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.“I’m going to ask the Archives for a finder’s fee of six hundred million but I’ll settle for three.That’s a hundred million each for you, me, and Tallis.”“Oh good gracious!” Aiyana cried, trying to imagine so much money.But that was just the start Carson said.“We have another asset, one that is undisputedly our own.When this story breaks you and I will become very famous indeed, so the moment we hit New Earth we should hire the best agent we can find.The media distribution fees for our story will be colossal.”As the taxi dropped them outside the Caldera View Aiyana announced that she was spending the night with her old friend Papina.“Huh? You’re not coming back to the hotel?”She looked at him askance.“You never thought about me having friends, did you?”Carson smiled.“I guess not, we didn’t exactly meet socially.Anyhow, you will be coming back in the morning?”“Of course, we have to meet with Asima.”He did a slow shuffle on the sidewalk.“I mean, I’d hate to lose you after all we’ve been through” he said, taking a sudden interest in his shoes.“I was hoping that you and I could, well…”She took his face in her hands.“Look at me Carson.”Still his eyes eluded her.“Look at me!”Carson stared into the wide almond eyes.“You, yes you Mister Mailman saved my life.My soul was dying out there in the asteroid belt chasing rocks for a living.Do you really think I would abandon you now?”“We saved each other.”Aiyana laughed.“True enough! We damn near got killed a dozen times.”She stepped forward and gave him a long kiss.For a moment she stood holding his hands and smiling, then spun away and walked off down the boulevard.Carson stood watching to see whether she would glance back.Finally he sighed and headed into the hotel.A small package was waiting on the coffee table in the suite.It was an envelope, just like the ones used to distribute mail on Falk, except this one bore no address.Puzzled, he pulled it open; inside was a white piece of paper with a green circle outlined at its center.He turned it over but the other side was blank.The function seemed obvious, although he had no idea how anyone could put a genome decoder into something so insubstantial.He put the paper on the table and placed the tip of his right index finger in the center.Immediately the words ‘One last journey’ formed and vanished again.Oh dear, was this some kind of hotel promotion?There was no time for speculation.The outline transformed itself into a solid black spot that spread to the edges of the paper and kept on growing.In an instant it filled half the room.Carson yelped and leapt back.It was too late; the circle rushed forward and engulfed him.“Unidentified starships, this is Commonwealth Security.Do not change orbit, identify yourselves immediately!”He was on the ship.A cacophony of voices filled the cabin.“This is Coastguard Command.Prepare to be boarded.Do not alter your course.”“Coastguard Command, we are launching eight squadrons.”“For God’s sake man you are on an open channel.Activate encryption!”“Hey ship” he yelled above the din “where the hell are we?”“We are in circular orbit two thousand kilometers above New Earth, at an inclination of twenty degrees to the equator.”“Did I black out again? What happened? How did we get here?”“You tell me.Thirty-eight seconds ago I was in orbit around Kaimana.”“Oh hell! There hasn’t been a starship this close to New Earth in eight thousand years.They must be going crazy down there.”“This is United Media.Who are you? Where are you from? Let us tell your story.”“United Media, this is an emergency channel!”“With respect, Coastguard Command, New Earth Security should be handling this incident.”“How are you doing Tallis?” Carson shouted.“The Great Queen has spread her wings again.”“I think you’re right, nest-mate.”“How many news feeds have got the story?” he asked the ship.“Over two thousand at the last count, but it’s growing exponentially.”Carson shook his head.“I told Aiyana we’d be famous but this tops everything.By now everyone on New Earth must be watching.”He turned his attention to the pandemonium.“We are prepared to make you a very attractive offer for an exclusive –”“So help me United Media if you don’t get off this channel…”“Coastguard, I repeat, Security should be –”“Special tactics team locked and loaded.”“Encryption you idiot!”A new voice came on-line.“This is Jing-Wei, Chief of Staff to the First Secretary.I am taking over this operation as of now.United Media, shut up or face the consequences.Security and Coastguard, I want immediate integration with your systems.First order of business is the armada of unauthorized vessels heading towards the starships; under the power of Section Two of the Commonwealth Emergency Code you will override their pilots.Stop them and establish a security perimeter of three hundred kilometers.Absolutely no-one approaches any closer without my authority.”“I must protest…”“Don’t waste my time Coastguard Command, Admiral Sanjay has been fully briefed.”Carson grinned, he had met Jing-Wei once; she was a woman who took no prisoners.Her voice returned.“Unidentified ships – if you can hear me – please, our concern is for your safety and that of the general population.Do not attempt to maneuver.I will be in touch again momentarily.”The clamor subsided.“Is this going to happen often?” the ship asked.“God knows – wait, I don’t think so.I received a message saying that there would be one last journey…”“Starships, this Jing-Wei.We will be approaching each of you in unarmed civilian craft.We will not attempt to board without your permission.Again, we wish you no harm.”“Hey, what does she mean – starships?” said Carson.“Did some other poor devil get caught up in this?”There was a pause.“She’s right, there’s a large vessel one hundred kilometers up orbit from us.It seems to be inactive – no lights or identification – that’s no surprise, I went into total security mode myself as soon as the jump happened.”“Can you get a visual?”“Sort of, we’re still on the night side, should be hitting the solar terminator any time now [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.