abandoned experiments that filled the great industrial wastelands.
They were vicious, dedicated fighters. They had to be. There was no way for them to get off Technos III as long as Clan Wolfe was still in control.
Of late, things had got so bad on Technos III that Valentine Wolfe had been obliged to ask for assistance to avoid any interruption to stardrive production. The Empress had shown her sense of humor by sending five companies of Church troops, together with a selection of Jesuit commandos, under the command of Cardinal James Kassar. Valentine and Kassar did not get along, so Valentine had taken the opportunity to fade even more into the background, leaving Stephanie and Daniel to run things as they chose. The Church was currently fighting the local rebels with evangelical fury, and losing. Kassar was beside himself with rage, not least because Lionstone wouldn't send him any reinforcements. Any problems on Technos III were his problems and his responsibility.
Random, Journey, and Storm would make planetfall unnoticed, link up with the local rebels, and then lead them to victory over the Church forces. Hopefully, the locals would then agree to work with the main rebellion, to produce the new stardrive for the upcoming war. No one said anything, but everyone knew this was to be the make or break for Jack Random. Either he could bring this off, in which case he probably was the real thing, or he couldn't. Whatever happened, he was no great loss. They could always send in someone else to lead the rebels.
Giles Deathstalker, Finlay Campbell, Evangeline Shreck, and the Wolfling were to go to Shannon's World. Famed throughout the Empire as the most luxurious pleasure planet of all time, something had gone terribly wrong there three years ago. No one knew what, but the few people who were brave enough to go there never came back. The Empress sent down a full company of marines. Nothing was ever heard from them, either. These days Shannon's World was quarantined—as much to prevent anything breaking out as anyone foolish enough to try to get in. The various owners were still arguing over who was going to pay for the major armed forces necessary to get the answers.
Only one man had ever come back alive. Half-dead, half-mad, he had lived only a few days, mostly because he wanted to die. He renamed Shannon's World as Haceldama, the Field of Blood. Apparently, there was a hideous war going on down on the pleasure planet, though between whom remained unclear.
'And you want us to go there?' said Finlay Campbell incredulously. 'Where does it say on our resumes that we do suicide missions? And what makes this hellhole so important, anyway?'
'Vincent Harker,' said Alexander Storm simply. 'One of the greatest strategic minds living today. He has knowledge of everything from distribution of forces within the Empire to its contingency plans in case of rebel attack. This is vital information, and we need it. Normally, he's so well guarded that we couldn't get anywhere near him. But twelve hours ago Harker's ship was attacked by a pirate craft. Nothing to do with us. Both ships managed to destroy each other, but Harker got away in an escape pod. He landed somewhere on Shannon's World. We have to find him before the Empire does.
'We have two small advantages. Firstly, since this happened only twelve hours ago, we have as good a chance of finding him as whatever forces the Empress finally sends in to look for him. Secondly, Harker's pod was equipped with a beacon, and it should still be sending, though you won't know that for sure till you get down there. Thirdly, whatever's happening on Shannon's World, you people are best suited to survive it. You've already lived lives that would have killed anyone else.'
'Nevertheless,' said Finlay. 'You are sending us to a planet that only one person has ever returned from, and he was dying and crazy?'
'Got it in one,' said Storm. 'But we really can't miss this chance at getting our hands on Harker. Think of it as a challenge.'
Finlay gave him a hard look. 'You think of it as a challenge. I'm not going.'
'Yes you are,' said Evangeline.
Finlay turned his glare on her. 'Give me one good reason. Hell, give me one bad reason.'
'Because I'm going,' she said calmly. 'Our beloved leader has decided I'll be more useful there. Haceldama, the Field of Blood. Sounds almost romantic, doesn't it?'
'You have a strange idea of romance,' said Finlay.
'Of course,' said Evangeline. 'I fell in love with you, didn't I?'
'I should give up now,' said Giles. 'Trust me on this; you're not going to win.'
Finlay glared around him impartially. 'In the unlikely event that I return alive from this venture, certain people would be well-advised to come up with one hell of a reward.'
'That's my hero,' said Evangeline.
After that, choosing David Deathstalker and Kit SummerIsle to take control of Virimonde and run it for the rebellion went very smoothly. The meeting broke up and everyone went their separate ways, and only history would note that this was when the great rebellion really began.
Owen and Hazel, Jack and Ruby and Giles sat around a table in the castle's great kitchen, relaxing after the Sturm und Drang of the Council meeting with several bottles of wine and a nourishing meal of the never-changing protein cubes. Giles kept swearing he was going to fix the food machines to turn out something different, or indeed anything different, but somehow he was always too busy with other things. Owen had a dark suspicion that Giles had lost the manual for the machine, but didn't want to admit it. Alexander Storm and the Stevie Blues had taken one look at what was for dinner, and decided very quickly that they needed some time in private to work on their reports for the Golgotha underground. Owen had a suspicion they had some food of their own tucked away somewhere.
He took a determined bite at his second protein cube. He kept hoping that he'd get used to the stuff, but somehow every day it found a whole new way to taste utterly vile. He swallowed his mouthful through sheer willpower and quickly washed it down with a large mouthful of wine. Little wonder he ended up half-drunk after every meal. He was beginning to wonder if it might be better to get drunk before the meal, so as to be better able to cope with it. He sighed deeply and pushed the rest of the cube away. He'd been meaning to start a diet soon anyway.
'Don't worry,' said Hazel. 'There are some really good restaurants in Mistport.'
'There had better be,' said Owen.
'I want a genetest,' said Random suddenly, and everyone looked at him. He flushed slightly. 'I mean, there must be the equipment for such a test somewhere in this castle.'
'I think so,' said Giles. 'Or at least something that I could patch together to do the job. But there's no need. We know you're the real Jack Random. We all touched each other's mind in the Madness Maze when it changed us.'
'That's not enough,' Random insisted. 'All that proves is that I think I'm the real me. I could be wrong. Who knows what the Empire mind techs did to me while I was their prisoner?'
'You don't need to take any test to prove to us who you are,' said Ruby.
'Hell with you,' said Random. 'I want to take the test so I'll know who I really am. I'm not sure anymore. You saw their faces in the Hall. They came here expecting to meet a legend and instead found just a tired old man with jumbled memories.'
'Will you stop this old-man nonsense,' said Ruby. 'You're only forty-seven. You told me yourself.'
'But I crammed a hell of a lot into those years,' said Random. 'At least, I think I did. I can't trust my memory anymore.'
'I can set up the test,' said Giles. 'But it'll take time to put the equipment together. It'd mean delaying your departure for Technos III for two, maybe three days.'
Owen frowned. 'I don't think we can wait that long. We're working to a timetable, remember?'
'Tests can wait,' Ruby said firmly. 'I know who you are, even if you don't. We've got jobs to do, and they take precedence.'
Random still looked troubled, but finally shrugged and nodded his head. They all sat around the table in silence, looking at each other and then looking away. They were going to have to split up soon and go off on separate missions from which some or all of them might not return. No one was quite sure what to say.
'We'll still be linked through the undermind,' Giles said finally. 'Wherever we are. I don't think distance will make any difference.'
'But it might,' said Hazel. 'This is all new territory. No one's ever been linked like us. Hell, no one's ever been like us.'
