the six officers saluted in response. “But I’m sure none of you will have to face those dire consequences. At the end of this communication, you will leave your current orbit posts and take up assigned positions locked into your Icewind control terminals. I will be constantly monitoring all of you. Bungling will be detected immediately—and noted. So don’t try to cover up any mistakes. Simply correct them. Treachery will be punished rather quickly. Very well. Project Icewind begins . . . now."
The six commanders saluted again and quickly turned to their own bridge crews. Satisfaction played into Diana’s expression. It still intoxicated her to watch inferiors jump to carry out her orders. She touched a toggle switch on her console, and the images on the screen changed from interior views of bridges to exterior shots of the six Mother Ships turning and lumbering away from their usual patrol positions. Their destinations were preordained, programmed into their Icewind software, making the giant starships puppets dancing to Diana’s whim.
“Tactical,” Diana barked.
Lydia waited insolently for a moment, then punched up a flat global map of Earth, a green grid overlaying it like a monstrous planetary fence. Six spots of light moved across the map. They represented the Mother Ships as they changed location, and each spot was a different color.
They were all moving toward a solid red line shaped into an S-curve that snaked over the northernmost stretch of the earth’s surface—over Scandinavia, Siberia, the Arctic Circle, Canada. As Diana watched, her eyes intent, the Visitor vessels converged with the curved graph line. One by one the indicator spots slid into place, each setting off a tinted flare like a tiny supernova on the map grid. Once in position, each spot continued flashing at a lower level of brilliance.
Finally all six were on the S-line, and they pulsed in unison. Diana leaned forward. “Engage Icewind generators.”
On the tactical screen the indicator spots brightened one at a time and held that intensity. When all six had done so, Lydia turned to the commander. “All generators engaged, Diana. All telemetry monitors operating, all systems read nominal.” “Very good, Lydia.”
“Exactly what effect will Project Icewind have?”
Diana half smiled. “The humans have an adage about curiosity, my dear. They say it killed the cat.”
The blond officer stiffened. “This has nothing to do with curiosity. You’ve kept me in the dark through the entire planning of this project, in spite of the fact that my security staff should know everything going on in this fleet.” Diana’s eyes sparked with anger. “Don’t forget who the superior officer is, Commander. You and your security staff know only what I want you to know.”
“Need I remind you that I’m also second in command? If anything happens to you, I’ll need to know all classified data, including your precious Project Icewind.”
Diana abruptly stood. “Report to my quarters in ten minutes and you’ll be briefed.” Tossing her mane of dark hair over her shoulder, she turned and left the bridge.
* * *
“Sit down,” said Diana as Lydia came into her cabin. Diana slipped a small cassette into her desk-top computer and the screen played back a full-color simulation of what seemed to be cloud patterns above the continent of North America. The brown-and-green land mass was clear at first. As they watched, roiling white clouds began to form in the Arctic region and massed in angry swirls, marching down and across the continent. After a few seconds, they covered all of North America. But instead of continuing out to sea past the East Coast, the clouds kept churning over land. Smaller storm patterns formed on the coast and drew moisture in from the Atlantic, injecting it into the growing main disturbance. Then the tape ended.
Lydia sat on the edge of the desk, her arms crossed. “And what was all that?”
“That, darling, is what
The six commanders saluted again and quickly turned to their own bridge crews. Satisfaction played into Diana’s expression. It still intoxicated her to watch inferiors jump to carry out her orders. She touched a toggle switch on her console, and the images on the screen changed from interior views of bridges to exterior shots of the six Mother Ships turning and lumbering away from their usual patrol positions. Their destinations were preordained, programmed into their Icewind software, making the giant starships puppets dancing to Diana’s whim.
“Tactical,” Diana barked.
Lydia waited insolently for a moment, then punched up a flat global map of Earth, a green grid overlaying it like a monstrous planetary fence. Six spots of light moved across the map. They represented the Mother Ships as they changed location, and each spot was a different color.
They were all moving toward a solid red line shaped into an S-curve that snaked over the northernmost stretch of the earth’s surface—over Scandinavia, Siberia, the Arctic Circle, Canada. As Diana watched, her eyes intent, the Visitor vessels converged with the curved graph line. One by one the indicator spots slid into place, each setting off a tinted flare like a tiny supernova on the map grid. Once in position, each spot continued flashing at a lower level of brilliance.
Finally all six were on the S-line, and they pulsed in unison. Diana leaned forward. “Engage Icewind generators.”
On the tactical screen the indicator spots brightened one at a time and held that intensity. When all six had done so, Lydia turned to the commander. “All generators engaged, Diana. All telemetry monitors operating, all systems read nominal.” “Very good, Lydia.”
“Exactly what effect will Project Icewind have?”
Diana half smiled. “The humans have an adage about curiosity, my dear. They say it killed the cat.”
The blond officer stiffened. “This has nothing to do with curiosity. You’ve kept me in the dark through the entire planning of this project, in spite of the fact that my security staff should know everything going on in this fleet.” Diana’s eyes sparked with anger. “Don’t forget who the superior officer is, Commander. You and your security staff know only what I want you to know.”
“Need I remind you that I’m also second in command? If anything happens to you, I’ll need to know all classified data, including your precious Project Icewind.”
Diana abruptly stood. “Report to my quarters in ten minutes and you’ll be briefed.” Tossing her mane of dark hair over her shoulder, she turned and left the bridge.
* * *
“Sit down,” said Diana as Lydia came into her cabin. Diana slipped a small cassette into her desk-top computer and the screen played back a full-color simulation of what seemed to be cloud patterns above the continent of North America. The brown-and-green land mass was clear at first. As they watched, roiling white clouds began to form in the Arctic region and massed in angry swirls, marching down and across the continent. After a few seconds, they covered all of North America. But instead of continuing out to sea past the East Coast, the clouds kept churning over land. Smaller storm patterns formed on the coast and drew moisture in from the Atlantic, injecting it into the growing main disturbance. Then the tape ended.
Lydia sat on the edge of the desk, her arms crossed. “And what was all that?”
“That, darling, is what
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