A Memory in the Black (The New Aeneid Cycle) by Michael G. Munz Page A
Authors: Michael G. Munz
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shock up to that point, unsure what to say and afraid of what happened himself. But he rallied and managed to keep in the room those who wanted to leave. Be patient, he urged, someone would be back soon. He had no loyalty to ESA, but he needed to support Marette. Letting the hackers run unescorted through the complex would be a security risk on multiple fronts.
Marette returned soon after. The look on her face spoke before she did: Namura was dead. They would all return to Alpha Station while the Space Agency determined what went wrong and how to proceed, if at all. She was composed, solemn, and professional. Marc guessed she was as frightened and saddened by what happened as the rest of them, but she was used to dealing with a more disciplined group that would draw its focus and strength from that sort of leadership.
To the hackers, it had only made her appear cold. Shouts erupted anew. Elsa and Gunther spearheaded. Demands came again for answers, for assurances, and finally, for just some visible show of emotion on Marette's part.
Marette had remained calm.
It was a reaction that had launched Elsa across the room at her. It took Maria and Nigel to hold Elsa back from actually striking Marette. In those moments Marc saw a pain slice through Marette that she hid before the others could see.
The confrontation had ended there. Guards escorted them back to the shuttle. Marette did not join them.
It wasn't until an hour after they landed at the stat ion that Nick had approached Marc in his quarters; he, Gunther, and Elsa were going to hack the base computers and find out what they could, and would Marc help?
Now, two hours later and all the more weary, Marc gave them much the same answer as he'd given Nick the first time: "I can't help you with this."
"You can't, " Elsa asked, "or you won't?"
"Both! ESA brought us here? If they catch you hacking Alpha Station—"
"Yeah, but if you're helping us, w e won't get caught!"
Marc sighed. Nick had said the three had already tried within the past hour. Marc's initial attempts at persuasion hadn't been enough, but they'd only gotten so far before hitting a wall.
"You've already been in there once," Marc said. "You didn't find anything, and from what you tell me, you barely got away undetected."
"That's why we need you!" Gunther said. "With a fourth we can do it. I already know how."
"But you don't know if there's anything there worth the risk! ESA's just as shocked about what happened as we are. They wouldn't send us to test something like that. And they couldn't kill someone through their own rig, even if they wanted to!"
"Oh, there's something in there." Elsa shot to her feet. "The three of us found a whole partition about the complex that's blacked out with cryptog. You can't tell me they're not hiding something! And you can't tell me that ESA bitch felt anything for Suzanne! You saw her when she came back in the room!"
Marc's fists clenched . He faced her down. "She's in command of the whole place, she can't wear her heart on her sleeve! If you'd looked in her eyes instead of taking a swing at her maybe you'd have figured that out!"
Gunther stood up as if to step between them. Elsa just stared Marc down, and he broke under the weight of her gaze.
"Yeah, okay, come on, Marc," Nick tried. "We need you. Maria's too spooked and Nigel won't risk it, either."
"Sounds like they've got the right idea." Marc didn't know how much about Paragon ESA kept in the Alpha Station computers, but he needed to do his best to keep the information secret.
"We need a fourth," Gunther repeated.
"We need a cryptog specialist," Elsa growled, "but the best one we had is dead. Or is that just coincidence?"
"Elsa," Gunther warned.
Marc scowled back at her. "Oh, come on, you can't think that—" The door signal cut him off. He put off Elsa with a wave of his hand and checked the door. "It's Marette."
"Chief Clarion?"
"On a first name basis, I see," Elsa muttered.
Marc shook his head at
Marette returned soon after. The look on her face spoke before she did: Namura was dead. They would all return to Alpha Station while the Space Agency determined what went wrong and how to proceed, if at all. She was composed, solemn, and professional. Marc guessed she was as frightened and saddened by what happened as the rest of them, but she was used to dealing with a more disciplined group that would draw its focus and strength from that sort of leadership.
To the hackers, it had only made her appear cold. Shouts erupted anew. Elsa and Gunther spearheaded. Demands came again for answers, for assurances, and finally, for just some visible show of emotion on Marette's part.
Marette had remained calm.
It was a reaction that had launched Elsa across the room at her. It took Maria and Nigel to hold Elsa back from actually striking Marette. In those moments Marc saw a pain slice through Marette that she hid before the others could see.
The confrontation had ended there. Guards escorted them back to the shuttle. Marette did not join them.
It wasn't until an hour after they landed at the stat ion that Nick had approached Marc in his quarters; he, Gunther, and Elsa were going to hack the base computers and find out what they could, and would Marc help?
Now, two hours later and all the more weary, Marc gave them much the same answer as he'd given Nick the first time: "I can't help you with this."
"You can't, " Elsa asked, "or you won't?"
"Both! ESA brought us here? If they catch you hacking Alpha Station—"
"Yeah, but if you're helping us, w e won't get caught!"
Marc sighed. Nick had said the three had already tried within the past hour. Marc's initial attempts at persuasion hadn't been enough, but they'd only gotten so far before hitting a wall.
"You've already been in there once," Marc said. "You didn't find anything, and from what you tell me, you barely got away undetected."
"That's why we need you!" Gunther said. "With a fourth we can do it. I already know how."
"But you don't know if there's anything there worth the risk! ESA's just as shocked about what happened as we are. They wouldn't send us to test something like that. And they couldn't kill someone through their own rig, even if they wanted to!"
"Oh, there's something in there." Elsa shot to her feet. "The three of us found a whole partition about the complex that's blacked out with cryptog. You can't tell me they're not hiding something! And you can't tell me that ESA bitch felt anything for Suzanne! You saw her when she came back in the room!"
Marc's fists clenched . He faced her down. "She's in command of the whole place, she can't wear her heart on her sleeve! If you'd looked in her eyes instead of taking a swing at her maybe you'd have figured that out!"
Gunther stood up as if to step between them. Elsa just stared Marc down, and he broke under the weight of her gaze.
"Yeah, okay, come on, Marc," Nick tried. "We need you. Maria's too spooked and Nigel won't risk it, either."
"Sounds like they've got the right idea." Marc didn't know how much about Paragon ESA kept in the Alpha Station computers, but he needed to do his best to keep the information secret.
"We need a fourth," Gunther repeated.
"We need a cryptog specialist," Elsa growled, "but the best one we had is dead. Or is that just coincidence?"
"Elsa," Gunther warned.
Marc scowled back at her. "Oh, come on, you can't think that—" The door signal cut him off. He put off Elsa with a wave of his hand and checked the door. "It's Marette."
"Chief Clarion?"
"On a first name basis, I see," Elsa muttered.
Marc shook his head at
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