The Tau Ceti Agenda

I'm not sure how, Thomas. I'll ask Abigail to think about it.

Okay.

Thomas got his bearings straight from the virtual map and from simply looking around the park. They were on the path between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, between Storytime with Belle and the Cosmic Starlight Cafe. A quick zoom in on the virtual map showed that Storytime with Belle was in a small amphitheater surrounded by a rock wall. It would be pretty good cover, and they were only about twenty meters or so from it.

Okay, we are moving here! Thomas ordered via the DTM com-net. He had the map highlight the path to all the agents and to the First Family—all but Sehera, that is. The First Lady had refused to have an AIC as long as he had ever known her, but she was good at taking visual and verbal cues. She also wore a dermal ear transceiver. Although she didn't have an AI inside her head, she did have a communication device there.

Move! Thomas ordered, leading the way around the rock wall to the small outdoor theater.

'Groundcrew One, be advised that backup has been deployed. ETA is four minutes.'

'Roger that, HQ!'

Mr. President, I think I've figured out a way to track the flying vehicles, Abigail alerted her human counterpart.

How? the president thought to his AIC. She was one of the smartest AICs anyone had ever heard of and had helped him through scrapes that dated back nearly four decades. Moore had learned that when Abigail had advice, he needed to listen to it.

There are several Internet hubs scattered across the park. I'm connected to each of them. Any motion within the park creates multi-path reflections between us and those hubs. I've generated some algorithms that have allowed me to track the motion based on the connection speeds I have with the Internet at each of these hubs. In essence, I'm using the wireless routers of the park like multi-path radars, Abigail informed.

So, you are tracking them now? the president asked.

Yes, his AIC replied.

Relay that info to the security detail, Abigail.

Already did, Mr. President.

Good girl. Give me a DTM view of the park with overlays of the enemy movement.

Yes, sir.

A transparent three-dimensional view of the Magic Kingdom filled his mind with red dots moving in the distance and a cluster of blue dots on top of his location in the map. Moore noticed that the red tracks were more or less setting up a perimeter on the edge of the park's boundaries. Rather than attacking, they were circling like a pack of wolves trapping an injured cow.

Abigail, is Thomas seeing this map?

Yes, Mr. President. They have the multi-path track live now, she said.

'Thomas, give me a gun,' Moore ordered his bodyguard.

'Mr. President, we can handle this,' Thomas replied, although Moore was certain that the marine knew better than to argue. Moore had a way of getting things done the way he wanted them done. Moore had been in combat with Thomas and didn't expect that there was apprehension on Thomas' part about handing a civilian a gun. It was probably more of an insult to the marine that the president feared that they couldn't protect him and his family.

'Thomas, I understand that you are looking at the same virtual map that I am now. We are outnumbered, and I think there is somebody putting up a no-fly zone around the park. Give me a gun.'

'Alexander, are you sure you want to make yourself a target?' the First Lady asked. Some of the times when the president wouldn't listen to his bodyguard service, he would listen to his wife. Some of the times he did, but it was clear that today wasn't going to be one of those times.

'Better me than you,' he commented with a very political smile. Then Moore reached out a hand toward his guard.

'Oh hell.' Thomas shrugged. 'Agent Browning, give me your railpistol.'

'Sir?' the short muscular female agent kneeling behind the brick lamppost at the edge of the amphitheater replied.

'Now.' Thomas held eye contact with the president.

'Yes, sir.' The agent reached behind her and pulled a pistol from her waistband holster and tossed it over to Thomas. 'Good thing I carry a spare,' she said, and reached inside her skirt and patted the railpistol in her garter for comfort. Instinctively, she also checked the extra M-blasters strapped under her cleavage armor.

'Here you go, Mr. President. With all due respect, sir, don't use it unless you have to. No need to make a target out of yourself.' Thomas handed the pistol to President Moore.

'Thanks, Thomas. What's your plan for getting us out of here?' Moore asked.

'I say we take cover here and wait for the backup. Three minutes away by now.' Thomas checked his watch.

'This is good immediate cover, but I'd prefer someplace less exposed,' the president added.

'Thomas, we could make a dash for the Starlight Cafe,' Clay replied.

'Very well, let's make a move down the street to the restaura—' Thomas started but flinched as he was interrupted by railgun fire spitapping into the brick wall above their heads. He reflexively pushed the president back down and covered him.