Gale Force, page 2
She had two freaking PhDs and had been published in the most respected journals. She spoke at important scientific conferences. Anything she attempted, she excelled at. Our marriage was probably her sole “failure.” The dossier she’d been so irritated about had indicated she had a genius-level IQ, but I’d already guessed. I had sought to be more for her. To be a husband she could be proud of.
So, no, I hadn’t told her specifically I had applied to the program because I considered it a long shot. Why would an elite organization like C-Force want me? Older than most of the recruits, I had no military experience at the time, and C-Force accepted less than 2 percent of the men and women who applied. I’d expected a rejection. If I’d shared with Gayle I’d planned to apply, then I’d have to inform her of my failure.
But I got accepted.
Rather than be happy for me, she’d acted like I’d cheated on her. She’d been so shocked and angry, I realized she’d never listened to me. She had no idea how important C-Force was to me. How could the woman I loved, who supposedly loved me back, not have known that? I felt betrayed. A little bit of me died that day. However, my enlistment hadn’t been a done deal. I had time to opt out—but then she’d served me with divorce papers.
I’d considered asking Quint to put another team member on the detail, but cyborgs didn’t quit, least of all because of “personal issues.” Professionalism and pride wouldn’t allow me to ask for a reassignment. Gayle had almost scuttled my career once; I wouldn’t let her choose my direction now—even if that direction involved her.
Time had been good to her, maturing a girlish prettiness into womanly handsomeness. At age forty-seven, she still had the dewy skin women half her age would kill for. Threads of silver ran through her gleaming chestnut hair, twisted into a bun atop her head. Her lips were lush and full, and the faint lines bracketing her wide-spaced, thick-lashed brown eyes only appeared when she smiled or laughed—which around me was never. I’d been struck by the warmth of her greeting when she’d met Kaylee.
Fifteen minutes had passed since the two had disappeared into the lab, indicating this wasn’t going to be a quick show-and-tell. This would be a good time to update Quint. Using my handheld, I connected with my commander.
“We arrived this morning. Gayle has been briefed,” I reported. “She’s meeting with her assistant, Kaylee Hartmann, right now.”
“I assume the rendezvous and flight were uneventful or I would have heard.”
We’d barely spoken to each other. Her demon cat attacked me when I rescued it from the duct. But those weren’t the kind of incidents Quint needed to know about. “Nothing out of the ordinary. I would have been surprised if there were. It’s too soon yet.”
Other than Breeze and C-Force, no one knew about the nature of the top-secret project. Gayle appeared to be an ordinary colonist, another Geo-Tech employee. So it was highly unlikely she would have attracted scrutiny this early in the game. However, at C-Force, we didn’t wait for trouble to find our clients—we headed it off before it occurred.
“I’ve gotten some preliminary intel another huge construction project may be in the works on Sajave,” Quint said.
“Another city?” That would make six towns.
“That would be my guess, but I’m awaiting further information.”
“The more people who settle on Sajave, the greater the investment in infrastructure, the more Kathryn Jodane has to lose.” The president had staked her political future and fortune on Sajave. However, the law prohibited colonizing planets inhabited by intelligent life. If Gayle proved the sand was an intelligent alien species, humans would be legally bound to leave. “Any idea when?”
“Whatever they’re building, my hunch is they’ll break ground before the fall election to give Jodane positive news to campaign on,” Quint said.
No one crossed Jodane without severe consequences, and Geo-Tech’s discovery would drop like a bomb. During her run for office, a campaign staffer had approached C-Force about assassinating her opponent, earning Jodane a place on C-Force’s watchlist. Of course, Jodane had denied all knowledge of the incident and had promised the justice department would prosecute the individual to the fullest extent of the law, but this wasn’t the only suspicious occurrence. Outspoken opponents had vanished mysteriously. On several occasions, rivals who’d shown every indication of beating her in senatorial elections had dropped out of the race “for personal reasons.” Thus far, nothing could be proven, but a bad smell lingered around Jodane.
“I’ve advised Breeze Geo-Tech needs to finalize and release its research before the election to avoid pouring gasoline on the fire. The situation will be combustible regardless. There’s no good time to go public, only a bad time and a worse time.”
“Is Gayle aware of the deadline?”
“I doubt it. I’d just told Breeze before you contacted me.” He paused. “So, you and your ex-wife are handling the proximity okay?”
My jaw dropped. “You know?”
“That you two were married? I knew when you joined C-Force. Applicants and their family and associates are fully investigated. I probably know more about your ex than you do.”
I didn’t doubt it. “Then, why assign her to me?”
“Because you’re one of my best agents and would never let personal feelings interfere with an assignment.”
I supposed that could be considered a compliment.
“And because if I had assigned another agent, you’d get involved regardless. You’d still check on her,” he explained. “You wouldn’t be able to stop yourself.”
Were my mixed-up feelings noted in my dossier? Loved wife. Hated wife. Still bound by protectiveness he can’t shake.
“It’s going fine. No problems.” We had to avoid the interpersonal minefield, strike a truce, and agree to let bygones be bygones. We ought to be able to do it. Both of us were dedicated professionals; we hadn’t let personal feelings interfere with our duty to our employers until now. Gayle always had been driven and devoted. She would ignore the risks to her personal safety and commit herself to this project 110 percent.
