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The next morning Rick walked into what was once Hobbs office and found it empty of everything. Tim met him at the door. “I thought I mention that until your office is ready that you would be working out of the conference room.”
Rick had a mind for details, and he knew that Tim never told him that. “Maybe you did, but I was in information overload yesterday. So, what do we have for me today?”
“You have a military briefing in about ten minutes.”
“Who am I having this meeting with?” said Rick as he entered the conference room.
“Admiral Hornsby.”
Rick sighed. “Okay Tim, when I ask who I’m dealing with I need more information than just their name. What kind of man is he? Can I trust what he is telling me?”
“Yes, you can trust him. He was the top of his class at the academy of military sciences. He is a ‘nothing but the facts’ kind of soldier.”
“Yes, but was he loyal to Nash?”
“Yes, he was but his code of honor would make him loyal to anyone legitimately in power. He would follow orders given through the chain of command.”
Rick thought about what was just said as he sat down at the table. “That is one hell of a recommendation.”
“Once you meet him you will see what I mean.” Tim tapped his earpiece and said, “Send him in.”
The door opened and a picture-perfect officer of the military walked in. Wide shoulders, narrow hips he looked like he had the strength one would expect of a military officer. He had enough ribbons on his chest to open a gift shop.
“Ted, how have you been?”
“Rick?” The admiral seemed confused. “I was told to give a briefing to Director Thompson. I didn’t know that was you.”
“Told by whom?”
“The new CEO himself.”
Rick smiled, “I’d be willing to bet that sly old devil knows more about both of us than either of us would care to admit.”
“Too true,” said Ted. “But I’ve changed since the early days. I think I’ve earned the right to be where I am.”
“You have,” said Rick. “There is no doubt about it. Who would have thought that two thieves would end up being a Director and an Admiral?”
“Not me. I thought the best I could do was Lieutenant or maybe Lieutenant Commander.”
“I know what you mean. The best I could hope for was investigator but look where we are now.” Rick looked over at Tim. His jaw had dropped as the two old friends talked about their past. “Tim, shut your mouth.” Rick’s words shook Tim out of his bewilderment, and he snapped his mouth shut with an audible pop.
“So, Admiral have a seat,” said Rick. He used Ted’s rank to show that had moved onto business. “What have you got for me?”
Ted took the que and with military form treated Rick with the respect due a director. “Sir we still have data coming in from operatives from other corporations. As of this morning seventeen research stations have been attacked and destroyed. All the major corporations have had at least one of these attacks. I tell you Sir; it has no military logic. If you want to start a war you take out military and production targets. Not research labs.”
Something in the way Ted said this struck a chord in Rick’s mind. “What if they were producing military products?”
“I don’t follow.”
“Okay. Track with me on this. Nash wanted me to investigate Collier because he was selling secrets to Rossom. Pacifica was bombed to keep people from using it as a transfer for stolen tech.”
“The ghost project,” said Ted.
“What if Collier got enough information out so that other corps could start their own ghost projects. If Collier sold it to Rossom, I’m sure someone else could steal it from them. Using a telepath could be a very powerful weapon.”
Ted looked as if he was considering what had just been said. “As those would be the most powerful weapons that would make sense. But what I don’t understand is why is there no evidence? No wreckage from the attacking ships. No distress calls. Nothing. It’s like they were wiped out of existence in a second.”
“Tim do you have a copy of the attack this morning?”
“I’ll be right back,” said Tim as he left the room. While he didn’t answer the question it was clear to Rick that Tim had the information.
“Yeah, I saw that,” said Ted, “and that is what I would expect to see when a station is attacked.”
“That’s what I thought,” said Rick. “Yet I need military information, a military point of view, to see what direction this is going.”
Tim reentered the room and brought down the view screen. “We’re all set.”
“Go ahead and hit play. Admiral as we go through this, I want you to tell me what is going on in the station.”
“Yes Sir. Hold please,” said Ted to Tim. “Before the recording even started there had to be an alert. So the attack was already in progress as this video started. That is what activated the destress buoy. Hit play.”
The smaller fighters were heading to the station. “Right now the crew is getting to battle stations.” The view show that station was firing back inflecting heavy damage on the fighters.
As the video progressed it seemed like the view was zooming out. Rick realized that the reordered was getting further away from the battle.
“The big ships are now lining up their main weapons.” The weapons were starting on the outer edge of the station and slicing off large chunks. “As they bring the weapons closer to the center one of them must have hit the reactor,” as Ted said this the station exploded. The view continued for a moment as the wreckage scattered in all directions.
The video ended. Rick said, “Let me ask you this, how did we get that recording of the battle?”
“We got it from the destress buoy.”
