Orion Colony Complete Series Boxed Set J.N. Chaney (books for new readers .txt) 📖

Ricky said, getting up and wiping his grease stained-hands on an even dirtier towel. “As Mr. Slade’s agent, I’m aware of the matters he was involved in. I’d like to speak to someone about my client’s inclusion in the spy force academy.”

“The what?” Iris looked at us, confused.

“Or whatever it is that you’re calling it these days,” Ricky said, trying to save face.

“This can all wait,” I interrupted. “What’s going on?”

“I can tell you on the way,” Iris said as she headed for the door.

I opened the door while she phased through the wall and we took off at a jog. She explained what was happening.

“There was an attack on the navigation core,” Iris said. “We assume another Disciple set off the explosion. Watching the video playback, it shows nothing on the screen before the explosion, which leads me to believe that we may have another cloaked intruder on our hands.”

My mind ran through the possibilities. Could at least one more Disciple be on board? But why did they wait this long to make their move? Why did they attack the navigation core when they could have gone after anything?

We ran through the cafeteria level. Only a few Transients remained as they followed Iris’ instructions and headed for their rooms.

“I’ve been instructed to escort you to the tech level where Stacy and the others are preparing to go on the hunt for this new threat,” Iris said as we waited next to an elevator. She placed a hand on the door, and it opened immediately as if the elevator had been waiting for us this whole time.

We stepped inside. Ricky was still following us and also moved to enter.

Iris looked at him and then to me. “I was only instructed to bring you, Mr. Slade.”

“Ricky taught me everything I know,” I lied. “He’s a better fighter than I am. We could use his help.”

“I am?” Ricky’s eyes went wide. “Dean, I’ve never—”

I stomped on his foot.

His eyes widened with pain as he joined us in the elevator. “Dean, I’ve never instructed a student as poorly as I have you. You’re a disgrace to the Cobra Clan. I should go to make sure no one gets hurt.”

Iris eyed us suspiciously. She allowed the elevator doors to shut with us all inside. That was answer enough for me. Ricky would be allowed along for the ride.

We were whisked up to the same tech level Stacy and I visited weeks before when we were looking for a way to track Maksim. This time when the doors opened, we didn’t have to walk through the glass offices and labs. Everyone was in the lobby waiting for us.

Stacy and Arun wore tactical chest-plates. Stacy had her blaster out, and I noticed a similar weapon in Arun’s hands. A dozen heavily armored suits were with them, along with Doctor James Wong, who stood in the middle of the group explaining something.

Stacy waved us over after giving Ricky a confused look.

“Thank you for coming,” Arun said to me, looking at Ricky and then back to Iris. “Iris?”

“He insisted.” Iris shrugged. “I assumed it was more important to get Mr. Slade here quickly than stop to discuss the matter. He also seems to be the founding member of a Clan Cobra.”

“Hello, I’m Dean’s agent, Ricky Matthews,” Ricky said, extending his hand to Arun. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Arun’s mouth dropped open. She closed it again, shaking Ricky’s hand.

“And this is the most important thing to remember,” Doctor Wong said to the group, capturing all of our attention. “This technology is experimental. Iris will be able to project what she sees on the screen in your headsets. Since the information must be relayed, there could be a slight delay.”

“How long are we talking?” one of the suits asked.

“No more than a millisecond or two,” Doctor Wong said, signaling over to Iris. “The technology I created will capture all motion on the Orion. That amount of data would be nearly impossible for anyone to sift through in real time. Only a Cognitive could make this happen. She’ll exclude any motion from passengers and objects on board until she finds the motion related to our cloaked saboteur. She will then feed that image into our headsets, so you will be able to see it as well.”

Iris joined the doctor as he handed her a dark green data chip. Everyone in the room held their breath as she accepted the data chip in her open right hand. As soon as she closed her glowing blue fingers over the item, the blue light around her shined brighter.

I looked away, covering my eyes to keep it from burning my corneas.

“Iris, are you okay?” Arun asked as the brightness died down.

I lowered my arm in awe, looking at the Cognitive. Her blue eyes were pure white as she sifted through every motion happening in the Orion at once.

“She’s searching now.” Doctor Wong rubbed at his tired red eyes. “Even if the cloaked Disciple is still, Iris will be able to find him or her through the rise and fall of their chest as they breathe; it’s that sensitive.”

“Oh dear, we have a very serious issue,” Iris said, looking at all of us as her eyes shifted back to their normal blue color.

21

The lobby in the tech level was completely silent as we held our breaths to hear what Iris would say.

“I have successfully located every passenger inside the Orion,” Iris said in the calmest tone imaginable. “Except one. I also have a visual on these passengers. There is movement in the Engine room that I cannot see via any external cameras.”

“The Engine room is locked down tight,” Arun said, checking her blaster. “We made sure all critical systems were secured with the most state-of-the-art locking system available at the time of construction. Civil Authority Officers are also standing guard. Whoever is down there won’t get in.”

“Let’s move out,” Stacy told the suits present. She grabbed one of the