“There might be a way,” Keene said. “Stay tuned.”
* * *
Since Keene’s call, Heeland had been making discreet inquiries about the accessibility of the ship’s outgoing communications beam. The situation didn’t look promising. Control was exercised from the surface, and the local monitoring stations in the Communications Room were manned by Zeigler’s own technicians, covered by guards posted there and in the adjoining Control Center. “Tapping in somewhere” in the way Keene had vaguely suggested sounded all very well in principle, but the reality would require expertise and opportunity of a kind that he hadn’t come close to identifying yet. He had remained in the Probe Director Section and was considering what to do next, when Keene came through again.
“Kerry, how far away is that flying mobile?”
“From you? About twenty miles east now.”
“I’m playing a hunch. Can we get a scan of the area south and eastward from the base toward the Spine? Sweep for transmissions? A couple of flyers left from here earlier, and more from Serengeti. I think they’re heading that way. We need to find them. It’s important.”
“That’s still a big area. You don’t have anything more specific?”
“Sorry, that’s the best I can do. We’ll have to trust to luck.”
“I’ll move the mobile over.”
“Can you launch the probes and use those? Cover more area. I want you to land the mobile here at Joburg. Is there any reason why a person can’t get a ride in it?”
“It’s not equipped to carry people.”
“How about in the probe racks? I’m not looking for first class.”
“I guess . . . if we kept the altitude low. It could get pretty cold up there all the same.”
“I’ve got the emergency blanket from the probe that’s here. What’s the mobile’s radiation shielding like?”
“It’s adequate. We still have to work around things like mobiles.”
“And communications?” Keene asked.
“That could be a problem. Like I said, it isn’t intended for passengers. It doesn’t carry any.” Heeland frowned. On the screen, Keene was racking his brains too to come up with something. “Unless!” Heeland said suddenly.
“What?”
“I only launch two of the probes and keep one in the mobile. Then you can use its local unit and the mobile’s on-board relay.”
“That’ll work. Do it. I’m on the ridge up above Joburg.”
“Hit the red button on the panel that says Locator Beacon. We’ll just follow it on down.”
* * *
Aztec didn’t have a Hub. While Trojan stood off at a distance of five miles, the ferry bringing its boarding party docked at the transfer locks situated slightly forward of midships. Minutes after the connection was made, armed parties were spreading out through the Aztec to secure it. Commander Reese with his officers received Major Ulak on the Bridge Deck and was formally notified that the vessel was now property of the Terran Planetary Government, and that his command was subordinated to the Defense Force. Ulak then made a surprising request: that the lieutenant-commander seconding the boarding party be permitted to speak privately with Ms. Vicki Delucey, one of the scientists from Kronia, who was traveling with the Aztec. She was notified accordingly, and by the time the officer was conducted to her cabin, she was already waiting there. Her expression didn’t change as the two guards who had escorted him ushered him through and closed the door.
“Hello, Robin,” she said.
* * *
Mertak came down from the upper level of OpCom and crossed through the guard quarters to the main door. Moving at a normal pace without show of undue haste, he left the fenced security compound and made his way to the power distribution house. Shayle was alone in the control room. Because of the number that were away with Jorff’s and Zeigler’s parties, no guard was posted here for the time being. All the same, he kept his voice low.
“They’re all together at a rendezvous location on the ground. It’s a valley southeast from here, just this side of the Spine. I’ve got the coordinates. . . .”
* * *
Keene had just relayed the numbers to Heeland, when one of his three escorts jumped up suddenly, peering up at the sky. The other two scrambled to their feet also. Keene stood up, following their gaze. His ears caught the muted whine of ducted fans, coming from the east. “Okay, I can hear it now,” he said into the handset from the probe.