Jim shook his head and said, “It’s just a matter of dedication, determination, and a lifetime’s training in minutely detailed work. It takes the type of mind...”
There was a small silence as they looked at each other. Myourn said simply, “I ask for your help. You understand these devices. Perhaps, together, we may stop him.”
Tella stood up. “Our thoughts are one. I can tell you more about the scanner and the laser. Jim, please see if Madhar Nect has been able to detect anything happening on Beauty.”
Jim walked into the computer room. Several of the monitors had been removed. The one Sopha Luca had used to access the Deneb system was shut off. Jim sat in front of one of the live machines and sent Madhar a message.
#
madharVnectVlatsinVux
Greetings, Madhar Nect.
I hope your troubles are passing.
We have both good and bad news from the Regdenir. It is essential that we track Sopha Luca immediately.
Have you or your astronomers seen any activity on Mainworld? We need coordinates and times. This is truly urgent!
g101VnectVlatsinVux
#
g101VnectVlatsinVux
Greetings, Jim Able. I’m glad you remain alive and free.
I, too, am alive and, so far, free.
We have observed several strange things on Mainworld.
Southern Continent -coastal plain grid 5 -picture attached from midnight three days ago. This is the landing site.
Northern forests -grid 24, 25, and 26 -pictures attached from yesterday. Sorry the quality is not so good. I’ll give this student low marks (it was I).
Last hour: an equatorial island -picture attached. Looks like a forest fire.
What are these vapor trails that are drifting across the pictures? Is this from his craft?
madharVnectVlatsinVux
#
g101VnectVlatsinVux
Greetings, Madhar.
Thanks for the information.
No, they are not from his craft. They are ozone columns from the interaction between the laser and the atmosphere.
We will stop him.
madharVnectVlatsinVux
#
Jim returned to the fountain room to find Tella pacing like an expectant father.
“Pilo told us. I did not take it seriously enough. He knew Sopha had multiple targets in mind. Come, we must go!”
“Go where?”
“To find him!”
“Look at these.” Jim handed his friend the pictures transmitted by Nect.
“As we feared, he has started.”
They took them over to the Regdenir.
Tella paced around them while Jim explained what they were looking at.
“How do we find him?” asked Myourn.
“I’m not sure,” admitted Jim.
“We go to Beauty and find where he is operating!” Tella seemed incredulous that Jim had not said it himself.
“I don’t think he’s there.”
“What?”
“Look at the damage to the atmosphere. That’s going downwards, not coming up. He’s not on Beauty. He’s firing from here somewhere.”
Tella was surprised and silent for a moment. “That doesn’t make sense. Why wouldn’t he go there?”
“He will not...physically touch Beauty himself,” answered Myourn.
“That’s right. As much as he can, Sopha will do it remotely.” Jim held up his hand. “Let’s get these to the flier and see if we can calculate a position from these times and locations.”
“That won’t be easy,” warned Tella.
“What else do we have?”
Margrev Aplar stood and said, “You must do what you can. We cannot go with you. Tell us if there is something you would have us do.”
Distracted by Tella’s impatience, Jim tried to think. “How can we keep in contact? Do you have radios or something similar?”
“No, we do not use such things.”
“What happens in an emergency? What if a pilgrim falls ill out here?” asked Tella.
“Ah, yes, there are emergency units, for use underground.”
“Bring one. Let’s see if it will work from orbit.”
Tella calmed down during the analysis of the communications unit. Jim hoped he could connect it to the flier’s communications array and have a reasonable chance of it working. They wrote down the call codes they should use and hurried out to the flier.
Jim launched himself into connecting the communicator while Tella began the search for the origin of the blasts hitting Beauty.
“This is James Able. Can you hear me?”
“Greetings, James Able, this is Margrev Aplar. I can hear you, though not well.”
“Likewise, Margrev Aplar. This is as good as I can make it. It should be enough. You should also be able to call us if you need to.”
“It is well done, but now we will wait to hear of your progress.”
“Okay.”
Jim went to Tella. “How are we doing?”
“I’m not at all sure. These calculations must be wrong. Why would he be hanging out in space?”
“Why not? He doesn’t want his own flier to cast a shadow. It makes sense that he’d move off to one side or the other.”
“I suppose so.”
Tella stopped and looked at Jim. “TMV-Two.”
“Okay. I see.”
They rolled the flier down the strip for an easy takeoff. The Regdenir stood in the doorway of the retreat house, watching the black shape rise into the pale eastern sky.
While they climbed into orbit, Tella turned to his colleague. “Jim?”
“Tella.”
“I should warn you about something.”
“You’re going to tell me you’ve been instructed to blow Sopha to pieces if he resists.”
“No, not Sopha, just the laser. I don’t have to bring it back.”
“Understood. I don’t know how we’re going to do this.”
“Nor do I.”
“TMV-Two has only a residual atmosphere. Sopha won’t be able to leave his flier.”
“Are you sure?”
“No...I don’t know. We don’t know what Turcanian physiology can do. You’re right.”
The flier reached orbit, and they surveyed the scene before them. Glinting anonymously in both the Turcanian sun and the reflected green glow cast by Beauty itself was TMV-II. Its surface was brown and cratered. They could see no activity.
“I don’t see him,” said Jim.
“We only know that’s where he was. He may not be staying in one place,” replied Tella.
They were both poring over their scanner displays in the navigation suite. TMV-II and its craters were slowly passing below them.
“Let’s do one more pass. Then we’ll start a wide search.” Jim sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.
“Agreed.”
Tella made the flier rise slightly and pointed the nose toward the Turcanian moon once more, gently moving the craft against its spin. Jim set the scanners once more to record