Ironically, that’s why she needed me.
Chapter Three
Gayle
“The entire bio lab area is secure, accessible only to those with need-to-know clearance,” Kaylee said.
“How many people is that?” I asked.
“I’m not sure. Obviously you and me. Director O’Day.”
“Axel Vander?”
“Probably. You’d need to check the security statuses. I don’t have access to that. I’m not high enough on the food chain.” Kaylee gestured to a terminal in the corner then pointed to her eyes. “Access is granted by retinal scan. You peer into the little camera, and you’ll be cleared. The terminal is networked to the one in your office, so you can work in here or out there. This terminal is a shared one; the one in your office is for your use only.”
Axel stood outside. “Whoever is out there can see in here, right?”
Kaylee shook her head, and a tiny grin tugged at her mouth. “Only if you desire them to.” She flicked a wall switch, and the window dividing the lab from the reception area turned dark. “Now you see ’em, now you don’t.” She started to flip the switch again.
“Leave it for now.” Shielded from Axel’s glowering scrutiny, I relaxed. “How long have you been with Geo-Tech, Kaylee?”
“Almost since the beginning. Martin, the former director, hired me. I used to work in the astrogeology lab, but when Ms. O’Day got promoted to director, she transferred me here to get the lab set up for you.”
“And how many others work in the astrobiology department?”
“Counting you and me…two!” She grinned. “We’re the department.”
Only two? I was used to being part of a much larger team. But then I’d never worked on a secret project requiring a bodyguard. I eyed Kaylee’s badge again. “How much do you know about the project we’ll be working on?”
“Only that it involves sand.” She laughed. “Everything here does. It’s Geo-Tech’s sole mission—mitigate the encroachment.”
“Have you read Director O’Day’s report?”
“If there’s a report, I didn’t know about it. Should I have read it? I’m sorry.”
“No, no. If you were supposed to read it, I’m certain you would have gotten it.” Before I revealed the big secret, I’d better confer with Breeze. I assumed Kaylee had to have the appropriate clearance to be of any help to me. But better safe than sorry. “What exactly is your job title? What were you hired to do?”
“I’m a lab assistant level 3. My job is to set up and assist with laboratory tests, perform document research, and serve as your personal assistant. If you need meetings scheduled, RTCs reserved, supplies ordered, I’m your person.”
“RTCs?”
“Rugged Terrain Craft. Geo-Tech has a small fleet of company hovercraft. They can be used on the streets or on the dunes. Employees can reserve them for company business.”
“So, you could get me an RTC so I could go out into the dunes?”
“Of course.”
“Can you get me one for tomorrow?” I’d review Breeze’s preliminary report this afternoon and then visit the dunes in the morning.
“Absolutely.” She gestured to a cabinet. “There are filter masks and goggles in there. Remember to bring a set with you.”
Kaylee showed me the lab, pointing out the brand-new, top-of-the-line equipment.
“If you need something we don’t have, I’ll requisition it,” Kaylee offered. “Geo-Tech pretty much has a blank check, although shipments can take a while to get here. I suspect they wait until the cargo-hauler is full before dispatching one. When they do get here, sandstorms can prevent them from landing. It seems like the more critically needed an item, the longer it takes to get it. So, if you have an inkling you might need something, order it right away.”
“Thanks for the heads-up—and for making my transition easier,” I said. “I’ll check out my office now.”
“My pleasure. Let me know if you need anything.”
I flipped the wall switch, and the windows turned transparent again. Axel had taken a seat against the far wall, but his scowl hadn’t moved at all. I should be the one glowering. I’d been blindsided by him once again. I still couldn’t believe he was my bodyguard.
I exited the lab, and, ignoring Axel, made a beeline for the door with my name on it.
Since the lab was underground, my corner office didn’t have a window, but its spacious size accommodated a small sofa in addition to all the requisite office furniture. A computer terminal with dual screens perched on an arm extending off the massive executive-style desk. A photograph of the dunes hung on one wall, and on the other was a topographical map of the entire planet. Physical maps were rarely used anymore, but I appreciated seeing this one and getting the sense of scale.
At fifty million square miles in surface area, Sajave was nearly the size of Mars, but only a fraction of it had been settled. The planet appeared to be vast empty space, except for the cities and the massive wind and solar farms that consumed more land than all five cities combined.
I squinted at the odd placement of the towns. Città sat alone by itself in the west, while Stadt, Ville, Miestas, and Ciudad were clustered hundreds of miles away in the east. “I wonder why Città is off by its lonesome?”
“It’s the first city in the second phase of colonization,” Axel said.
I turned to see him leaning against the open door.
“After the other cities were established, the government expanded westward.”
“Well, that makes sense, then. What are the little black triangles?” About a dozen dotted the map between east and west.
“Traveler way stations. Each one has an inn, a place or two to eat. It takes a couple of days via RTC to get to the eastern cities from here.” He trailed a long, lean finger across the map, and I riveted on his hands, noticing a faint silvery, bronzy cast to his skin.
