The Alpha Choice (71 page)

‘Very well, inform Gorn. He can meet his friend tomorrow morning, while we oversee examination of the dart. Better let him know straight away, he’s hardly likely to refuse once he knows what his friend has done. We need to strike quickly, while our reluctant pilot still harbours some residual guilt,’ he regarded the bemusement on the face of the other man. ‘The longer he’s left alone, the more resolute he’ll become. Give it an hour, to let Gorn think we’ve been torn over this, then set up the visit…you’ll need to reassure him there will be no monitoring of his conversation…’

‘Sir, I hardly think it wise not to…’

‘I said you need to reassure him. Of course we’ll be monitoring what they say!’

‘Yes sir, very wise.’

Ω

Back in his quarters, Gorn put the last part of his plan in motion. The Avatar needed to become more directly involved. He had ensured his mechanical confederate kept the knowledge of Genir’s arrest from Garnoth; the last thing he wanted was the Agency head pulling rank, and unravelling his plan. He needed the Avatar to get to the dart and ensure the instruments confirmed his friend’s story, a story Genir knew nothing of, yet! Then there was the, not so minor, matter of convincing the rebellious pilot he had a story to tell. For good measure, Genir’s implant needed to share the same fate as the dart’s instruments. The wry thought crossed his mind,
and that’s all there is to it!

Ω

The Avatar waited until it was sure its former master was asleep, before implementing a sleep plan through the ship’s systems to ensure he would not wake prematurely. Garnoth’s ability to enjoy unbroken sleep was almost preternatural, but so was his unpredictability.
 

As the machine made it’s way to the nearest teleport it never considered why it was acting as it was, or what its new master was up to.
 

Ω

‘Genir, it’s me, Gorn. Don’t look around. No one can hear me, except you. Rub your right shoulder if you’re getting this,’ the pilot dutifully did as he was told. ‘We don’t have long. The commander’s about to give permission for me to visit you, to find out why you disobeyed orders,’ his friend’s brows knitted. ‘Don’t worry, I know everything you’ve done, and
I think
I know why. What you don’t know, is that you’re never going to see the light of day again, and no one’s going to hear your side of the story unless you say exactly what I tell you. I know what Darl is thinking, and what he intends doing…I’ve been monitoring all of you.’

This was harder than Gorn anticipated. He could not tell his friend everything, but he had to give him enough information to gain his trust, although regain
was more accurate, and that was the problem. What he had already disclosed would convince Genir to never trust him again. ‘What I’m about to tell you is going to strain our friendship to the limits, and you might as well know, I won’t tell you everything, I can’t even say why I’m holding back. I just need you to trust me. If you do that, I promise that everyone will find out what you know,’ Genir’s eyes were pools of doubt, ‘and in time, when it’s safe, I’ll tell you everything,’ his friend’s eyes had not changed.

This isn’t going well,
Gorn thought. ‘Remember your dad, how he left his friends at Gallsor. You must be feeling the same way they did, alone, betrayed by the one person in the universe they thought they could rely on. I’m not comparing myself to him, but just as he didn't abandon them, I won’t abandon you. He got them home and I’ll get you home.’ The eyes remained as they were, but slowly Genir rubbed his right shoulder.

Gorn sat back, and began to breathe more freely,
here goes. ‘
I’ve only got minutes before the XO contacts me, so you have to get this right first time and remember this, I’ll doubt your explanation, they’ll expect me to respond that way, but you have to stick to the version I’m going to give you. There’s a flaw, but leave that to me, I’ll sort it,’ Genir turned his head, first this way and then that, as though stretching his muscles, before rubbing his shoulder again. Gorn was right, as soon as he had finished giving Genir his instructions, which took all of three minutes, he received the expected call from Kirion.

 
Ω

‘So we’re clear, your sole purpose is to discover why your friend acted as he did,’ Gorn nodded his understanding to his commander. ‘Very well, Kirion, escort Gorn to Genir’s quarters.’ Just as the two men were about to leave Darl’s ready room, the commander added what he no doubt thought would be comforting. ‘You’re helping your friend, but more importantly, you’re helping the Service,’ again, Gorn nodded.

