“You gave him your Stetcode?”
“I want him to appreciate how important he is. Now, let’s see something of greater value. Ah, here we are.”
The next message was long and encrypted. Shad ran the translation matrix he designed and sold to the UNF twelve years ago. This data came directly from Central Command. He summarized for Malik.
“Our loyalists are moving into position. They’ll deal with anyone who challenges the orders.”
“The Admiralty?” Malik asked. “Are they all onboard now?”
“Nagano believes High Admiral Woolsey might be a problem.”
Malik grabbed his father’s arm.
“But wait. The orders have to go through Woolsey. If he backs down, everything will fall apart.”
“It’s OK, Son. You’ve never met Woolsey. He’s a practical man who understands these things more than most. Plus, he’s an immortal. He intends to live forever. He’ll make the right choice.”
“I hope so. The plan was designed to work if all spears were pointed in the same direction.”
Malik worried. Typical. He hadn’t lived long enough to understand the value of patience.
“No worries. See? They are.”
He showed a transmission which said all players had moved into their respective positions.
“It’s a work of art. Coordinated over such incredible distances. After the go order, everyone will act within a standard hour. Any opposition will not have time to rally.”
“But they’ll try. That’s when it gets dangerous. How long until it’s a go?”
“If all the parts move into place, less than a standard day. Which means, we’ll need to leave after an early breakfast.”
Malik rubbed his hands together as if he were freezing.
“I wasn’t sure it would really come off.”
Shad scrolled through his other transmissions, most of which were interesting but not mission-critical.
Until he reached the last one. Shad mumbled.
“Ah. I see. He replied at last.”
“Who?”
“The man himself. See?”
Malik choked up.
“Shit. Can’t we put him off?”
“Of course not. Raul responded to the beacon. He wishes to talk. I would never refuse my old friend.”
Black Star’s founder had gone quiet for two months. The timing struck Shad as a bit problematic but nothing to worry about. Malik expressed his usual fear.
“You know how I feel about him. He’ll double-cross us.”
“I wouldn’t rule it out. But as I’ve said before, he endorses our plan. He signed on to the madness long before we crossed paths. After tomorrow, he’ll want to know how we intend to proceed. It’s only fair.”
A psychopath. A ruthless mass murderer. A man bent on destroying everything the People’s Collectorate built.
That was the extent of what Malik knew about Raul, a man whose last name was as mysterious as his origin. Shad kept their encounters brief; he saw the effect Raul and his No. 1, The Carib, had on Malik. It would be expected with any rational human.
Mostly, he didn’t want Malik to uncover the truth. What would be gained by learning what Raul actually was?
Shad made a vow. Someday, after the war ended and the new order rose, he’d sit down with Malik and explain how it all fit together. What Shad learned from the Wave, how it originated, and who caused it.
Yes. A good story. A great story.
And much too complex for a young, impressionable mind.
For now, best to push on with the mission at hand.
Code Exodus stood ready.
19
Amity Station, Harmony Sector
TREVOR SET UPON THE PORTMASTER’S data after finishing his one allotted morning cup of café. Harmony Spaceport’s inbounds for the next sixty standard days showed landing bays holding to a consistent seventy-five percent occupancy. Was this the normal rate?
