harder. There was a reason for meeting here—the dingy, paperwork-covered walls masked the most snoop-proofed facility on Callisto. The spaceline was a front organization for the United Planets Intelligence Agency, and Montoya was the local UPIA station chief. He reported to the security officer of the project no one had yet identified beyond veiled references to a nearby astronomical body, to which, not coincidentally, the only civilian flights authorized were Jovial charters.
“I don’t see why we couldn’t meet elsewhere,” Chung sniffed.
The diplomatic mission to the Snakes and the activity on Himalia were both as sensitive as could be. Eva thought it possible she was the only person other than the UP’s secretary-general to hold current clearances in both projects. Art’s boss, the ICU secretary-general, had accepted what little Art was allowed to convey—the urgent need for “my recent little project” to coordinate with an equally secretive UP effort, that could be alluded to only by identifying Eva’s security officer on Earth.
It was enough.
Eva did the introductions, identifying Montoya as a UPIA operative. Chung’s eyes narrowed, but he made no comment. “Gentlemen, there are a few key facts to make known. First,” and she nodded at Chung, “the installation at Himalia is not a prison, high-security or otherwise. That’s a cover story. It’s a research facility of extraordinary sensitivity.
“Second,” and she turned to Montoya, “our stated reason for being in the Jupiter system is equally fictitious. We’re about to meet, secretly at first, with interstellar visitors. Our callers are the species commonly called the Snakes.”
“The K’vithians,” Chung corrected. A lab hidden in the vast Jovian system did not impress him.
“Why Callisto?” Montoya asked. Being suspicious was what he did for a living.
“We’re not meeting on Callisto, only nearby,” Chung said. “The K’vithians need repairs and fuel. There was mention of auxiliary vessels scooping Jovian atmosphere.”
“Good thing you said something. Unidentified ships zooming about the area would have made the base defense team very nervous.” Montoya arched a caterpillar-like eyebrow. “I trust, Ambassador, you will direct these folks far away from Himalia?”
“That can be arranged.” Chung stood to leave, giving his staffers a cold glance.
Even with my few social skills, Eva thought, that undiplomatic look was easy to read: Why the fuss? “Sorry, there’s more. The K’vithians would have us believe they’re planning to scoop hydrogen. If that were their primary motivation, Art is correct: Given current planetary positions, an emergency stop at Saturn would have been more logical. Barring that, so would a closer-in orbit of Jupiter.
“Here’s the thing. The only energy source that’s practical for an interstellar mission is matter-antimatter annihilation.” Hers was but one of the UP research teams seeking theory that might lead to an interstellar drive. About all the competing teams ever agreed upon was the energy requirement. “Fusion is at best a secondary energy source for them. They didn’t even start their fusion drive until they were mostly decelerated.”
“Hmm.” Montoya locked eyes with Chung. “Now the other shoe drops, Ambassador. Our secret program on Himalia involves a factory. It is the solar system’s only antimatter factory. Maybe, just maybe, the Snakes somehow found that out.
“I mention this mainly for the reason we keep the factory’s very existence a secret. In the wrong hands, our stockpile could make the biggest H-bomb ever built look like a firecracker.”
The mission had reconvened in the Valhalla City community center for the final briefing before a subset headed off for the first in-person encounter with the K’vithians. Art had waved over Carlos Montoya to sit with Eva, Keizo, and himself.
“…momentous occasion,” intoned Ambassador Chung from the dais at the
“I don’t see why we couldn’t meet elsewhere,” Chung sniffed.
The diplomatic mission to the Snakes and the activity on Himalia were both as sensitive as could be. Eva thought it possible she was the only person other than the UP’s secretary-general to hold current clearances in both projects. Art’s boss, the ICU secretary-general, had accepted what little Art was allowed to convey—the urgent need for “my recent little project” to coordinate with an equally secretive UP effort, that could be alluded to only by identifying Eva’s security officer on Earth.
It was enough.
Eva did the introductions, identifying Montoya as a UPIA operative. Chung’s eyes narrowed, but he made no comment. “Gentlemen, there are a few key facts to make known. First,” and she nodded at Chung, “the installation at Himalia is not a prison, high-security or otherwise. That’s a cover story. It’s a research facility of extraordinary sensitivity.
“Second,” and she turned to Montoya, “our stated reason for being in the Jupiter system is equally fictitious. We’re about to meet, secretly at first, with interstellar visitors. Our callers are the species commonly called the Snakes.”
“The K’vithians,” Chung corrected. A lab hidden in the vast Jovian system did not impress him.
“Why Callisto?” Montoya asked. Being suspicious was what he did for a living.
“We’re not meeting on Callisto, only nearby,” Chung said. “The K’vithians need repairs and fuel. There was mention of auxiliary vessels scooping Jovian atmosphere.”
“Good thing you said something. Unidentified ships zooming about the area would have made the base defense team very nervous.” Montoya arched a caterpillar-like eyebrow. “I trust, Ambassador, you will direct these folks far away from Himalia?”
“That can be arranged.” Chung stood to leave, giving his staffers a cold glance.
Even with my few social skills, Eva thought, that undiplomatic look was easy to read: Why the fuss? “Sorry, there’s more. The K’vithians would have us believe they’re planning to scoop hydrogen. If that were their primary motivation, Art is correct: Given current planetary positions, an emergency stop at Saturn would have been more logical. Barring that, so would a closer-in orbit of Jupiter.
“Here’s the thing. The only energy source that’s practical for an interstellar mission is matter-antimatter annihilation.” Hers was but one of the UP research teams seeking theory that might lead to an interstellar drive. About all the competing teams ever agreed upon was the energy requirement. “Fusion is at best a secondary energy source for them. They didn’t even start their fusion drive until they were mostly decelerated.”
“Hmm.” Montoya locked eyes with Chung. “Now the other shoe drops, Ambassador. Our secret program on Himalia involves a factory. It is the solar system’s only antimatter factory. Maybe, just maybe, the Snakes somehow found that out.
“I mention this mainly for the reason we keep the factory’s very existence a secret. In the wrong hands, our stockpile could make the biggest H-bomb ever built look like a firecracker.”
The mission had reconvened in the Valhalla City community center for the final briefing before a subset headed off for the first in-person encounter with the K’vithians. Art had waved over Carlos Montoya to sit with Eva, Keizo, and himself.
“…momentous occasion,” intoned Ambassador Chung from the dais at the
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