One Good Soldier

well that she procured two brand-new Gnats without anybody ever missing them. She and her AIC must be real good at their day job.

Jack started slipping his flight gear back on, and Nancy followed his lead and pulled out some flight armor from a locker in the hangar. The two of them changed and climbed into the mecha.

'Hey, this thing feels almost just like my Ares-T. The controls inside the cockpit are identical down to the coloring,' he shouted to Nancy.

'Yeah. They stole the blueprints from the manufacturer. They are as close to a real Ares-T as it gets,' she replied.

Jack pulled his helmet down with a twist and lock. Air hissed into his face. Instinctively he started to pull the hardwire UDP connector out and plug it in to his shoulder harness port.

Jack, not sure about going hardwire. It would be harder to firewall attacks from the Seppy AIs, Candis warned him.

Fine with me. He let go the cable, and it reeled itself back into the panel.

'You read me, Nancy?' He spoke into the communications net link he created between his and her fighter. He started toggling through the weapons stores in the mecha. The enemy mecha was loaded for bear. Penzington was prepared. Prepared for what, Jack wasn't certain.

'I got you loud and clear, DeathRay. Try not to damage my hangar as you pull out.'

'Roger that, Penzington.' Jack thought about it as he cycled the landing gear up and went onto the hoverfield. 'Have you filed a flight plan for us, or are we going to hit a bunch of resistance along the way?'

'We should be good right up until the last couple of kilometers. Then we should go thrusters full,' Nancy said.

'Right. Good. Let's get on with it.'

'Roger that, DeathRay.'

Hold on, Dee, we're coming, he thought.

Chapter 25

July 1, 2394 AD

Tau Ceti, New Tharsis

Friday, 3:44 PM, Earth Eastern Standard Time

'It would appear that your father has sent a fleet of ships to rescue you, my dear.' Elle Ahmi looked at Dee with what she would have described as a crazed look. 'I had better take care of this. Don't bother trying to escape. And don't worry. You are perfectly safe here, Dee. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you.'

'Then why don't you just let me go?' Dee argued with her terrorist grandmother.

'Ah, I wish it were that simple. But there are things happening here today that are bigger than all of us.' Ahmi held her hand up to Deanna's cheek and touched it gently. 'I wish we could have met under better circumstances. I'll return shortly.' She turned and met the elevator as it rose up from the floor. Dee tried not to shudder from the touch. Ahmi donned her ski mask as the elevator dropped out of sight.

Several minutes passed before Dee decided to gather herself up and try to find a way out. She walked around and around the periphery of the terrorist leader's penthouse but couldn't really find anything of use. Every drawer, closet, door, or other moving part, blunt instrument, or sharp object was behind an AIC lock that probably only Ahmi's AIC could unlock. Dee was trapped in a very good prison, behind SIFs, and several stories up.

What do I need to do here? she thought to herself. If her father had sent a fleet to Tau Ceti, then she needed to contact them. She decided to allow her AIC to handshake briefly with any so-called friendlies that might be out there.

Be careful, Bree, but see what you can see, she told her AIC.

Sure thing, Dee. I'm looking.

Well?

I don't see any fleet vessels, but that could just mean they are too far away to detect. I am getting a response from two different AICs. One from that supposed CIA lady again . . . and the other from DeathRay!

DeathRay! He's here!

Apparently so. All the