It was anti-climactic in one sense. They didn’t run a gauntlet for Omi. They spoke no lies and forewent trading shots and shells with police units or Army battalions that had declared for Director Backus.
Three hours after changing course, Nadia received a radio signal from Cone. She informed Marten.
He straightened his uniform and found a cap, fitting it over his head. Then he turned on his screen.
“Hello, Security Specialist,” Marten said.
Cone wore her sunglasses but her skin looked slack. There was an old-fashioned bookshelf behind her. With a start, Marten realized it was Hawthorne’s old quarters. The Supreme Commander had given recorded talks from the room. Maybe Cone thought it would give her authenticity if people saw her there.
“I am
“An interesting choice,” Osadar said quietly.
“Congratulations,” Marten told Cone. “Does this mean Hawthorne is alive and is broadcasting from the battleships?”
Cone gave the smallest of head-twitches, which could have meant anything. “I’m sure you are aware of the fighting between the illegal police units and the military backing me.”
“Sure,” Marten said.
“Force-Leader Kluge, while I appreciate all you’ve done, you have become too…politically charged to remain on Earth. I’m afraid I will have to insist that you depart the planet.”
“Let’s not play games,” Marten said. “You’re fighting for control of Earth and Director Backus is challenging you.”
“He has been illegally elected, as Supreme Commander Hawthorne still governs Social Unity.”
Marten knew Hawthorne had written a resignation, but it looked like Cone had decided to ignore that. This woman thought fast on her feet. If the people wouldn’t accept her, maybe they would accept a deputy acting in Hawthorne’s name.
“You don’t have to convince me,” Marten said. “I’m with you. I don’t forget the people who helped me.”
“I’d rather not speak about that,” Cone said. “This communication may be monitored.” Cone pursed her mouth before she said, “You must immediately head for Geneva and leave Earth.”
“I’ll do that as soon as I pick up Omi.”
“There is no—” Cone glanced to her left off-screen and listened as someone spoke. She faced the screen again. “My people have contacted your friend. Actually, it appears he raced into one of their encampments in the company of a woman.” Scowling, Cone glanced left again as someone spoke urgently. “What? Oh, I see.” Cone faced Marten. “The woman is a Highborn spy.”
“I doubt that,” Marten said. “Her name is Ah Chen. I saved her life once in Sydney during the initial Highborn invasion.”
“I see,” Cone said. “You lead an interesting life, Force-Leader.”
“If you give me my two friends,” Marten said, “I’ll be on my way and headed for Neptune.”
Cone nodded. “The faster you leave Earth, the better. I hope you will not hold this against us.”
“Not at all,” Marten said. “Where are they?”
Cone gave him the coordinates, adding, “You’d better hurry. The fleet begins acceleration in several days.”
As Cone signed off, Marten wondered why the little engineer had come hunting for him. It seemed strange, not at all like her.
The answer came an hour and forty-seven minutes later. The lifters halted at the defensive perimeter of a tank brigade. The lifters touched down beside a wall of sandbags, with skeleton trees on the hill behind the perimeter. He noticed there weren’t any bio-tanks, but low-built vehicles with monstrous cannons.
Marten climbed down the lifter and spoke with the brigadier, a youngish man in a black uniform and low-billed cap slung low over his eyes. Soon, Omi and Ah Chen stepped out of a bunker, escorted by grim-eyed soldiers with machine guns.
“Didn’t think I’d see you anytime soon,” Marten said, fiercely gripping Omi’s hand.
Omi nodded as if nothing mattered, although he gripped Marten on the shoulder, squeezing painfully.
“Are you ready for our last run against the cyborgs?” asked Marten.
Omi gave him a blank look, one he had perfected long ago in the slums of Sydney. Then he jerked his thumb at Ah Chen. “Remember her?”
She looked small and demure, if a little older than Marten recalled. There were wrinkles at the corners of her eyes that hadn’t been there several years ago. She stared at him, and she seemed burdened. He remembered seeing her naked as he decapitated Major Orlov of PHC hundreds of kilometers underground of Sydney.
“Is anything wrong?” Marten asked.
She shook her head and sidled closer to Omi, putting a hand on his biceps.
Marten raised an eyebrow. He hoped that meant what he thought it did. It would go a long way toward keeping Nadia happy.
“I’m married,” he said.
“That is good,” Ah Chen said in her soft voice. “I am glad for you, Marten.”
“We’d better get going,” Omi said, and he gave Marten a significant look.
It finally got through to Marten. They knew something important, something they wanted to tell him, but not in front of the military people of Social Unity. Oh, he really got it then.
“Yeah, we’d better get going,” Marten said. “The Security Specialist—excuse me. The
“Those are my orders too,” the brigadier said.
“Then if you don’t mind…” Marten said, as he glanced at the lifters.
“Please, be on your way.”
“Omi, Ah Chen, you’ll ride with us,” Marten said. “I’d like to introduce you to my wife.”
Soon the lifters were turned around, once more heading for Geneva.
“What’s all the secrecy about?” Marten asked in the lifter.
It was a tight fit. Ah Chen sat on the floor with her legs crossed. Omi hovered protectively near her.
Ah Chen swallowed nervously as she glanced at Nadia. “I have wondered a long time what to do with my information. Then Chief Monitor Quirn saw you on the Nancy Vance Show.”
“Old hall leader Quirn?” asked Marten, bemused.
Ah Chen nodded.
“Were you two friends?” Marten asked.
Ah Chen blushed. “It is a complicated story. He lives with Molly.”
“Oh,” Marten said.
“Who is Molly?” Nadia asked.
Marten opened his mouth, uncertain what he should say.
Ah Chen glanced from Marten to Nadia. Then she said, “Molly was a mutual acquaintance that went through the invasion with us. In any case, once I learned you were on Earth, and that you were the Jovian Representative, I believed that fate had given me the answer.”
“To what?” Marten asked.
“Yes,” Nadia said. “I’d like to know that, too.”
Hunching toward Marten, Ah Chen said, “I was slated to leave for the Sun Station. It is in Near Sun Orbit.”
“I’ve never heard of this station,” Marten said.
“Nor have I,” Osadar said.
“The Sun Station is new and experimental,” Ah Chen said. “Without going into the science of it, it represents the next great leap in battlefield technology. The Highborn are attempting to deploy giant reflectors very near the Sun. The reflectors will direct some of the Sun’s energy at a breakthrough focusing system many kilometers in diameter. It will act as a gargantuan lens. With enough reflectors, the Sunbeam can conceivably shoot at