I knew those hands well. Once they had roamed all over my body. I lifted my gaze to study his face. From a distance or a quick glance, he appeared tanned, but, up close under the light, the undertone was definitely metallic.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Your skin…is different than I remembered.”
“My skin is synthetic now. It transforms into body armor,” he said in a clipped tone.
Of course. Cyborg mods. He’d changed his body, changed his life, changed our lives—without consulting me. Of course, he hadn’t gotten that far into it while we were still married. He’d only enlisted. Only. “What else has changed?”
“Do you really want to know?”
No. Yes. “No.”
He kicked my office door shut.
I braced for an intrusive personal comment or attack, but he asked, “How much does Kaylee know?”
“Nothing yet. I need to double-check her security status.”
He nodded then flicked a finger at the map. “My commander has reason to believe construction will begin on a new city in the fall. That’s your deadline for determining if the sand is intelligent.”
Axel was giving me a deadline? “Excuse me? I don’t report to you.”
He shrugged. “Fine. Don’t listen to me, then. I assumed you’d appreciate a heads-up.” He turned toward the door.
Doubt nipped at me. Had I taken offense over nothing? Perhaps he had meant to be helpful. I disliked having him here, but I had no choice in the matter. Sniping at each other would make an unpleasant situation worse. He’d hurt me, but I was over him. He meant nothing to me now—other than being my bodyguard. So I’d treat him like any other employee or colleague.
“I’m sorry,” I said tersely, offering a brittle, twig-sized olive branch.
“I only found out about the deadline myself,” he said, offering his own branch. “My commander told me while you were with Kaylee. I imagine you’ll be hearing from Breeze soon.” He opened my office door. “Open or closed?”
“Closed. Thank you.” I logged onto my terminal. “I wonder what they’ll call the new city,” I mused to myself.
“I’d call it Kaupunki,” Axel said.
Was he ever going to leave? But I asked, “Why Kaupunki?”
He shrugged. “Why not? It has a nice ring. All the Sajave towns are named “city” in different languages.”
“What language is Kaupunki?”
“Finnish.”
“And Miestas?” I recognized the others: Stadt, German; Città, Italian; Ciudad, Spanish; and Ville, French.
“Miestas is Lithuanian.”
“How do you know?” Lithuanian and Finnish weren’t common languages.
“An embedded language chip enables me to understand all Earth tongues and the few known alien ones.”
A language chip. Like a computer would have. Was it worth it, Axel? I tamped down the bitterness. I would have to get used to him being a cyborg. It wasn’t like he could undo it. And why would he? He’d made his choice. “Can you speak those languages?” I kept my tone level.
“A good number of the Earth ones. But I don’t sound like a native. And the aliens ones? No. My anatomy doesn’t allow me to make most of those sounds.” He left my office and shut the door.
I felt like I’d gained something but still had come out with a net loss. However, he had given me an idea. I scanned into my terminal and sent Kaylee her first official assignment.
* * * *
A computer headache throbbed behind my eyes. I tossed my reading glasses onto the desk and rubbed my lids. I’d read the entirety of Breeze’s report and studied every chart, double-checking every graph against the raw data. Her conclusions were dead on the money—the sand was alive.
She presented strong circumstantial evidence of intelligence. I didn’t doubt her tentative conclusion, but proving it would be challenging. There were objective standards to determining life. Intelligence was more subjective, although, thankfully, I’d had a brainstorm, which I already had Kaylee working on.
A knock sounded at my door.
“Yes?”
Kaylee poked her head inside. “You wanted to see me? I finished the vocalization samples.”
“Already? You’re fast. I didn’t expect you to finish so soon. Come on in. Have a seat.” I waved her in. “I want to speak to you.”
“In English or French, I hope. Those are the only two languages I know.” She laughed.
I chuckled. “Right.”
She handed me a tiny disk. “This will plug into a standard communication device, handheld, or music player.” She motioned to my terminal. “You can access the sound file on the system if you wish to use it in the lab.” She frowned, and I could see the question in her eyes. Why did you want this?
“Have a seat.” I gestured.
She perched on the sofa.
I donned my reading glasses again and accessed the terminal. “Yes! I see the file. You’re very efficient. Thank you. How many languages did you end up with?”
“Seven thousand one hundred forty-two, which includes the 7,117 Earth languages and twenty-five known alien ones but not the animal vocalizations. The phrase is repeated in five different frequencies: a low male voice, a high female voice, a mid-range voice, one ultrasonic, and one infrasonic. The animal sounds are recorded in one frequency.”
“Excellent.” I hit the play key on my terminal.
“Deseo hablar contigo.”
“Ich möchte mit Ihnen sprechen.”
“Chci s tebou mluvit.”
“Je souhaite te parler.”
“Noriu su tavimi pasikalbėti…”
I hit the stop button. I didn’t need to play all 35,000-plus vocalizations of the phrase I wish to speak to you.
“The animal sounds are at the end,” Kaylee said.
I’d asked for sounds from some of the most intelligent species of animal: dog, dolphin, bonobo, crow, and pig.
Her eyebrows drew together. “Can I ask what this is for?”