“Okay, but that’s not what I meant. How did it end up in our hands and not Rossom’s?”
“I see what you mean. As the station is attacked the buoy launched. In the middle of a battle it looks like a small piece of debris. It continues to record while there are energy discharges. And that includes jump windows. Once it is all clear it has a micro jump engine then activates it and brings it to Anteagen. Once in Wilson space it starts broadcasting.”
Rick started to think about that. “So are there any destress buoys form any of the other stations attacked.”
“While I would not have access to them from other corporations, my operatives say that there is none. There is no information on any kind from the other attacks.”
“Interesting, so that only leaves two possibilities. First the buoy was intercepted, and the area was cleaned up before anyone knew what was happening.”
“That’s possible but not probable,” said Ted. “You would have to be looking for a small buoy in the middle of a battle. Add to that only Captain’s rank and above would even know what they were looking for.”
“Would a Director of the Wilson Corporation know what to look for?”
“For a Wilson instillation, Yes. Still I don’t know if that would hold true for other corporations.” Ted paused a moment to see if there were any other questions before he asked one of his own, “And the other possibility?”
“That they were destroyed before they even knew they were being attacked.”
“Again possible but not probable. To do that they would have to open a jump window right on top of the target. The logistics of navigation makes that unlikely. And even if they could do that on a consistence basis, the orientation of the window would have to be facing the target. The only way to do as you suggest is to come out of the jump firing. I could see that happening once maybe twice, but not seventeen times.”
Rick was letting the data settle into the back of his mind. In the last few moments he had learned things about the military and jump windows that he never knew. “What if they had inside help?” This was suggested by Tim yesterday and Rick didn’t want to dismiss it out of hand.
“How so?” said Ted.
“I was just thinking of something,” said Rick. “What if someone set off an EMP device near or on the command deck. The attackers could come in and destroy the station without leaving a trace.”
“That would fit the facts. The station is shielded from EMP but not from the inside. That would disable the alert system, but also every other system on the command deck. Still there would be one problem with that theory. The person setting off the EMP would have no way to get off the station. They would be killed when the station went, just like everyone else.”
“Unless they set it on a timer. Right now this is all supposition,” said Rick. “I need some hard proof. I need debris from as many stations as you can get. I think we can exclude the Rossom attack.”
“Why do you say that”
“Because Rossom was responsible for the attack today. If they would have used the same method of operation we wouldn’t know about it for a while. If they did attack the other stations, like they did at Summit, everyone would know it was them. And there would be no reason for Rossom to attack that station. So they are not the ones that attacked the other seventeen stations. If they were, we would have gotten buoy’s like we did today.”
“I can get the debris from Wilson and our allies with no problem. It will take a little longer to get it from the Corps not so friendly to Wilson.”
“I would appreciate your best efforts in this matter. Still we need to find Collier, he is the key.”
“You think he is behind this?” said Ted.
“I don’t know. And I won’t know until I talk to him. Still I keep thinking about the conversation we had just before Pacifica was bombed. He was telling me that he wanted to rid the galaxy of corrupt corporate government.”
“From a military perspective that pulls everything together.
“How so?” said Rick.
“As Collier oversaw the ghost project, he had access to all the data, and processes. Once that information got out, I’m sure he would eliminate any base that had the information so he would have the project all to himself. How do we know that he didn’t send in a telepath to keep people from setting off the alarm? As it is he has the most powerful weapon in the galaxy.”
“We don’t. That makes your job even more imperative,” said Rick. “Here are your orders. Send teams out to get the debris from every site you can and bring it back for analysis. You need to find Collier. I want him for questioning, so we need him alive. While you are doing that, I have some fancy pants event to go to.”
“Understood.”
“You be careful my friend. I’ll see you when you get back.” With that the Admiral got up and left.
Rick turned to Tim and said half-jokingly, “I need to be two places at once, you got any ideas?”
There was a tense silence for a long moment. “Yes.” Tim grabbed his phone and took a picture of Rick’s face. Then went to the computer workstation in the back of the room. “Computer, I need a facial recognition on the picture I just sent you. Probability of identification 90%.”
The computer responded, “That would give you several suspects. Standard probability is 98%.”
“Yes, it is. Run it at 90%,” said Tim.
“Working.”
Rick asked, “What are you doing?” He was confused as to what this was all about.
“I’m finding you a double. Someone to go to that ‘fancy pants event’ you mentioned.”
Rick was stunned. “Why would you do that? I thought you wanted me to fit in with that fancy crowd?”
“I did and would have pushed you hard. After hearing that conversation with the Admiral, I think it’s more important for you to do your job than to be a socialite.” Rick was about to thank Tim, but he stopped him. “I have always trusted Director Hobbs decisions and leadership. Now I understand why CEO Hobbs gave you this position. You are the right man in the right job for the dark times ahead.”
