The Altian Plague by DM Arnold (best book club books for discussion .TXT) 📖

is -- you think I did this. I was found, unconscious, in the corridor.”

“We've seen suspects engineer stronger alibis than that. There's a simple way to clear this up, Mr Kyhana -- come down to the hall with us and submit to interrogation.”

“That'll waste the whole day,” Nyk protested. “I'm involved in an important project.”

“You'll waste even more time by not cooperating,” the inspector replied. “I'm prepared to arrest you for the disappearance of your ex-wife. Forcing us to obtain an interrogation warrant will only slow down the process.”

“All right,” Nyk relented. “I'll agree to interrogation.”

The doorchime rang. One of the officers touched the door control. “ID please.” A wristscan chirped and the deputy reviewed the display. “One Illya Kronta,” Inspector.

“He's my boss,” Nyk said. “He'll vouch for me.”

“Let him in.”

The door slid open and Kronta stood, holding a tunic. “I went to the precinct and they told me you were here.”

“We were about to head back there for an interrogation,” the inspector replied.

“I'm afraid I can't permit that,” Kronta said. “I'll vouch for him and we'll be on our way. He tossed the tunic to Nyk. “Put this on and we'll go.”

“He's a suspect...”

“He's innocent.” Nyk slipped out of the orange tunic and into the one Kronta brought. “Come on, Nyk.”

A deputy drew a stunner. He pressed the trigger and its end glowed crimson. “Excuse me, SIR -- but we can't permit either of you to leave.”

Kronta's eyes narrowed. “Don't SIR me, deputy. Have you charged this man?”

“No. We were about to...”

“And, you're not going to.”

The inspector approached. “Mr Kronta -- your official ExoService braids carry no weight with Internal Affairs.”

Kronta reached into his xarpa, retrieved a holographic card and held it up. “Maybe this carries some, then.”

The inspector took the card and regarded it. “High Legislature ... extra-agency authority...”

“Is it genuine?” the deputy asked.

“It appears to be.”

“I'm ordering you to release him. Come on, Nyk.” Kronta snapped his fingers and the inspector returned the holocard.

“Oh, Inspector,” Nyk said.

“Yes?”

“Please turn out the lights and lock the door when you leave.”

Nyk walked with Kronta toward the lift. “Did you get a look at them?” Kronta asked.

“No -- not a good one. It happened too fast. Then, they shot me with a dart.”

“I'll make some calls. I know an Internal Affairs commissioner who'll get those snoops on the right track. In the meantime, I've called a meeting to review where we stand.” They reached the lift and rode to the tubecar platform. Kronta ordered a car with a priority code.

Nyk sat beside Kronta as the tubecar accelerated toward Government Center. “That badge you flashed looks like a handy thing to have,” Nyk said.

Kronta retrieved the holocard from his sash. “They don't just pass these out.”

“How's Andra doing?”

“Well. Aahhn and Helsyn have declared the vaccine a success.”

The car arrived at Government Center. Nyk followed Kronta into a lift and to the confinement room. Andra was sitting on the edge of the pallet, swinging her legs and holding a conversation with Suki.

Aahhn walked in. “Andra,” he said, “we'll release you as soon as our decontamination team has been in there. Then I'll take that gadget off your arm.

“We have some bad news,” Nyk said. “Senta's been abducted.”

“Oh, no!” cried Andra.

“Abducted?” Suki asked.

“Last night. They knocked me out with some drug.”

“We'll discuss this at the briefing. Let's get started. Aahhn and Andra -- join us when you can.”

Suki turned toward the glass wall. “Andra -- you were so brave.”

“Bravery and ignorance go hand in hand,” Andra replied. “If I had known what to expect -- I wouldn't have volunteered.”

Nyk sat at the conference table across from Kronta. Suki and Andra entered and sat on either side of him. The door slid shut and Kronta rapped his knuckle on the table. “Dr Senta Tibran has been abducted,” he announced.

Those around the table looked at each other. “What does this mean?” Sirk asked.

“Fortunately, Senta has already completed her contribution to this project. We will press onward.”

“I don't think whoever took her,” Nyk said, “had anything to do with the virus. It was someone she knew.”

“She did have a fight with her most recent lover,” Suki said. “She threw him out of her house in Sudal -- right before the storm wrecked it.”

