The Santana Nexus (Junkyard Dogs Book 3) (33 page)

Chapter
49.

"...Stage two Whitney Communication is a frightfully complicated process. It is well known that long distance communication requires enormous amounts of power. Less well known is the fact that receiving a Stage two message requires only that the communicator's receiving hardware remains powered up. With time zones varying widely from system to system, messages can come through anytime of the day or night. As a result, most Stage two communicators are configured to receive messages while in standby mode..."

Hartwell wrist computer note highlighted for further review by Amanda Steuben.
Excerpt is from " Whitney Communications: the Basics." by Melvin Patterson.

UTFN Reclamation Center, onboard Federation Auxiliary ship
Greyhound
, January 12, 2599.

As part of their continued training, Kresge had allowed
Faiza and Amanda to attend the briefing session on the Santana Nexus attack plan but had told them they were there to listen only. Suitably awed by the experience, they'd had no difficultly following his instructions. After the meeting broke up and they had returned to their quarters. Faiza was performing some routine maintenance on her wrist computer and Amanda was going over some general instructions about warship power plant operation.

"This is curious," said Faiza, "I
just found a message on my wrist computer. It's from last night."

"What sort of message?"

"Something about another user nearby."

"
How can that be? It's just you and me and Tamara that have wrist computers."

"Yes, I know,
" replied Faiza, "but this message says that there is another wrist computer user within a hundred kilometers. Actually, it says there is another user within less than four kilometers."

"That would put whoever it is somewhere in the Scrapyard
," said Amanda.

"At th
at distance, they would almost have to be on the
Istanbul,
" Said Faiza.

The two girls looked at one another. "Do you suppose
someone with a wrist computer could be the source of the information leaks from the Scrapyard?" asked Faiza.

"Does whoever it is know that we are aware of him?"
asked Amanda.

"I
can't be sure but I don't think so," replied Faiza, "We've been running our three computers as a closed system on our own Hartwell Wrist Comp Network. None of our computers would have initiated any sort of contact with a strange computer without our permission. Whoever this is, they haven't tried to access anything on the Network before sometime last night."

"Didn't your father just move a communications tech off from the bridge because he suspected the man might be the leak? Do you suppose that the same person
could be attempting to continue communicating through the Stage II console using a wrist computer?"

"I think we need to tell my father," said Faiza
, "right away!"

"Let's go talk to Captain Murdock," said Amanda.

The two young women went immediately to the bridge of the
Greyhound
. Here they found Helen Murdock running a routine ship's diagnostic using the terminal at her normal post in the Captain's chair.

"
Afternoon, ladies. You taking a break from your studies?" asked Murdock.

"
Sort of," said Faiza, "We found something strange on my wrist computer just a few minutes ago and we think we'd better tell my father about it."

"Yeah," added Amanda, "It looks like someone on the
Istanbul
also has a wrist computer and they activated the network communications systems on it last night."

"Could be the mole we've been looking for," said Murdock. "I'll contact the Ambassador right away."

Within a few minutes, Murdock had the Ambassador on the viewscreen.

"Good
afternoon, Captain Murdock," said the diplomat, "What can I do for you?"

"It's Faiza and Amanda, Excellency, they have information for you."

The two young women explained about the sudden appearance of a message concerning a wrist computer from what appeared to be somewhere on the
Istanbul.

The Ambassador recognized the
possible consequences immediately.

"I
must check on this without delay," he said, "Under no circumstances are you to make any attempt to communicate with whoever it is."

The two young women assured him they would not.

"Thanks, you two, this could be the break we've been waiting for!" said the Ambassador before he cut the communication.

***

UTFN Reclamation Center, on board Meridian Imperial Diplomatic Ship
Istanbul
, January 12, 2599.

Ambassador Saladin immediately summoned the Istanbul's computer tech to the bridge. Heskim came
as quickly as he could and arrived on the bridge a few minutes later.

"How can I help you, Excellency?"

"I need you to check the Stage II communications console and tell me if someone with a wrist computer has been trying to access it from somewhere on this ship."

"I'll see what I can do," replied Heskim.

The technician went over and sat down at the control console for the Whitney Stage II communicator. He tapped in his password which gave him access to the console's programming files and user logs. The screen was immediately filled with lines of code. He read quickly through the script, toggled down through several screens and finally made an announcement.

"This is not good, Excellency," said Heskim.

"In what regard?" asked the Ambassador.

"Someone did access this console with a wrist computer just last night," replied Heskim, "but that's not all
they've been doing. Someone, actually it's probably the same person, has been using a short range wireless connection from a wrist computer for several weeks now. The long range wrist comp network was only activated a short time ago."

"It has to be the technician that we moved over to the Stage one system because we suspected he was sending unauthorized messages."

