The Impossible Future: Complete set by Frank Kennedy (mini ebook reader .txt) 📕

I’d toss out while everybody’s in the right frame of mind. If that’s OK.”

Oliver grunted. “Michael, you’re not going to ask any bizarre questions about teleportation or …?”

“Nope. Not at all. Practical business. Maybe you’ve got these issues sorted. Maybe not. But an invasion seems close, and I got as much at stake as anybody here.” He turned to Nilsson. “Sir, I’m asking these questions as a Presidium rep, not as a soldier of the Guard.”

“Fair enough,” he said. “I have no control over your civilian obligations. But please, Michael, this is a day of celebration. Be kind.”

Nilsson turned his attention; Michael focused on Oliver.

“OK then. Number one. It’s great how you nailed down the point-to-point using Anchors. But there aren’t any Anchors on Hiebimini, or anywhere else in that system. How do you pull this off, other than hoping the quantum signature is infallible?”

Oliver and Frances shared a silent aside that Michael read. They knew the answer but weren’t sure the wisdom in revealing it. Oliver scratched above his right eye.

“It will not pose a problem,” he said. “The GPNM coordinates are immaculate. As long as the receiving signature matches the coordinates precisely, we don’t need a second Anchor.”

“I figured as much. But even a signature pegged to a moving target as fast as a planet carries a microscopic margin of error. The Anchor compensates for that. Right?”

“It does.”

“If you’re off even a thousandth of a magnitude, and you got no Anchor, you could emerge inside the planet or crash into the surface before antigrav thrusters kick in. If you emerge too soon, Salvation will know you’re coming. And if they got defenses, you got trouble.”

Oliver didn’t see him coming. The scientist opened his hands in praise, stunned by Michael’s observation.

“Why, Michael, you sound like you should have been a consultant.”

“Hey, like I told Frances, I read.”

“Indeed. All your conclusions are spot-on. But there’s something you don’t know about our wonderful creation.”

“Which is?”

“Once the signatures and substrata are made cohesive, we can literally see the other end. If the doorway doesn’t open precisely where we desire, we program new coordinates.”

The answer made sense. No wonder they never brought it up.

“See? Like through a window?”

“Almost. The foci arms that emit Void energy to the destination are embedded with visual receptors. In effect, we can scout our landing zone without anyone on that end being the wiser.”

Michael thought it through and was dumbfounded.

“Jesus H. Christ. You could scout a city and program specific attack instructions into every navigation cylinder.”

“The Guard could, of course. Not us.”

“Yeah, right. So, question number two. About those ships. From what I can see here, you couldn’t squeeze anything bigger than an uplift through the Anchor field. But Scramjets, troop transports, capital ships … you couldn’t send them through unless you retrofitted the ships or built a monstrous gate of some kind in open space. Either way, those are massive projects. They’d take months at least. What the hell is the plan?”

Frances waved a finger in front of Oliver.

“Now that, Mr. Cooper, strikes me as a military question. Didn’t you tell Maj. Nilsson you were not asking as a soldier of the Guard?”

“No difference. I thought we were fighting for the same side. Presidium money, UG ships, the kibosh on Salvation. Same damn team we’re on, Frances. I reckon it’s time to put secrets aside. Maybe pull the plug on compartmentalizing. Yes?”

He didn’t have to hear the response to know he wasn’t going to get one. Frances stepped away without another word, leaving Michael in awkward silence with Oliver and two other scientists who wanted no part of this business. Oliver lowered his voice.

“Michael,” he said. “I suggest you take your victory in stride.”

“What victory is that?”

“The Anchor works, and you’ll have a chance to rescue Samantha before long. The rest is not under your purview.” Oliver stepped in close. “But if it means you’ll sleep more comfortably and ask fewer questions, I’ll say this. The device you see here is a prototype. There are many designs. We did not begin this project yesterday.”

He gave Michael a nod and sideways glance that verified the answer was far more complicated but also available, if Michael knew who to ask, and how.

Michael found himself socially distanced as many of the staff exited the lab. Maya waved as she trailed Cm. Cabrise outside.

Frances caught his eye and looked away as she huddled with Maj. Nilsson. He took a moment to put together key pieces and allowed his paranoia to stir the brew a little thicker.

What aren’t you telling me?

Michael thought to join Percy Muldoon for that promised toast and bottle of jubriska. But reason spoke otherwise.

He needed a clear mind. He needed answers.

25

M ichael heard nothing but compassion in Capt. Delano Forsythe’s tone the last time they spoke. At some level, Forsythe wanted Michael and Sam to find their way back together, even if the forces at play were above his pay grade. Michael streamed the command bridge of Praxis but was twice told the captain was in important meetings. On the third try, Forsythe emerged, his frown an instant red flag.

“My time is limited, Michael. Please be brief.”

“Look, Captain, I know I’m stepping outside the chain of command, but I’ve got questions, and I don’t think I’m gonna find much help down here.”

“Regarding?”

“The invasion. Now that the Anchor works, the Admiralty must be developing a plan. You know what this means to me and …”

Forsythe cut him off with a curt smile. “Michael, you’re right. You went outside the chain of command. Maj. Nilsson and Cm. Cabrise are the ranking station officers. They will pass down news regarding any military action against the terrorists.”

He tried a different tactic, knowing it would likely