“Do you know his name?” Kronta asked.

“No. Andra might.”

Andra shook her head. “No. Besides -- he's in Sudal. I doubt he'd come here.”

“What does your ax'amfin intuition tell you about this?” Nyk asked.

Andra looked up at the ceiling. “The facts are conflicting... Someone she knew, yet it happened during the vaccine test...” She shook her head. “I'm puzzled. I recommend we plan for the worst and hope for the best.”

“In other words -- we should assume she was taken by our adversaries.”

“Do you think she'll talk?” Sirk asked.

“Senta's a strong-willed woman,” Nyk replied. “She knows the stakes.”

“They could use truth drug,” Andra replied.

“I'm not overly concerned about truth drug,” said Kronta. “All interrogators are licensed and have been alerted. Truth agent is dispensed only to licensed interrogators.”

“Do you really believe it can't fall into the wrong hands?” Aahhn asked.

“We don't know for sure if it was The Seven who abducted her,” Kronta replied.

“Who else would have motive?” asked Sirk.

“If it was The Seven, then somehow information regarding this task force has leaked out. I want to canvas the table -- has anyone discussed this with outsiders?” He looked each member in the eye. “Anyone?”

“No,” said Aahhn.

Helsyn shook his head.

“Absolutely not,” said Pring.

“No,” said Andra.

“Not at all -- except for Suki -- my wife,” Nyk answered.

“No,” Suki said. “I wouldn't know who to tell.”

“Of course not,” said Sirk.

“Maybe Senta herself let it slip,” Nyk suggested. “Maybe it was someone at the sequencing lab.”

“It's no help to speculate,” replied Kronta. “The damage is done. We must push on.”

“What if The Seven change their plan?” asked Sirk.

“Then we will have failed. If we stop, we've failed anyway. Our only option is to push on. Now -- status report. The vaccine test went well -- wouldn't you say, Andra?”

“Reasonably well,” she replied.

“The replication plants have received the molecular models,” Helsyn added. “Production of the vaccine is underway.”

“Good. Next order of business -- everyone on the task force is to receive the vaccine. Aahhn will handle the details ... right?”

“Right,” Aahhn replied.

“Now -- in light of last night's incident -- further information will be disseminated strictly on a need-to-know basis. Everyone is excused except for Nykkyo and Andra.”

Aahhn, Helsyn and Sirk looked back and forth at each other. “I object,” said Pring.

“Dismissed.” They stood and headed for the door. “You, too, Sukiko.”

Suki opened her mouth, looked at Nyk, turned and left. The door slid shut.

“Okay,” said Kronta. “Since you two have Lexal liaison, I'll brief you on the logistics of transporting the vaccine. The plants will have the first thousand barrels ready in three days, and the second and third thousand in the next two days after, respectively.”

“Where is it being manufactured?” Nyk asked.

“We're using plants in Vebinad,” Kronta replied. “The material will be transported by monorail to Sudal, in barrels marked 'Plant Nutrient Concentrate 505.' From the train station it will be loaded onto skimmers and taken to the Food Service central warehouse north of Sudal.

“Then, at Nadir-meridian-one the skimmers will bring it to the Sudal shuttleport where it will be loaded onto a transport and taken to Lexal.”

“Why Sudal?” Nyk asked. “Vebinad is closer to Floran City.”

“We're using Sudal because the shuttleport there shuts down after the arrival of the evening flight. The Floran City port runs around the clock.”

“So we can land a transport relatively unobserved,” Nyk replied. “Whose transport?”

“Mykko Wygann has donated the use of Lexal-One, his personal courier. It's a converted tender shuttle, modified for deep-space transits and it has a cargo bay large enough to accommodate a thousand barrels. Of course, for these flights it will fly under a different code name.”

“Three trips in three nights.”

“Yes -- the details are being handled by ExoAgency Enforcement and trusted ExoService corpsmen. The transport can land at the Sudal port, so we won't need to go through the transit platform.”

“So, Andra and I should return to Sudal and await the first shipment.”

“Yes -- Wygann would like you two to accompany it to Lexal and help make contingency plans for the upcoming Grand Assembly.”

“The expected day of the attack,” Andra remarked.

“Exactly. You two are dismissed.”

