Worse, the
The display above the meeting room showed a schematic view of the space in orbit around Salmagundi. The location of the
Six other circles now dotted the woods southwest of Ashley. One of the
“We need to secure these landing sites
“Calling up a larger security detail will make it impossible to contain this news. There are already unacceptable rumors surrounding the existing incident—”
“And when we detonate a nuclear weapon? Are you going to contain those rumors?”
“We have a limited supply of militarily capable units. We should not risk them—”
“If not on this, what? We’re being invaded. We need to focus on the craft approaching us. Did they see the damage to the
Alexander glanced up at the schematic. At the edge of the view, maybe a million kilometers from the planet, a spreading line of blue contacts were edging into view. He counted twelve. Fifteen minutes ago, there had been six.
The Grand Triad had been debating for hours, and for once Alexander could see no hint of consensus coming.
With the eyes of his ancestors, he watched the room and saw the shape of the coming disaster. If the civilization they’d built on Salmagundi had a weakness, it was this hesitation in the face of the unknown. He knew that it was only going to worsen as the stakes increased. He had seen it growing as they debated the nuclear option, but even then it hadn’t reached the crisis point. Then, the Grand Triad had reached a conclusion.
This was different.
There was no way they could defend themselves if they vested power in the disparate parts of the Triad. As much as they wanted to, there was no way they could emulate the merger of minds and souls exemplified by the Hall of Minds outside of a single skull.
Even knowing all this, the internal debate Alexander Shane underwent in coming to his own personal consensus was almost as long in coming as the nonexistent decision of the Triad. But when his own decision came, he welcomed it and started it into motion.
He checked the chronometer on his comm and it showed 10:00, a third of the way into Salmagundi’s thirty-hour day. He stood up and formally excused himself. The debate around him barely rippled, acknowledging his departure. Harrison took over the chair and did less to rein in the chaos than Alexander had.
Like Alexander, he had the experience of enough lives to know how pointless it was to attempt to force the Triad toward action at a time like this. Unlike Alexander, he was satisfied with the traditional inaction.
Alexander stepped outside the meeting room and was met by a dozen men in full militia gear. Each of the men had been handpicked by Alexander. Every single one had two or three glyphs matching some of the fifteen across Alexander’s brow. So each one shared several lifetimes with him. Each one thought enough like Alexander that they could be trusted with what was about to happen.
They all saluted him.
Alexander saluted back.
“It is time,” he told them. “Secure the building.”
Several ran to seal the various entrances to the Hall of Minds. Others ran to take over the security control center.
He picked up his handheld comm and transmitted a prerecorded message to the security chiefs of every city on Salmagundi.
“This is Alexander Shane, Chairman of the Great Triad. Acting on behalf of the Triad, all security and militia members, active and reserve, are now under my command. All available personnel are to report for duty immediately and await further instructions.”