Ω

The Avatar entered the darkened hangar, empty save for Genir’s dart, which alone was illuminated, and approached the now inert craft. It needed to be within touching distance for the interference to be effective, but when only halfway to its target, another set of doors opened and six shock-troopers entered the hangar and headed towards the dart. The Avatar stood stock still, it had not yet been seen by the new arrivals, who seemed more concerned with being dragged out of bed for, what they considered, some inane purpose. The machine remained within the shadows and interacted with the ship’s systems. The door through which the troopers entered, remained open as Garnoth's machine double made its way around to the doors and slipped unnoticed through them, only then issuing the instruction for them to slide, silently to a close.
 

It had failed in its mission and was wholly unconcerned. It would return to Garnoth's quarters and await further instructions. It’s new master had assumed success and made no provision for failure, including communicating the fact. This particular human was ingenious enough to circumvent its barriers, yet unable to plan with any degree of comprehensiveness, a mistake its former master would not have made. This was merely an observation, it was incapable of passing any judgement.

Garnoth was still asleep and the Avatar waited, but expected nothing.

Ω

Gorn entered his friend’s quarters alone,
any moment now, the Avatar will have surmounted the first hurdle,
he thought,
only two to go!
He sat on the only chair and looked across to Genir, whose face was a lot greyer than it appeared in the holo viewer. ‘Hi,’ he had no idea where to start.
 

‘Why are you here?’ Genir demanded, rather than asked. ‘More to the point, why am I here?’

‘You don't know?’ Gorn's incredulousness was well feigned. ‘It’s because you disobeyed a direct order…twice!’

‘I didn’t, I waited for my orders. When I saw that the Tellurian ship was defenceless, and no longer a threat, I asked if we were to capture it, so we could interrogate their officers. When nothing came back, I repeated my request.’
 

Gorn looked taken aback. ‘When you heard nothing why didn't you follow through with your original orders?’
 

‘Because regulations are clear: ‘
Once clarification of an order is sought, an officer must stand to, until a response is received, unless to do so would risk the life of another officer.’
I couldn't do anything else,’ Gorn was proud of this one, but could not claim any kudos for finding the regulation. He had simply ordered the Avatar to find any regulation that might cover the situation, and this was top of the list. It required quite a bit of post-incident tinkering, but that was well in hand.

‘I’ve got to be honest with you Genir, none of this makes any sense.’

‘I’m not as smart as you Gorn, but I’m a good officer and I’m telling you, I got no reply!’

‘They didn't just use inter-ship communication, they sent the order to your implant.’

‘That’s impossible,’ Genir replied, ‘there was no order.’

Gorn stood. ‘Why haven’t you told them all of this?’

‘Because I didn't know it was an issue. No-one’s told me why I’m under house arrest. You're the first person to tell me, and I’ve given you the explanation.’

‘So, do you want me to pass this on?’

‘Don’t be stupid Gorn, of course I want you to pass it on,’ Genir stood and looked directly into his friend’s eyes. ‘You know me better than anyone, have I ever lied to you?’

Gorn shook his head. ‘You know they’ll want to carry out tests, if they haven’t already.’

‘Let them, I’ve nothing to hide.’

‘Fine, I’ll pass everything on, I’m sure you're right,’ Gorn's replied, his face belying the words.
   

Ω

‘This is absurd!’ Darl exploded to the only person present, Kirion. ‘How can it be that we don't get his message and he doesn't receive our orders, not once mark you, but twice? No implant has ever failed…has it?’

‘Not to my knowledge,’ the XO replied. ‘It’s a simple matter to check out the dart and carry out a test on the implant. Both will show, soon enough, that he’s lying.’

‘Pretty lame lie, if you ask me. See to it, at once!’ The commander then corrected himself. ‘No, better wait until young Gorn has reported back to us. After all, we did promise he wouldn’t be overheard.’

‘Very well, sir.’

Ω

‘Job well done Gorn, it couldn’t have been easy for you to confront your friend like that,’ Darl sounded most fatherlike
.
‘How did your friend react to being told we would carry out tests?’

‘He seemed to welcome it, sir.’

Darl nodded, sagely. ‘He’s been your friend since you were boys, what do you make of it?’

