On The Imperium’s Secret Service (Imperium Cicernus) (50 page)

“And what would they do,” Fitz mused, “if the wormholes fell?”

He shook his head.  “Tell them that the
Bruce Wayne
has a special mission and cannot be used to transport anyone anywhere,” he said.  His face twisted into a grin.  “Such a pity we didn't bring the
Happy Wanderer
.  We could have stuffed everyone in the hold and forced them to endure it for a few weeks as we took the long way back home.”

Mariko shrugged.  “There’s not much else to tell you,” she said.  “When do you want to leave?”

“When do I want to leave?”  Fitz asked.  “Now.  When are we
going
to leave?  Shortly after I’ve had a chat with my second here, someone with enough augmentation and seniority to keep everyone else under control.”

“Understood,” Mariko said.  “What
will
happen to these people if the wormholes fall?”

“It would be bad,” Fitz said.  “Long-term, Tuff isn’t really a place for humans.  You can't grow human foods on the planet easily and what we can eat often comes with a sting in the tail.  And the devices that keep the most dangerous animals from going near the compound will eventually start to fail, because there will be no spare parts coming in.  Everyone here might wind up dead in a year if the wormholes fell and no one came back to check on them.”

“Or maybe they will build their own society,” Mariko said.

“Maybe,” Fitz agreed.  “I wonder how long it will be before it devolves into savagery?

Mariko walked over to the window and looked outside.  Hundreds of aristocrats were lying on the lawn near the shuttle, either trying to recover from their ordeal or hoping that there would be a chance to get onboard the shuttle and fly away from Tuff.  Very few of them were doing anything to actually
help
, even though there was plenty that needed to be done to get the compound ready for long-term survival.  How long would it be until their bodyguards realised that they were the ones in control – and that their charges could no longer call upon vast reserves of money and power to squash imprudent employees?  And
then
what would happen?

There was a click as the door opened.  “You wanted to see me, sir?”

The bodyguard looked surprisingly friendly, with a very pleasant face.  “Yes,” Fitz said.  “Listen carefully.”

Mariko slipped away as Fitz started to explain what was going to happen in the very near future – unless they managed to stop it.  She walked down to the shuttle and clambered in through the hatch, ignoring the pair of aristocrats who tried to push their way into the shuttle after her.  Both of them had to jump back to avoid having their hands mashed in the hatch as it closed.  Mai was sitting in the pilot’s console, running through a series of simulations using the data on wormholes Fitz had picked up on Sumter.  It hadn't been a very complete data package, he’d noted at the time.  The Imperium wanted to keep all details on wormholes classified as much as possible.

“I still don’t know what they intend to do,” Mai admitted, finally.  “I think I understand the basic equations, but I don’t quite see how they link into reality.”

The hatch opened behind them to admit Fitz.  “Take us to orbit,” he ordered, shortly.  “We’ve done all we can here.”

Mariko tapped the loudspeaker and spoke into it, knowing that it would be deafening on the outside of the hull.  “THIS SHUTTLE IS ABOUT TO TAKE OFF,” she said, as she brought the engines online and prepared to launch.  “PLEASE MOVE AWAY FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY.”

Fitz chuckled as they watched the aristocrats pick themselves up and run.  “I think that they have learned something from this,” he said.  “The universe doesn't bend to their will, no matter how much they scream and protest about it.”

Mariko grinned and gunned the engines.  The shuttle leapt into the bright sky and climbed towards orbit.  There was little else in space to worry about, but she kept one eye on the sensor feed anyway.  She wouldn't have put it past the Secessionists to mine local space, just to ensure that their hostages remained firmly stuck on the planet.  Mines were illegal, but then so was revolution.  She couldn't remember if destroying the wormholes was actually a crime – the Imperium wouldn’t have wanted to give people ideas – yet it hardly mattered.  It would be terrorism and treason on an unheard-of scale.

“So,” Mai asked.  “Now what?”

“Now?”  Fitz said.  “Now we stop Lady Mary, whatever the cost.”

“Take us out of orbit,” Fitz ordered, as soon as they were onboard the
Bruce Wayne
.  “Set course for...”

He hesitated.  Mariko understood; if the wormholes were already down, heading to the nearest wormhole would only add to the time it would take to reach Sumter through phase drive.  But if the wormholes were still active, they’d cut weeks off their transit time by heading to the nearest wormhole station.

“Take us to Ming,” he ordered, finally.  “A few extra days probably won’t make much difference if the wormholes are already gone.”

Mariko nodded and walked up to the command deck.  The ship’s automated systems were already blinking up reports, noting that there had been three attempts to enter the ship’s personal space – Imperial Law stated that a sphere of space around a ship was reserved exclusively for that ship, and could not be entered without permission or a valid warrant – and it had eventually resorted to firing warning shots to deter further attempts to land on its hull.  Mariko dismissed it impatiently and brought up the main drive, ignoring half of the checks to speed their departure from Tuff.

“I looked at the tracking data from the ships that left Tuff a day ago,” Fitz said.  “They all headed in the general direction of Ming, too.”

Mariko looked up at him.  “You think that their plan has already begun?”

