Worst case is that we’ll all be dead in a few days.”
The pair were silent for a long time.
Jones blew out his cheeks. “So, why hasn’t he done that already? Brought the Empire down, I mean.”
Hamilton shrugged. “Maybe he’s changed his plans. Maybe the role of puppet-master appeals to him. Maybe he wants humans as hosts for more of his kind. Who knows?”
“Maybe he didn’t get back here at all?” Klane said, optimistically. Her face said she didn’t believe it though.
“So what’s our next step?” Jones asked.
“We wait.” Hamilton told them. “That’s all we can do right now. Rames and I have some plans in place, depending on what happens in the next few days. Until, and unless, Walsh shows his hand, all we can do is wait.”
*****
Rames showed up a few hours later, looking irritated and tired. He went and spoke to Grimes and Anderton, then the three of them joined up with Hamilton, Klane and Jones and retired to the ‘quiet’ alcove. Outside, the crew began to make more noise than usual to help cover any sounds of talking the six made in the booth.
Hamilton introduced Klane and Jones. Typically, Klane’s red prosthetic eye gained concerned looks.
Jones, seeing the reaction, leaned across to the other two and whispered. “Don’t stare at her eye…it drives her crazy!” He got an elbow in the ribs from Klane as he sat back. Clearly she had heard him.
The other two were introduced by Rames as his Executive Officer Grimes and Chief Medical Officer Anderton.
“You can trust them.” Rames told them.
Hamilton had met both men, but Rames had kept everyone else away from him. Other than doing typical medical tests, Anderton had said little during the trip back to Tantalus Station. He seemed content to let his Captain call the shots.
Hamilton reminded everyone, in brief, of what was going on.
There were questions from Rames and his two men, of course. That was inevitable. Hamilton had already filled them in as best he could, but there was too much that he didn’t know about Walsh to be of much help in answering their questions. The hardest part for any of them to get their heads around seemed to be the fact that they couldn’t do anything until Walsh showed his hand. Waiting around for the enemy to attack was not in their nature as military men.
Anderton frowned at them. “There must be some way we can use to detect who is one of these ‘possessed’ people, and who isn’t? Some sort of brain scan, perhaps?”
Hamilton nodded. “Probably. I doubt these aliens would give off the same sorts of results as a human would. The problem is, they aren’t going to line up to be scanned.”
Anderton nodded. “Hmmm. We’d need some sort of passive, quick scan. Something that could be attached to a fixed point and scan people as they passed by, without their knowledge.”
“Maybe something that could be built into existing weapon scanners at ports?” Grimes offered.
“Perhaps.” Hamilton allowed. “But that would require cooperation from the authorities. If we go public on this, Walsh and his allies will probably go into a sterilization mode, destroying everything and everyone they come across. At the moment, for whatever reason, he hasn’t done that. If we show ourselves as a threat, he’ll have to act.”
“It’s a big risk, just sitting here like this.” Rames stated. “There’s nothing to stop him simply flying a ship past the station and blowing the hell out of Q-section.”
Grimes scowled. “But that would mean his death, too. Any aggressive act towards the station would result in overwhelming retaliation by the Tantalus’ defenses.”
“It wouldn’t be him, as such.” Hamilton pointed out. “Remember, he controlled Vogerian through some sort of implant. If he decided to go down that route, the ship would be crewed by such people. But don’t worry, he won’t do that.”
“How can you be so sure?” Rames asked. “It’s what I’d do, if I were
The pair were silent for a long time.
Jones blew out his cheeks. “So, why hasn’t he done that already? Brought the Empire down, I mean.”
Hamilton shrugged. “Maybe he’s changed his plans. Maybe the role of puppet-master appeals to him. Maybe he wants humans as hosts for more of his kind. Who knows?”
“Maybe he didn’t get back here at all?” Klane said, optimistically. Her face said she didn’t believe it though.
“So what’s our next step?” Jones asked.
“We wait.” Hamilton told them. “That’s all we can do right now. Rames and I have some plans in place, depending on what happens in the next few days. Until, and unless, Walsh shows his hand, all we can do is wait.”
*****
Rames showed up a few hours later, looking irritated and tired. He went and spoke to Grimes and Anderton, then the three of them joined up with Hamilton, Klane and Jones and retired to the ‘quiet’ alcove. Outside, the crew began to make more noise than usual to help cover any sounds of talking the six made in the booth.
Hamilton introduced Klane and Jones. Typically, Klane’s red prosthetic eye gained concerned looks.
Jones, seeing the reaction, leaned across to the other two and whispered. “Don’t stare at her eye…it drives her crazy!” He got an elbow in the ribs from Klane as he sat back. Clearly she had heard him.
The other two were introduced by Rames as his Executive Officer Grimes and Chief Medical Officer Anderton.
“You can trust them.” Rames told them.
Hamilton had met both men, but Rames had kept everyone else away from him. Other than doing typical medical tests, Anderton had said little during the trip back to Tantalus Station. He seemed content to let his Captain call the shots.
Hamilton reminded everyone, in brief, of what was going on.
There were questions from Rames and his two men, of course. That was inevitable. Hamilton had already filled them in as best he could, but there was too much that he didn’t know about Walsh to be of much help in answering their questions. The hardest part for any of them to get their heads around seemed to be the fact that they couldn’t do anything until Walsh showed his hand. Waiting around for the enemy to attack was not in their nature as military men.
Anderton frowned at them. “There must be some way we can use to detect who is one of these ‘possessed’ people, and who isn’t? Some sort of brain scan, perhaps?”
Hamilton nodded. “Probably. I doubt these aliens would give off the same sorts of results as a human would. The problem is, they aren’t going to line up to be scanned.”
Anderton nodded. “Hmmm. We’d need some sort of passive, quick scan. Something that could be attached to a fixed point and scan people as they passed by, without their knowledge.”
“Maybe something that could be built into existing weapon scanners at ports?” Grimes offered.
“Perhaps.” Hamilton allowed. “But that would require cooperation from the authorities. If we go public on this, Walsh and his allies will probably go into a sterilization mode, destroying everything and everyone they come across. At the moment, for whatever reason, he hasn’t done that. If we show ourselves as a threat, he’ll have to act.”
“It’s a big risk, just sitting here like this.” Rames stated. “There’s nothing to stop him simply flying a ship past the station and blowing the hell out of Q-section.”
Grimes scowled. “But that would mean his death, too. Any aggressive act towards the station would result in overwhelming retaliation by the Tantalus’ defenses.”
“It wouldn’t be him, as such.” Hamilton pointed out. “Remember, he controlled Vogerian through some sort of implant. If he decided to go down that route, the ship would be crewed by such people. But don’t worry, he won’t do that.”
“How can you be so sure?” Rames asked. “It’s what I’d do, if I were
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