where you can get a keycard that’ll trigger the entire process.’
‘And that’s it?’
‘More or less. There’s a terminal room from where you can use the keycards to then trigger a manual shutdown. Its exact location’s kept secret from everyone but the director of the ASI, but assuming the restricted network accepts your authorization, it’ll guide you there as well.’
‘And then?’
‘And then, assuming you’re operating under normal circumstances, there’ll need to be two of you, with separate authorization and one keycard each, before the system will respond. You have to activate two separate terminals at exactly the same time, or nothing will happen.’
‘There’s no way to trigger the process remotely?’
‘Of course not. The security risk would be preposterous.’
‘Then just the one access code isn’t any use, unless I’m sure of someone being there to help me. Is there any way I can get hold of another?’
‘I said “under normal circumstances”,’ Hanover replied. ‘There are measures, however, in case only the one person is available.’
‘What kind of measures?’
Hanover leaned forward. ‘Both ends of the Copernicus–Florida gate are linked to shielded servers that maintain constant radio contact with each other. If the servers at either end of a wormhole gate stop transmitting, for any reason, it triggers a major security alert.’
He sat back. ‘Now say, for whatever reason, there’s only one person in a position to respond to that alert; maybe because there’s been an attack, or – and this is why they set things up this way in the first place – because something alien and vicious, something completely unknown, has come through one olony gates. That puts all the rest of the gates in equal danger. What they don’t tell you is that it’s possible to simultaneously shut down not just one wormhole gate – but
‘Why have I never heard about this before?’
‘Because it’s such very dangerous knowledge,’ Hanover replied. ‘It’s the kind of thing you really don’t want your enemies knowing. Or most of our friends, for that matter. If there isn’t an immediate response to the security alert – within, say, half an hour – the two-man rule is automatically rescinded and just the one person can trigger a gate shutdown. Are you following me?’
‘That’s what happened to the Galileo gate, isn’t it?’ asked Saul. ‘You were in charge of the investigation, and you were the one who dismissed the idea that EDPs had played a part in causing the wormhole to collapse. But Donohue told me you’d been playing both sides, that you gave the separatists everything they needed to cut Galileo out of the network. Did you tell the separatists the same thing you’re now telling me?’
‘Let’s just say,’ said Hanover, ‘that I wasn’t given a great deal of choice in the matter.’
Saul stared at him, momentarily speechless. All these years, and the man responsible for so much pain and anguish had been right there, working for the same people as he did. But instead of anger he felt only a curious emptiness, as if a cavity had been dug out of the core of him.
Hanover regarded him with evident amusement. ‘Are you really sure you’re up to this, then?’
‘No, but I don’t feel like I have any choice either.’
Hanover nodded wearily and bent over the side of his chair to retrieve the Agnessa. ‘You should probably go now.’ He stood up stiffly, inspecting the gun before heading towards a bank of elevators, without so much as another glance at Saul.
‘Wait,’ Saul called after him.
Hanover paused, without turning. ‘Please don’t try and stop me, son. Especially since I’m armed. I hope you manage to pull this off, I really do. But to be frank with you, I’m glad I won’t be around to find out, either way.’
Saul watched Hanover step inside an elevator, and the doors closed behind him. He then turned and walked back out the lobby entrance and into the warm, moist air, and realized his hands were shaking.
He received an incoming call from Olivia, as he was putting distance between himself and the Dorican. ‘Did you get what you were looking for yet?’ she asked.
‘I did. Have you explained to the others what I’m planning to do?’
‘Mitchell didn’t say much, at first. Jeff was pretty shoc, but he seems to be on your side.’ There was a bitter tone in her voice as she revealed this. ‘Mitchell offered to fly out there and pick you up.’
‘Really?’
‘Yep. Insisted on flying out all on his own to fetch you, but Lester vetoed that. Said he wanted one of his own pilots on board.’
‘Who’s Lester?’
‘Lester Rose. He runs Launch Pad with his wife, don’t you remember?’
‘Christ.’ Saul felt the warm patter of rain on his skin. ‘I do, now.’ Lester had been a cantankerous old fellow even back in those days, and Saul was surprised to learn he was still alive.
‘How is Mitchell getting here?’
‘He’s borrowed a tourist hopper. Try and see if you can find somewhere flat and even for it to land in the meantime.’
Saul moved further away from the Dorican until he spotted a deserted car park around the far side of the hotel building. ‘I think I’ve found somewhere, and I’ll send you the coordinates in a minute. How long before he gets here?’