Gorn hesitated.

‘Come on lad, you must have a view.’

The young officer took a deep breath. ‘He sounded convincing, but,’ he paused as if knowing the next words would condemn his friend, ‘what he says doesn’t make sense. He isn’t just saying he received no orders through the standard communication setup, he’s gone further. I’m sorry, but the chances of both the communications setup and his implant failing,
at the same time,
are incalculable.’ All restraint gone, he ploughed on, ‘and remember he’s saying the inter-ship communication failed both ways, which makes the whole explanation even more absurd, unless you did get his request for clarification?’

Darl hurried to quash that last query. ‘We most certainly did not!’
 

Gorn reddened. ‘I’m sorry, sir, I didn't mean to suggest…’

‘No offence was taken, Gorn. You’re right to explore every possibility, it’s the least I would expect from my science officer.’ Darl looked over to Kirion. ‘XO, arrange for the dart to be examined within the hour, and straight after that have Genir’s implant checked. I would like Gorn to be present so he can later confirm that everything was carried out according to strict protocol,’ he glanced at the science officer, ‘does that sit well with you?’

‘Of course, sir, anything I can do to help.’

‘Good man. Now get back to your quarters. I can't promise you much rest but an hour at your age is worth three times that for us older ones,’ his attempt to lighten the mood failed, but Gorn still smiled.

Ω

Back in his quarters, Gorn communicated with the Avatar, which responded to the request with precision and no hint of pleasure or regret, it was incapable of those or any other emotion.
Why didn’t you let me know?

Because you asked me to communicate with you when I had succeeded in my task. You did not ask me to communicate any failure.

It was implicit!

With a machine, even at my level of sophistication, nothing is implicit.

Gorn knew the Avatar was, infuriatingly right. The machine was incapable of lying, but he could not ignore the feeling that it was being disingenuous,
that’s ridiculous,
he told himself, before turning to more pressing issues.
Wake up your master.

That is not possible.

Why isn’t that possible?

Because you are my master, and as we are communicating in what you would term ‘real time’, you must be awake.

Gorn gritted his teeth,
I meant your former master, Garnoth.
 

Very well.

Don’t you want to know why?

I do not need to know why.

Gorn was discovering that today was a day when things had to be explained, to friends and Avatars alike.

Ω

Kirion, flanked by Gorn and two technicians, walked through the doors of the hangar. The six troopers ringing the dart stood stiffly to attention. No sooner had the party got to the machine than the doors opened again. Kirion followed the startled looks of the guards to where he saw, marching briskly towards them, the disconcerting twin forms of Garnoth and his Avatar. The sigh that escaped from the XO was audible to everyone near him.

‘Garnoth, to what do we owe…’

‘Do not waste my time with pleasantries. Why was I not informed of this inspection, or the arrest of the dart pilot?’

‘Am I speaking to…’

Again Kirion was not allowed to finish his question. ‘That is hardly of consequence. Clearly, as we are both here, one of us must be Garnoth. Accordingly, I speak as Garnoth or with his express permission. Now answer my question, and consider the consequences of vacillation!’

If the XO was afraid of the unveiled threat, it did not show, however, he did tell the Agency head all that had been told to Gorn - the private conversations with his commander, he kept to himself - as well as Gorn’s meeting with his friend. When he was finished, Garnoth/Avatar smiled and looked over to Gorn. ‘I am quite impressed, if you tire of the humdrum life of a sailor, you might reconsider life in the Agency. That level of duplicity with your best friend is a trait we find admirable.’

Gorn reddened, but did not rise to the bait. Nevertheless, he was aware of everyone’s eyes boring into him and knew that, within days, his spying trip to his best friend would be all over the ship.

Kirion addressed both Garnoths. ‘Perhaps you will allow us to proceed?’

‘Indeed my dear man, proceed away.’

The XO waited a couple of minutes and when nothing happened, spoke again to the newcomers. ‘I can’t proceed until you’ve left.’

‘No, you need to proceed, and I intend to observe, so please get on with it,’ Garnoth/Avatar appeared to have finished, but then added. ‘You are not labouring under the misapprehension that my orders do not apply to everyone aboard this ship, you included, are you?’