethereal waves of energy shimmered upon that boundary.
Hiram's usually serious demeanor cracked, a little; he couldn’t help but express his awe at the sights around him. Marl found his enthusiasm charming. "Is this your first intervention, Ensign?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Call me ma'am again, and it will be your last," she advised.
The four humans were wearing airtight masks, air cannisters, and lightweight suits that insulated them from the elements. The suits were designed to look vaguely like civilian clothing and would completely cover their faces when they dropped out of subtime to hide their human appearance when on an alien planet. Of course, if they were ever actually seen, it would mean that something had gone wrong with their subtime field, but one couldn't be too careful.
"Things sound different in subtime. I've seen several recordings, but I they capture it right."
"I wish I could show you how things smell, but of course subtime doesn't prevent viruses, fungus, or bacteria from getting to us, so taking off our helmets would possibly be fatal."
"Yes .. Lieutenant."
Behind them, the broad rear section of their sled was a simple, flatbed equipped with tie-downs. A selection of gear was securely lashed to the center. The crew stood in the much smaller front cabin; this semicircular area was elevated half a meter above the main deck and included a control console. It had a low railing around its perimeter and a perfunctory wind screen that was too short to do much. It let the wind that passed into their subtime field buffet them with a flutter that Marl still wasn't used to after all these years. The craft was made of some lightweight composite that was suitably rugged for the jobs it was put to in all kinds of climates, but the strict focus on function over form meant that it had an artless look, and its lines quite failed to please the eye.
According to their regional map and the ship's sensors, they were almost directly above the waste repository. Marl pondered whether the aliens had completely excavated the site. These repositories were all constructed by unmanned robotic teams and buried well beneath the surface. After depositing the material, the robotic teams would then reshape the disturbed terrain to conceal the repository's presence. Over time, these sites were generally left to the elements to blend them naturally with their surroundings. As a result, they were always unmarked and typically quite difficult to locate.
The Prince's path lay ahead of them in the sled's console like a spotty trace lain across the landscape. They were zipping along an unobstructed alien-built roadway. Now their route ascended a steep ridge and passed through a rough road-cut. As they entered the road-cut, they discovered the blackened wreckage of a vehicle amidst older rubble from the road's excavation. The smashed vehicle was in pieces. It appeared to be a ground vehicle of alien design.
Xin asked the Ensign, "Hiram, what did you notice about that craft."
"Not one of ours, ma'am."
"Correct. And?"
"Well, the Caofsh of this world don't seem to possess anti-gravity vehicles."
"Did you see the beam weapon marks on that wreck?"
"Yes. They're shooting at each other?"
"It's very common." She looked at Eisberg, the Chief Engineer. "Looked like the weapon used was large enough to be vehicle mounted. I'm thinking airborne."
The older man scanned the sky while pulling two projectile weapons from the rack. He handed one to the Ensign. "We are likely to witness violence ahead."
"I see!"
Marl was pleased to see that the Ensign handled the weapon with the familiarity and safety of practice. She couldn't guess how exactly his chaotic childhood had played out, and didn't know where he'd learned to handle such a weapon, but here he was. She turned back to the route ahead of them. The AI was currently driving but she was alert for aliens.
Eisberg told him, "They may have screwed things up to the point that the automated machines can't fix it."