“Illya,” Nyk said, “what's happening on Earth? Has Agency Enforcement made any progress rooting out that Seven cell in Tulsa?”

“That information, Nyk,” Kronta replied, “falls outside your domain of responsibility. You're dismissed.”

Nyk stood, gave Kronta the Floran salute and walked out the door. He saw Suki standing in the corridor. “I'm insulted,” she said. “I didn't leak any information.”

“I'm sure you didn't. He's using an appropriate level of caution. Did Aahhn give you your injection?”

“Yes,” Suki replied.

“What do we do about Senta?” Andra asked.

“If you have any ideas how to locate her -- I'm all ears. Kronta's turned it over to Internal Affairs and they'll do their best to find her. Now, I must find Aahhn and get my shot. Then, we go to Sudal and wait for the vaccine.”

Nyk paced around the middle level of the Residence. He saw a groundcar on the access road. It stopped outside the house and he watched Kronta step out.

Andra headed down the spiral stairs to greet Kronta and returned with him.

“Nice place you have here,” Kronta said, looking around.

“Any word of Senta?” Suki asked.

He shook his head. “No -- none. Internal Affairs is working it. They're watching all transit points. It's unlikely whoever took her could get her out of the City unnoticed.”

“I'm worried if they drug her,” Andra said.

“We've done an inventory of truth agent,” Kronta replied. “So far all stocks have been accounted for.”

“It's not truth drug that concerns me. I'm worried about Zander's mind control mixture. It's effective as a truth drug.”

“Hmm... I had forgotten about that. If The Seven has access to some of that...”

“Knowing Zander as I did,” Andra continued, “I doubt he divulged the formula to anyone. He preferred to maintain control himself.”

“How much did he possess?”

“That I don't know. I have a handful of his cartridges that I pilfered from his supply the night I left him. Whether there are any in hands of others I know not.”

“So far, nothing indicates our plans have been compromised. The ... plant nutrient was delivered to the warehouse this morning. I have a Service corpsman disguised as a warehouse worker stationed with it. He has orders not to let any of the barrels out of his sight.”

“Then -- everything is ready for tonight,” Nyk said. “I was in contact with Janna today. I told her of the abduction. Mykko wants to send some of his own security forces to Sudal.”

“I have no problem with that,” Kronta replied.

“I'll pass it on to Janna.”

Suki stood between Nyk and Andra, holding hands with both of them as they walked the bluff. Floran's indigo sky deepened into night. “It's about time to head for the shuttleport,” Nyk said. “We'll be back after Grand Assembly day.”

“Be careful,” Suki said and kissed Nyk. “You, too.” She kissed Andra.

“Nyk and I are a team,” she replied. “We haven't failed a mission yet.”

“With yet the operative word,” Nyk added. “Come on -- Kronta's waiting for us.” He turned to Suki and squeezed her hand. “You watch the house.”

Nyk stuffed his travel case into the luggage compartment and climbed into the cramped back seat of the groundcar. Andra and Kronta sat in front and Illya directed it to the shuttleport. “Here,” Kronta said, reached under his seat and handed them wand-shaped devices.

“Stunners,” Nyk said. “Will we need these?”

“Better have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”

“Someone else said that to me recently.” He took a wand and handed the other to Andra.

The groundcar turned onto the north-south arterial. Nyk looked around. “In Sudal they don't bother to roll up the sidewalks at night -- they leave them out and roll up the town. It looks deserted.”

“All the better for us.”

“It's not even that late,” Andra remarked.

The car turned onto the shuttleport spur and parked in the livery lot. Nyk clambered out of the vehicle and headed into the terminal building. He could see a handful of people milling around. “Today's last shuttle is due shortly,” Kronta whispered. “After that, they shut down operations. I've notified Space Control of special diplomatic flights coming in.”

“This is getting complicated,” Nyk said. “What if someone leaks?”

“It's strictly need-to-know. The space controller knows a flight's coming in. He doesn't know from where. Wygann's pilot knows the coded moniker. The skimmer pilots know they deliver barrels. They don't know what Nutrient 505 comprises. And so on.”

“So even if one bit of information leaks out, it's not enough to compromise us.”

“That's the theory.”

“I remember something Seymor used to say,” Nyk remarked.