"Let me see if has been sending any messages recently, Excellency," said Heskim. He tapped in some more commands and more lines of code filled his monitor.

"Ah...," said the computer technician.

"What is it, Heskim?"

"You know that we often
insert email messages and other text information along with the recognition codes while we are using these long range consoles for video communications?"

"Yes, of course. Why?"

"Well, someone has been embedding their own information in with those communications, Excellency. They are encoded so I can't be absolutely sure what's in them but they aren't all that hard to detect, once you know what you're looking for. Let me see if I can decode some of these."

Heskim ran only three different decoding programs before he found one that could decipher
some of the messages. As expected, the embedded messages contained valuable information about Scrapyard plans and movements.

That was all that the Ambassador needed.

"We need to arrest that communications tech immediately!" said the Ambassador. "Thanks, Heskim, we've been looking for something on this individual. Now that we know what they've been doing, we might as well round up the rest of our suspects as well."

Heskim did a quick check of the duty rosters and announced, "He should be in his quarters, Excellency. He was assigned to the night watch last night."

"See what else you can find Heskim."

"As you wish, Excellency."

***

Within
five minutes the Ambassador and a half dozen of this personal guard had overridden the security codes on the entrance to the communications tech's quarters and stormed inside. Taking no chances with another suicide, they used a stun rod on the man while he was still asleep. After a short search, they found a Hartwell Wrist Computer tucked into the space behind a drawer next to the spy's bed. This computer had been specifically modified so that the operator could wear it around his ankle. As a result, no one had suspected that he was wearing a wrist computer and, using the short-range wireless, the man had been able to sneak various clandestine communications in with the legitimate communications over the course of the last few weeks. Presumably, these embedded messages were then downloaded and distributed by operators at the receiving end.

Rounding up the
rest of the suspects only took about another half hour. Afterwards the Ambassador returned to the Stage II communications suite to see what else his computer tech had found.

"What have you got for me, Heskim?"

"I actually have some good news, Excellency," said Heskim.

"I could use some good news,"
replied the Ambassador.

"We haven't used this Stage two communicator
since the messages between us and the
Asimov
while she was in the Heard's World system several days ago. Whatever compromising information is contained in his latest set of communications has not gone out yet. The enemy should not be aware of any of our plans to attack the Santana Nexus."

"That is good news, Heskim," said the Ambassador. "
In fact, maybe we can use this. Is it possible for us to replace these messages with ones of our own? That could prove to be a very useful tool."

"
Of course, Excellency, it should be no problem. Just tell me what you would like me to send," replied Heskim.

"I'll contact Commander Kresge
," said the diplomat.

With Kresge's help, the three of them
carefully replaced the informant's messages with information of their own. They painted a bleak picture of the situation at the Reclamation Center, of an outpost that was demoralized, fragmented and running out of both food and medical supplies. They went even further, reporting that Federation ships had been destroyed in the Heard's World System and in Catskill-Soroyan, just within the last couple of days. They added that the
Pride of Persia
should be arriving at the Santana Nexus shortly with a load of supplies and with two powerful weapons that she had salvaged from the Veritian wreck. They then reported that the miners at Catskill-Soroyan had surrendered and that the
Aladdin
would also be arriving to attend the big meeting before returning to the mining station.

"That should do the trick," said Kresge whe
n they had finished replacing the clandestine communications with messages of their own.

"We'll send out a Stage II communication right away," said the Ambassador, "Whoever receives these messages should have this information within the next hour or so. The enemy will not be expecting us to attack the Nexus.
Quite the opposite, in fact!"

"Just the way I like it," replied Kresge.

Chapter 50.

Santana Nexus System, Whitney hyperlink zone, January 13, 2599.

The
Nasr
phased through the hyperlink point for the Santana Nexus system. In addition to the crew of the Meridian destroyer, there were over seventy infiltrators onboard including Clancy Davis-Moore, who was to be their contact with the resistance; Ensign Carlisle, who was their best zero and low gravity fighter; Orville Steuben, who was an expert on orbital station systems, especially with electronics; Kelly and all six of his marines and another sixty-some personnel, hand-picked for their fighting abilities or their expertise with space station systems. Many of them were Meridians, loyal to the Ambassador, who could easily infiltrate the ranks of the Sheik's Islamic revolution.

Within less than a minute,
Nasr
was challenged by acting commander of the
Hercules
, who was still maintaining a somewhat lackadaisical station near the jump zone.

"By order of the Sheik of Barsoom, you will identify yourself and state your business,"
came the somewhat bored challenge.

On the bridge of the
Nasr
, Captain Bishara, making sure that none of his Federation allies was visible in the video feed he was replying on, had his response ready. He did his best not to appear too nervous.

