stream encrypted, but the data packets comprising the stream were de-multiplexed and sent though multiple links to be multiplexed back together at the receiving terminal. He let the computer work on it, but did not hold out hope.
Turning his attention to other matters, he set the computer to work on correlating suspected espionage activity and ship arrivals and departures. He was looking for patterns that would lead to K’Rang courier ships bringing in instructions and leaving with reports and/or equipment. The computer broke out a number of ships that were in the area during periods of high espionage activity. He had the computer look for any information on these suspect ships that related to registry and ownership. The K’Rang had the same problem he would have if he wanted to task an agent in the K’Rang Empire. There were no direct communications or data links between the two adversaries. All message traffic had to be carried in and input into the communications stream once the courier ship came in range of a network node. There were K’Rang ships in Human space doing the same thing. Alistair took another nap while the tireless computer trudged through the network, looking for those ships.
Kelly took a tour around his ship and liked what he saw. He sat down for coffee with Chiefs Austin and Pennypacker, thanking them for their service to the ship and saying how much they were going to be missed. He kidded Cookie about not being able to teach him to cook. He then asked them, even though their transfers were months away, if they had any recommendations for their replacements. Both Chiefs recommended people on other Scout Force ships.
Kelly was unsure if that could be made to happen. He told them both that he was considered sort of a favorite with the Admiral, but not so much that he could raid from other captain’s rosters.
Chief Austin replied, ”Culinary Specialist First Class Donna Robinson is first cook on the Virtuous. I trained her. She’s good. She just came out on the Chiefs’ list. She’s low on the list, but she’ll be looking for a job when she makes Chief. The Virtuous won’t have a billet for her then. That should be right about the time I’m out-processing. Let Yeoman Benitez ask personnel for who is coming up for promotion about the time I leave. They’ll do the research for you and take the hit with the captain of the Vigorous for stripping away his first cook.”
Chief Pennypacker said, “Gunners Mate First Class Tom Hendrickson, on the Vengeance, must be in the same boat as Robinson. He won’t have a billet either, once he makes Chief. He’s one of my wife’s cousins, but he’s a good gunner. The Chief he works for is lazy and makes him do all the work. He’s ready for his own section, where he gets the credit for what goes right and not just the blame when things go wrong. I suggest you have Benitez ask about filling both our positions as Cookie suggested. Personnel will make the transfers to keep their books straight. Let them take the heat from the other captains.”
Kelly liked their suggestions, but wanted to see both personnel files first. He made a note for Benitez to pull the files.
H’Topa’s next action was to contact the agent that acquired the one-third copy of the design segment. He contacted the agent’s dead drop servicer and arranged a transfer of twice the normal payment. He knew this agent had a family problem and always needed credits. Double pay would reward him for this coup and encourage him to be more aggressive in the future.
An idea started forming in H’Topa’s head, a way to get all three segments of the design plan. He called up data on the plant’s work force. He was so thankful Humans had a compulsion to set up publically available line and block charts of who worked for whom and who was in charge. It made his job so much easier, especially as the charts so often wound up in the trash. He would have to find a way to get the other two plant foremen to review their copies of the design at the same time. H’Topa began to put a plan together.
Yeoman Benitez knocked on Kelly’s cabin door and came in with a message for him. He put aside the personnel files he was reviewing and took the message. It was from Scout Force operations, and said to meet up with Fleet Intelligence Reporting Officer Alistair Bennett, in orbit above Shepard. The Vigilant was to assist Alistair in his investigations. It gave the coordinates and a short-range frequency for coordination.
Kelly called in Connie and gave her their new destination.
“What’s there, sir?”
Kelly replied, “A Fleet Intel Reporting Officer and his ship. We get to help him bust up some spies.”
“Will there be anything else?”
“No, not right now.”
She left and Kelly got back to his two potential replacement chiefs’ personnel files.
Alistair awoke as his computer chimed that it was finished. It found five ships that were in or near the site of suspected espionage activity. They were all registered on third tier worlds, and were about the same type and class. All were older medium cargo ships, not unlike Alistair’s, but slightly larger. They had all been built in second tier world shipyards that were no longer in business. There were too many coincidences in this list.
He put together a short order to the Vigilant to be handed over when they docked, instructing the Vigilant to ping the transponder on any of these ships in orbit over Shepard. If Kelly got a hit on one, he was to stop and board the ship for inspection for safety and navigation purposes. One of them was passing instructions to the operatives. That should about do it. Now all he had to do was wait for the Vigilant to appear.
He turned back to his computer and had it start looking for flight plans for any of these ships in or near Shepard. As the computer quietly churned through the data, he took another catnap.
Alan Shepler contacted a source he’d used before to get information on the Blake’s FTL comms system. He dialed the number and a male voice answered, “Security, how may I help you?”
“Oh, I’m dreadfully sorry. I was trying to reach 0258-555-6768.”
He apologized for the wrong number, hung up, and waited.
Thirty minutes later, a call came in, asking for Mr. Miller. Shepler said he was Miller and the call went through.
“Mr. Miller, so good to hear from you again. What can I do for you?”
“I’m trying to build a shed. I have all the material, but I’ve lost my plan.”
“Do you remember the plan number?”
“I don’t remember the plan number, but remember that it is a three-part plan.”
“I may not be able to help you get that particular plan, but I will see what I can do. How soon do you need it?”
“Thank you, I need it as soon as possible. This is very important and I’m sure I could find some way to repay you for your kindness in this matter. You have a good day.”
Bart Morton, the chief security officer supporting the Theoretical and Applied Scientific Research Facility on Gagarin, hung up the phone and pondered over what he had just been asked. The last time he had taken a call from Mr. Miller, the job had been simple. There were no elaborate security measures for that data. It was simply a matter of calling up the data on an open terminal someone had left on and transferring the data to his pocket terminal, then he transferred that information to a data device and left it under the lip of a recently emptied trashcan in Cosmonaut Park. His very generous payment was found inside the cracked base of a cast iron street lamp three blocks away.
This ring data, however, was the most tightly secured data he had ever known. The security plan had been developed by a genius. Every security hole had been covered. Nothing had been left to chance. He would love to meet whoever developed it. It had to be someone in Fleet Intel with enormous resources at his disposal. Nonetheless, Mr. Miller had deep pockets and Morton’s mistress, Silke, had expensive tastes.
Chapter Five
Kelly saw the small cargo ship appear as they drew closer, exactly where the coordinates given in his orders had said it would be. He ordered the helmsman to hold off 50 km from the cargo ship until he established positive communications and identity.