Rick didn’t know how to react to that. A man he barely knew was willing to help him in any way he could. “Thank you, for your support.”
He would have said more but the computer interrupted him. “Four suspects found.”
Tim said, “Display in order of proximity to this location.”
It was no surprise that Rick was first on the ‘suspect list’. He was after all at this location. The next two were in the capital. The last one was in the City of Entertainment. That was an hour and a half away.
“Oh, this just keeps getting better and better,” said Tim.
“Why do you say that?”
Tim was looking at the bio of this person. “Because this guy is an out of work actor. I think we can give him the acting role of a lifetime. His picture looks like he’s a little heavier than you, but I think he will do nicely.” He turned to look at Rick. “Do I have your permission?”
“Sure, go ahead,” said Rick not really knowing what he was giving permission for. The only thing he knew for sure was that he was getting out of going to the event.
Tim pulled out his phone and made a call. “Jack, it’s Tim. I need you to send two units to,” he looked at the screen, “10484 Jackson Lane apartment 412, City of Entertainment. I need Jason Talbet in my office in one hour. Can I count on you?” Tim paused. “Good see you then.” He put the phone in his pocket. “Rick, go do what you need to do. I’ll do what I do best and maybe between the two of us we can save the galaxy from war.”
“Thank you Tim,” said Rick as he stuck out his hand.
Tim took it and said, “You are welcome.”
“Good now that’s out of the way I need to talk to the CEO.”
“I’ll get right on that. You stay here and I’ll let you know when the CEO is on the line.” With that Tim slipped out of the room.
Rick was left alone with his thoughts. Would his plan work? Maybe, maybe not, but he had to try. War was a nasty business. If he could, Rick had to stop it. He thought about the things Ted had said, but it really came down to two leads. Collier and the debris. Rick wasn’t sure if the debris would yield any clues, but it was the only physical evidence he could get. That left Collier. He was nothing but a question mark. Rick wasn’t even sure Collier had anything to do with the attacks. Somehow Rick felt that if Collier didn’t have anything to do with the attacks, at least he knew who did.
Tim came back into the room and pulled down the screen. Hobbs came on, “Rick are you settling in alright?” Hobbs looked tired. It looks as if he hadn’t had any sleep since he became CEO.
“Good morning Sir. To answer your question, Yes and no.”
“What’s the problem?”
Rick knew that Hobbs had more on his plate than he bargained for so he would try to make this short. “Not a problem, but I do need to ask a favor. I need you to make me the diplomatic envoy to the Rossom Corporation.”
Hobbs sat there with a blank look on his face. Whatever he thought Rick was about to say that wasn’t it. “Do you know what you are asking?”
“Yes Sir, I do. Rossom is responding to an attack that they believe came from us. I think I can make them understand that it was an attack from Collier and his band of rebels. While I don’t have proof yet, I do have enough circumstantial evidence that could at least bring a cease fire. I’m investigating the situation. I am working on the theory that it is Collier. It seems like he is hitting both sides of the conflict for two reasons. First he is destroying any labs that have any information on the ghost project.”
“That falls into reason,” said Hobbs. “Then he could have the telepaths to himself.”
“Yes. And two: I think he wants us to use up the resources so he can come in with little or no resistance and take over.”
“Like a knight in shining armor. I really wish I could let you go, but tensions are very high with Rossom right now. They might blow you out of the sky and not even bother with questions.”
“With respects Sir, I don’t think they will if you let them know that I’m coming. Rossom Corp knows that I tried to vindicate them about Pacifica and place the blame where it belonged. I think if you contact CEO Ridges and let him know I want to talk to him they just might let me through.”
Hobbs looked down at his desk and muttered, “Only Nixon could go to China.”
“What was that Sir?”
“Just an old saying. How soon do you want to leave?”
“Right now, or as soon as I can.”
“What about the event tonight?” said Hobbs.
“Tim has that handled. He found me a double that he is going to present to the circus, so I don’t have to be there.”
Hobbs smiled. “I take it Tim knows what is going on?”
“Yes Sir. He does understand what is at stake.”
“Well, if you are going to argue with me that much, I guess it’s important to you. I’ll make some calls. Keep yourself handy. When I get back to you, things will move quickly. Oh, as a side note I’m glad you trust Tim. I did and I never regretted it. Hobbs out.”
The screen went blank, and Rick realized that Tim was still in the room. “Tim unless the planet is being attacked, I would like to be undisturbed until Hobbs calls back.”
“Yes Sir,” said Tim as he left the room.