"This is Captain Bishara of the Meridian Imperial Ship
Nasr
," he replied. "Long live the Sheik's Glorious Revolution! Our patrol group was attacked by a force of Federation jackals out in the Oneida system. They took us by surprise and were able to overwhelm three of our destroyers. Lieutenant Commander Salib of the
Asad
was killed. We have wounded that will need further medical assistance. As you can see, we also have some damage from the battle."

"
Yes, we can see that. A moment,
Nasr
, we must check our records."

"
Understood," replied Bishara. He toggled the audio off as he waited for the response.

"Federation jackals?"
asked Clancy Davis-Moore.

Bishara shrugged. "It is the type of language they expect. Nothing personal, you understand."

Davis-Moore shrugged in return but couldn't entirely suppress a look of amusement.

The
acting Captain of the
Hercules
came back onto the video.

"Our records indicate that you
are part of a force of four destroyers under the Command of Lieutenant Commander Salib. He has not checked back in with us. You say you have news?"

"Yes, three of our ships we
re...badly damaged in the cowardly Federation attack. The communications platform was also damaged. I am here to drop off our wounded and pick up some supplies before I head back."

"What of the other three destroyers?"

"The other three ships are still holding the system and are attempting field repairs. One of the ships is damaged badly enough that proper repairs will require replacement parts as well. I am to rendezvous with a freighter out here at the hyperlink point sometime later today. He's supposed to be bringing the assemblies that I need."

"There
is also a modest inventory of repair parts that were left behind when the Federation Jackals fled from the station after our glorious attack, Captain Bishara," came the reply, "You may be able to find some other materials you can use to repair those ships, you'll just have to check with the supply people after you get your wounded squared away. You are cleared to approach the North Airlock, a medical team with a shuttle will meet you there. Welcome to the Santana Nexus and the Sheik of Barsoom's Glorious Revolution!"

"Long live the Revolution," said Bishara as he signed off.
Clancy Davis-Moore shook his head in mock disgust.

***

Having satisfied the challenge posed by the
Hercules
, the
Nasr
microjumped towards the Nexus Station. A half hour later, she arrived at the docking area. The
Nasr
was cleared to temporarily dock near the large commercial airlock on the north end of the giant, ten-ringed construct that was the Santana Nexus station. Bishara carefully maneuvered his ship to the docking area near the huge air curtain airlock and waited for the medical shuttle to come out to his ship.

It was surprising
to him how easily a perceived medical emergency could override normal precautions. Then again, there had probably not been any hostile ships coming to the Nexus since the takeover by the Sheik and the
Nasr
was actually listed as part of a force that was considered to be in the Sheik's camp.

As soon as the medical shuttle docked with the
Nasr
, a doctor and his team, intending to perform triage and get the most seriously wounded personnel back to the Nexus Station and into the medical facilities first, asked to be escorted to the wounded. Because the medical personnel anticipated needing all the space they could spare on the shuttle, they had come with only a few staff members. The doctor and his team were met by Sergeant Kelly and his fellow Marines and detained. Several of the
Nasr's
complement entered the shuttle, escorting personnel who appeared to be patients who were wounded but able to move under their own power. The pilot and co-pilot of the shuttle came in to render assistance and, they too, were immediately subdued and captured.

The Junkyard
Dogs now had control of a medical shuttle along with an open invitation to board the Nexus Station!

With several of the Junkyard
infiltration team dressed up in medical gear and another two dozen operatives posing as wounded men or their attendants, the shuttle departed on the short, two-minute trip to the north airlock of the Nexus. Once inside, they went through a desultory inspection before being allowed to disembark from the shuttle and board the spoke elevator for transport out to the first level of ring one where the infirmary was located. As the invaders rode the spoke elevator outward towards the ring one, the "patients" among them began to shed their bandages and other medical paraphernalia. Upon reaching the first level of ring one, the now normal-appearing personnel left the elevator area and faded immediately into the busy background hustle and bustle of the Nexus Station.

The
medical shuttle, still under the command of the Junkyard Dogs, made two more runs to the
Nasr
before all of the infiltration forces had been shuttled onto the Station. After three tense trips of the shuttle, the Junkyard Dogs had managed to get over seventy men onto the station. The enemy was not yet aware that anything was amiss but the invading forces only had about a day, maybe a little more, before someone would sense that all was not as it should be and begin investigating, maybe even sounding some kind of alarm.

Over the course of the next three hours, the
Pride of Persia
and the
Aladdin
, both of them stuffed with fighters and their gear, also bluffed their way past the bored security people on the
Hercules.
These two ships parked in the Station docking area and began disembarking more infiltrators in groups of two or three people at a time.