“I think so,” Fitz said, “but it is extremely difficult to coordinate any sort of operation across interstellar distances.  Just ask Admiral Custer-Bomb.”

Mariko blinked.  “Who?”  She tapped the final command into the console and
Bruce Wayne
started sliding out of orbit, heading for the lower edge of the phase limit.

“He had a plan that looked great on paper,” Fitz explained.  “It called for three prongs of attack directed against a small alien empire, using the overwhelming might of the Imperial Navy to defeat them – it looked unbeatable.  But when the plan was actually launched, it was an absolute disaster; fleets were delayed, or unable to coordinate with the other fleets...the aliens managed to defeat two of the prongs before the third finally drove home and ended their threat.”

He shook his head.  “Lady Mary is smart, so I don’t think that she will repeat that mistake.  She should also know not to count on the wormholes; after all, she’s planning to destroy them.  So my guess is that the Secessionists have concentrated their forces somewhere nearby, without being detected, and she’s gone to join them.  At which point she will lead them against Sumter, presumably helped by a fifth column on the planet.”

Mariko nodded, slowly.  “So,” she said, “what are we going to do?”

“If we get there before the Secessionist fleet, we will warn Prather and the Admiral – and use priority codes to summon reinforcements from the Imperial Navy,” Fitz said.  “And if not...”

He shook his head.  “We will have to improvise.”

Bruce Wayne
crossed the phase limit, picking up speed all the time.  “Take us into phase space,” Fitz ordered, “and push the drives as hard as you can.  They should endure long enough to get us to Ming.”

Mariko nodded, watching the power levels rise slowly, but surely.  Overloading a phase drive eventually led to it burning out, standing a starship in interstellar space if it happened at the wrong time.  Fitz was confident in his ship, but Mariko wasn't so sure. 

Yet he was right.  If they reached Sumter before suffering a catastrophic drive failure, it would be worth the expense of rebuilding the ship’s drive from scratch. 

“Here we go,” she said.  She glanced at the timer and scowled.  “Thirty-seven hours to Ming, assuming the drive manages to bear up under the strain.  Interstellar Couriers would be proud of us.”

“So would the Imperial Navy,” Fitz observed.  “Once we reach Sumter, we will assume
Clark Kent
mode instead of
Wally West
.  Assuming we get there first, of course.”

He shook his head again.  “There’s no point in speculating now,” he added.  “Make sure you get some sleep and...”

“You’re always telling us to sleep,” Mariko said, dryly.  “Or do you have something else in mind?”

“Better to sleep when you have the chance,” Fitz said.  “You might not be able to sleep when you
need
it.”

Mariko smiled.  “Military wisdom?”

“Something like that,” Fitz said.  He held out a hand.  “But something else would be good, too.”

***

Mariko lay on Fitz’s bed, looking up at the darkness of phase space.  It would be romantic if the stars were blazing down, she told herself, and then nearly burst out laughing.  How
could
she worry about romance at a time like this? 

They were on their way to what might very well be a suicide mission.  Lady Mary wouldn't let the grass grow under her feet.  As soon as she had her fleet ready, she would move against Sumter and take the wormhole junction by force, perhaps with the help of the Snakes.  And then where would they be?

“You’re good,” she whispered.  It was true; Fitz was the best lover she’d had.  “Thank you.”

“I learned it in school,” Fitz said, with a wink.  “The spies academy taught me how to hit the G-spot every time.”

Mariko gaped at him and then burst out laughing.  “That...that is absurd!”

“Why?”  Fitz asked, seriously.  “You honestly think that Richardson is the only person who got into a compromising position because of his lusts?”

Mariko shrugged.  The thought had never occurred to her, and she said so.

“You’d be amazed at how many security headaches have started with someone being a little indiscreet,” Fitz informed her.  “Get a lusty young man into a bugged bedroom, give him a night to remember with a hot blonde right out of Central Casting – and then hit him with the pictures and a threat to inform everyone if he doesn't cooperate.”

He grinned.  “Or someone can be tricked into thinking that the hot little honey on their arm is actually in love with them.  It’s astonishing what people will say if they are very subtly interrogated after having sex.”

“You just like being disconcerting,” Mariko said.  She grinned, mischievously.  “Two people can play at that game.  When are we getting married?”

Fitz looked alarmed, just for a second.  “You
do
realise that being married to me isn’t going to be particularly safe?” he asked.  “Even if Lady Mary is killed before she can blow my cover throughout the entire Imperium, there will always be a chance that someone else will figure out the secret and target my wife in revenge.”

He hesitated.  “On the other hand, if I marry you, I probably won’t become my father’s Heir,” he said, thoughtfully.  “That sounds wonderful.  Marry me!”

They shared a laugh. 

“More seriously, people
do
get pushed together when risking their lives,” he added.  “If you can still stand the sight of me a year from now, ask me then and we will see.”

Mariko nodded as one of his hands reached up to play with her breasts, and then let out a throaty sigh as his other hand moved between her legs.  “You’re
still
horny?” she asked.  “How long can you go on for?”

“Ah, the joys of augmentation,” Fitz said.  “Would you be surprised to hear that a boosted penis is everyone’s favourite present once they mature enough that they can take it?”