“I’m going to ask the Archives for a finder’s fee of six hundred million but I’ll settle for three.That’s a hundred million each for you, me, and Tallis.”“Oh good gracious!” Aiyana cried, trying to imagine so much money.But that was just the start Carson said.“We have another asset, one that is undisputedly our own.When this story breaks you and I will become very famous indeed, so the moment we hit New Earth we should hire the best agent we can find.The media distribution fees for our story will be colossal.”As the taxi dropped them outside the Caldera View Aiyana announced that she was spending the night with her old friend Papina.“Huh? You’re not coming back to the hotel?”She looked at him askance.“You never thought about me having friends, did you?”Carson smiled.“I guess not, we didn’t exactly meet socially.Anyhow, you will be coming back in the morning?”“Of course, we have to meet with Asima.”He did a slow shuffle on the sidewalk.“I mean, I’d hate to lose you after all we’ve been through” he said, taking a sudden interest in his shoes.“I was hoping that you and I could, well…”She took his face in her hands.“Look at me Carson.”Still his eyes eluded her.“Look at me!”Carson stared into the wide almond eyes.“You, yes you Mister Mailman saved my life.My soul was dying out there in the asteroid belt chasing rocks for a living.Do you really think I would abandon you now?”“We saved each other.”Aiyana laughed.“True enough! We damn near got killed a dozen times.”She stepped forward and gave him a long kiss.For a moment she stood holding his hands and smiling, then spun away and walked off down the boulevard.Carson stood watching to see whether she would glance back.Finally he sighed and headed into the hotel.A small package was waiting on the coffee table in the suite.It was an envelope, just like the ones used to distribute mail on Falk, except this one bore no address.Puzzled, he pulled it open; inside was a white piece of paper with a green circle outlined at its center.He turned it over but the other side was blank.The function seemed obvious, although he had no idea how anyone could put a genome decoder into something so insubstantial.He put the paper on the table and placed the tip of his right index finger in the center.Immediately the words ‘One last journey’ formed and vanished again.Oh dear, was this some kind of hotel promotion?There was no time for speculation.The outline transformed itself into a solid black spot that spread to the edges of the paper and kept on growing.In an instant it filled half the room.Carson yelped and leapt back.It was too late; the circle rushed forward and engulfed him.“Unidentified starships, this is Commonwealth Security.Do not change orbit, identify yourselves immediately!”He was on the ship.A cacophony of voices filled the cabin.“This is Coastguard Command.Prepare to be boarded.Do not alter your course.”“Coastguard Command, we are launching eight squadrons.”“For God’s sake man you are on an open channel.Activate encryption!”“Hey ship” he yelled above the din “where the hell are we?”“We are in circular orbit two thousand kilometers above New Earth, at an inclination of twenty degrees to the equator.”“Did I black out again? What happened? How did we get here?”“You tell me.Thirty-eight seconds ago I was in orbit around Kaimana.”“Oh hell! There hasn’t been a starship this close to New Earth in eight thousand years.They must be going crazy down there.”“This is United Media.Who are you? Where are you from? Let us tell your story.”“United Media, this is an emergency channel!”“With respect, Coastguard Command, New Earth Security should be handling this incident.”“How are you doing Tallis?” Carson shouted.“The Great Queen has spread her wings again.”“I think you’re right, nest-mate.”“How many news feeds have got the story?” he asked the ship.“Over two thousand at the last count, but it’s growing exponentially.”Carson shook his head.“I told Aiyana we’d be famous but this tops everything.By now everyone on New Earth must be watching.”He turned his attention to the pandemonium.“We are prepared to make you a very attractive offer for an exclusive –”“So help me United Media if you don’t get off this channel…”“Coastguard, I repeat, Security should be –”“Special tactics team locked and loaded.”“Encryption you idiot!”A new voice came on-line.“This is Jing-Wei, Chief of Staff to the First Secretary.I am taking over this operation as of now.United Media, shut up or face the consequences.Security and Coastguard, I want immediate integration with your systems.First order of business is the armada of unauthorized vessels heading towards the starships; under the power of Section Two of the Commonwealth Emergency Code you will override their pilots.Stop them and establish a security perimeter of three hundred kilometers.Absolutely no-one approaches any closer without my authority.”“I must protest…”“Don’t waste my time Coastguard Command, Admiral Sanjay has been fully briefed.”Carson grinned, he had met Jing-Wei once; she was a woman who took no prisoners.Her voice returned.“Unidentified ships – if you can hear me – please, our concern is for your safety and that of the general population.Do not attempt to maneuver.I will be in touch again momentarily.”The clamor subsided.“Is this going to happen often?” the ship asked.“God knows – wait, I don’t think so.I received a message saying that there would be one last journey…”“Starships, this Jing-Wei.We will be approaching each of you in unarmed civilian craft.We will not attempt to board without your permission.Again, we wish you no harm.”“Hey, what does she mean – starships?” said Carson.“Did some other poor devil get caught up in this?”There was a pause.“She’s right, there’s a large vessel one hundred kilometers up orbit from us.It seems to be inactive – no lights or identification – that’s no surprise, I went into total security mode myself as soon as the jump happened.”“Can you get a visual?”“Sort of, we’re still on the night side, should be hitting the solar terminator any time now [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]