“I’ve read your file. You get things done. Good luck to you. You’re going to need it.”
Marten wanted to get out of here before Cone changed her mind. He took Nadia’s hand, and they ran toward the former Supreme Commander’s Mansion. They needed to collect Osadar as quickly as possible, get the space marines and Omi, and leave Earth as fast as they could.
-7-
Far from Earth in the Jupiter System, on a defensive satellite orbiting Callisto, a purple-robed philosopher bowed before Chief Strategist Tan.
On the walls of the chamber were computer-screens cycling through various videos. At the moment, one showed the rocky moon of Callisto, centering on the ruins of a shattered dome. Another showed a gigantic helium-3 tanker in orbit around Jupiter, waiting for atmospheric haulers to bring their precious cargos. On a third screen was a distant blue-green object amid a bright star-field.
The philosopher was an older man with a bald dome of a head and a heavy beard like Socrates. Despite his flabby arms, he moved with serenity. He completed the bow and straightened, with a computer-scroll held against his chest.
The Chief Strategist regarded him. She was a tiny woman with bio-sculpted features. She was beautiful in an elfin way, with dark hair stylishly draped around her head. She wore a red robe that brushed her red slippers, and she had small red rings around her fingers. She knelt on a cushion before a low table. Soft “philosophic” chimes played in the background.
“The findings are serious enough to warrant careful thought,” the man said. His name was Euthyphro, but most people referred to him by his title: the Advocate. He was Tan’s primary link with the scientists and technicians searching the void for evidence of the cyborgs.
Venus, Jupiter and Uranus were currently in orbit on the same side of the Sun. Probes had been launched some time ago, journeying into space so they could look around the Sun and study Neptune. Past communication traffic with the Uranus System showed some anomalies and there was debate whether a cyborg stealth-attack had taken place there. Currently, communications seemed normal with Uranus, but a stubborn core of technicians believed otherwise and searched for proof.
Tan sipped from a chalice as a particular melody chimed. After the notes faded, she said, “Show me these findings.”
Euthyphro the Advocate turned to the screen with the distant blue-green object amid the star-field. He opened his computer-scroll and tapped upon it.
“I’m magnifying the image,” Euthyphro said. “Due to the optical effects, the surrounding stars may appear to become distorted.”
True to his word, the bright objects blurred as the blue-green object took on a distinct form. It was disc-shaped and possessed a Great Dark Spot, much like Jupiter’s Great Red Spot. A few white high-altitude clouds appeared at the edges of the spot. The distant ice giant gave off three times the heat it received from the Sun.
“Neptune,” whispered Tan.
Uranus and Neptune were sometimes referred to as “ice giants” as compared to the more regular term “gas giants” for Jupiter and Saturn. The reason was the high percentage of icy water, methane and ammonia that composed the majority of the two distant planets.
Euthyphro nodded as he continued to tap his scroll. The blue-green ice giant kept expanding until it filled the screen.
“This is extreme magnification,” Euthyphro said. “Military Intelligence attempts to count the anomalies, supposing that will give them the number of cyborgs ships. I’m afraid, however, that it isn’t going to be that simple.”
“The cyborgs are fond of stealth fleets,” Tan said. “Logic indicates they will use decoy forces, too.”
“Precisely,” Euthyphro said. “Therefore, the probability of this, hmmm, situation being an accurate assessment—”
“Show me your indicators,” Tan said. She had little time for discussions and debates. She was too busy juggling the many political factions of the Jupiter System. There were the Helium-3 Barons, the former philosophers of Callisto, the industrialists of Europa and the patriots of Ganymede, to name a few. It was difficult to maintain power, because by pleasing one group she usually angered several others with competing desires. There were constant political attempts on her position. So far, she had outlived the attempts and remained in control. She credited the success to her hard-won wisdom and because she was better than anyone else was at playing one faction against another.
Euthyphro sighed as he shook the scroll. “This is slim data from which to proceed.”
“My time is limited,” Tan said. “So no more objections, if you please. Show me the indicators.”
Euthyphro bowed again. “You have spoken.” He tapped his computer-scroll. On the screen, a flash appeared beside the ice giant.
“What color was that?” Tan asked.
Euthyphro glanced back at Tan, his eyes wide with surprise. They were the most interesting thing about him, big blue eyes full of intelligence. A hint of fear showed in them as well. He recovered quickly as once more he tapped the scroll.
The flash reappeared, but this time much slower than before. It cycled through a number of colors: red, green, purple, orange, blue and bright white at the end.
“Why the variations?” asked Tan.
“Precisely,” he said.
“That is not an answer,” Tan said, for the first time becoming angry.
“Excuse me, Chief Strategist, I simply marvel at your swiftly intuitive grasp of the—”
“I am not here to dialog with you, Advocate. I have decisions to make and meetings to attend. You said this was critical. Now explain this to me succinctly and quickly.”
“Chief Strategist, my techs believe we are witnessing a Fuhl Event.”
“I am not familiar with the term,” Tan said.
“I’m relieved. It shows you’re not omniscient after all, which I had almost come to believe a moment ago.”
“You are testing my patience with no perceivable reward in sight. Instead of achieving rewards, you are risking demotion.”
“Chief Strategist, the evidence frightens me. It is the reason for my strange behavior.”
“Explain your fear.”
“A Fuhl Event contains the needed parameters or factors toward creating a black hole,” Euthyphro said. “But not a haphazard black hole, rather, one needed to fold space.”
“A worm hole?” asked Tan, with mockery in her voice.
“Our physics has long disproved the possibility of worm holes, warp drives and other such nonsense,” Euthyphro said. “However, at the Callisto Academy—before its destruction—Higher Status Mathematics had conceived of a Fuhl Event.”
“What you’re really saying is that the cyborgs are experimenting with FTL,” Tan said, “a Faster than Light drive.”
“I would quibble with your statement on several counts. Firstly, we do not know who
“Since this occurs at Neptune,” Tan said, “the cyborgs are the logical persons.”
“True, but that doesn’t conclusively prove it is them.”
Tan waved her hand. “Give me your next ‘quibble,’ if you please.”
“Are we witnessing an experiment?” Euthyphro asked. “Why couldn’t it be an alien race visiting Neptune and now departing?”
Tan glanced at the ceiling. Trust a philosopher to add layers of complication to a thing. “Let us stick to high-end
