Chapter 27

President Camari stonily contemplated the incomplete communication and turned to Intelligence Director Dynal. Ram sat immobile, nearby.

“Allen?” Camari’s raised brows posed his question.

“We couldn’t get through directly to Hanno to find out why the message was cut short. So we went spunnel to the Terminals and patched in to the Depot on coded conventional. Hanno reports his spunnel transmitter was destroyed. He was certain he was hoodwinked into permitting a saboteur aboard and screamed about a security breach on the Sentinel Support Plan. He said the ‘saboteur’ escaped before the alarm could be acted on. A damned lucky delay, I think.”

“Did you enlighten Hanno?”

“No, sir. Too risky for Sentinel, and he has no need-to-know. I did tell him to run deep background checks and truth verification tests on all Depot personnel. He objected, thinking he had already pinpointed the culprit. I told him to do it anyhow, slap into the brig anyone who didn’t pass, and report the results to me under highest classification through the construction site’s spunnel center.”

“Good. No question they’ve been infiltrated. We must consider the depot compromised for classified until Hanno assures us he’s cleared the problem from his facility.”

The President touched a button on his desk, running the message through again in its entirety. He switched the screen dark.

“The Outer Region’s target might be the depot, but I wonder.” Ram said. “Perhaps destroying the depot’s spunnel transmitter is prelude to an attack. If it is, they must realize that the incident set off alarms throughout our defenses. They’ll also know we can maintain spunnel contact and relay messages to and from our patrollers and other craft through the construction site.”

“Considering Hanno’s report on what happened, the attack on his spunnel transmitter focused on keeping this message from getting through, not to merely destroy the machine. That alone would not have been worth the effort.”

“We’re down to one comm spunnel link in the Special Zone,” Dynal added. “The one we built on Planet Pluto is controlled by Narval’s people.”

“Does Sentinel have access to the transmitter at the Terminals?”

“The sender would need to personally key in the clearances as well as the text,” said Ram, “otherwise the message would be compromised. Sentinel would be compromised. We do have the last resort.”

“Have you checked it lately?”

“We run random tests from this end to be certain that it’s ready to function. As you know, sir, it has its uncertainties and imposes a high price.”

“Back to the message,” Camari sighed and rubbed his temple gently as he pondered. “Their combined forces, and the distances involved, place us at an enormous disadvantage.”

“Without question.”

“Ram, what’s your estimate concerning the missing piece?” Camari pointed to the message in his hand.

“The missing piece,” Ram replied, “the one we need most is Sentinel’s assessment on where and when we can strike at INOR’s fleet with maximum effect.”

“Depends entirely on Sentinel? No other sources?”

“At this stage, none, sir.”

Camari lowered his head, lost in thought. After a moment he raised his eyes to Ram and said, “We’ve got to get our thinking through to the Outer Region, to all citizens as well as Heads of State.

“I want you to get out there, Ram. Be my emissary. Impress on whoever will listen the disaster that all of us face, and why we must arrive at a peaceful solution. Concentrate on the leaders of major nations; whichever way they go, others will follow.”

“I’ll need the formal weight of our government,” Ram said.