As soon as John entered the Mountain's OC back in Prime, he realized something was different; there was a buzz about the club.
Although some people were leaving, the bar was still busy, and he saw why: the corporal was nowhere in sight, and Luinan was tending.
"Ah, the legendary geologist," she said drying the inside of a glass with a bar towel.
"Kind of lowly for a queen, don't you think?" he told her over the subsiding clamor of more patrons leaving.
"Not at all." She laughed. "It's sort of a family thing."
"And what's this about a legend?" he asked as Luinan began wiping spills from the labradorite bar.
"It's said the Great War will end by the hand of a scientist of Earth,"
she said.
"Doesn't mean it's an Earth scientist or a geologist, just a scientist from the earth," he said realizing there could be scientists from elsewhere.
"Probably something like that. What can I get you?" Luinan smiled.
"Guinness thanks," John said and wondering how to approach the semantic enigma.
Luinan slid him a Guinness with a shamrock etched on its creamy head.
"Quick and clever," he said and then took a sip as he looked over the club with a brown, foamy mustache at the departing crowd.
"Shift change," Luinan said and touched her lips.
"Thanks, I thought it was just me," John said as he dabbed his upper lip with a bar napkin.
"And, I thought you'd be stopping in," she said pointing to his beer.
"Jen and Jennifer Scott gave their regrets for not being here. There's too much going on in Plus," John said.
"I know. Thanks."
"I guess, like Tye, you can't say much about the future."
"Prime has its own future, so I can't say," Luinan said stacking glasses in the wash bay.
He could ask the queen so many questions, but did not know where to start. He took another sip of beer to reflect on several as he jumped at a poke in his side.
"You're letting the queen do the dishes?" Jenny said sitting down next to him with a wink at Luinan as the queen set a neat scotch with a small jug of water in front of her.
"The corporal has some competition," John said admiring his ale.
"I'll say," Jenny replied solemnly as John slid off his bar stool.
"And if you'll excuse me for a moment, nature calls," he said leaving for the head.
Luinan studied Jenny as she added a splash of water to her scotch.
"What's on your mind Colonel?" Luinan said.
"That obvious?"
"To some."
"We've got one chance," Jenny explained, "and a slim one at that to create the Sojourn, but—"
"The attack on the Mountain," Luinan interrupted her. "Tye has informed me."
"There's someone in the STS or Chronos that's responsible. I just don't know whom to trust," Jenny said. She knew they had to find those responsible or they risked everything.
"I agree," Luinan said. "Any ideas?"
"You and Tye have proven yourselves and John has been literally dragged through all this, so I trust him."
"Talk to Tye," Luinan said leaning close, "if she can vouch for Higgs, then you'll have an excellent team to catch a traitor. Our family tends to be good judges of character."
"Miss anything?" John asked as he rejoined them.
"I'll catch you up later," Jenny said.
"You should know that if you can construct the Sojourn," Luinan said, "you'll get a formal visit from the Time Corps' Integrity Commission. Know you have inherent rights to self-determination; they can forget that with new contacts."
"Doesn't the Sojourn prohibit transits?" John asked.
Jenny poked him the ribs again.
"Ow!" He jumped.
"Absolutely," Luinan said ignoring them and continuing to wash glasses. "While the poles remain in flux and even for a period after the reversal."
"That's what I thought." John said, confused and rubbing his side.
Jenny's pad activated.
"Tye has been able to isolate the AI on Hudson's pad," Jenny said.
"And she has reconstituted enough of recent citations to confirm the vanguard of the Leadership is running things upline of Plus. It looks like they have been cautious even though they are clearly years ahead of schedule."
"Sounds like the Leadership," Luinan said while taking an order from an officer at the other end of the bar.
"Luinan, do you think the Sojourn could be constructed in Plus?"
Jenny asked knowing that could simplify the mission greatly if possible.
"Good idea," John added. "Calgary is already depopulated in Plus and the secondary disruption to the enemy there could be a tactical advantage."
"I don't think it's possible, but you should check with Tye," Luinan said while shaking a martini.
Jenny said, "I just don't know how to get to Plus in time for the flare."
"If you'll excuse me," Luinan said, handing the corporal, who had just returned, her towel and the still full cocktail shaker. "I believe the Deputy Director has more questions before the President's briefing."
The corporal raised an eyebrow at John's empty glass, but John shook his head.
"I need to check on the current instability data stream and Kate's probably waiting in the lab," he told Jenny, sliding off his bar stool while watching Luinan leave the OC. "And what's with the poke in the ribs?"
"Didn't you get what she was saying?" Jenny said softly, "The Family and Time Corps must transit differently."
"Oh, I got it all right." John frowned rubbing his ribs again.
"I need to talk to Tye and Higgs," Jenny said. "Meet you later in the mess?"
"It is steak night," he said through a grin.
Arriving in the Chronos lab, Jenny saw Tye bent over a table looking at the guts of Hudson's disassembled pad. The lab appeared back to its normal state of chaos.
"Where's the major?" Jenny asked.
"He had some questions for Seth regarding the EMP. He should be back anytime."
"Tye," Jenny said, "the attack on the Mountain was timed to coincide with your modification of the TR monopole sleeves. We have to discover who is responsible. I've known Rodney for a long time, but I don't know if I trust anyone anymore."
"I trust the major without reservation," she said with conviction.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Jenny said just as Higgs entered the lab.
"Good work on the pad," Jenny told him.
"Thanks," Higgs said, "but it was the 2nd lieutenant here who worked around some of the toughest security protocols I've ever seen."
"Do you know of any way to construct the Sojourn in Plus in time for the flare?" Jenny asked them.
Higgs looked at her thoughtfully. "We've tossed that around," he said, "but can't come up with a way to transit to Plus soon enough. And their TR modification work is relatively low priority given they are practically under siege."
Tye nodded agreement.
Jenny sighed and looked at Higgs. "We've got another problem," she said. "We have to find out who tipped off the enemy to the TR
modification experiment and attacked the mountain. You have any ideas?"
Higgs said, "All Chronos has been UD scanned so unless there's a renegade Family member in the STS—"
"Unlikely," Tye said sternly while giving him a fierce look.
"That narrows it down," Higgs said sheepishly.
"Yeah," Jenny agreed, "right down to a Prime traitor."
"The lab explosion coinciding with the attack is an enormous coincidence and strongly suggests temporal interference," Tye said.
"Communication is possible across fractime, as you know, from our work to contact Luinan and the data transmissions from Piquet," she added.
"That would explain the instantaneous attack," Jenny said.
"As our efforts to uncover them have been unsuccessful," Tye said,
"we must force them to expose themselves."
"A trap." Higgs said gently rubbing his chin.
"We must make them use their communication device," Tye said.
"As such transmissions are open; we can now monitor any broadcast using the Piquet equipment and with minor modifications, we can pinpoint the source."
"So the enemy could have overheard the Pelee data transmissions?"
Jenny said with shock knowing the magnetic-field data could lead the enemy right to Calgary.
"It is unlikely the enemy or Time Corps monitored 1902 Prime. It is too far in advance of the war's front," Tye said.
"But not impossible?" Higgs asked.
"No," Tye replied. "And not unheard of unfortunately, as significant historical events can attract scientific interest across fractime."
"We can supply misinformation about the EMP," Higgs suggested,
"and see if they take the bait. You can bet the traitor understands the situation and will be exceedingly cautious. But who would be above suspicion to provide the misinformation?"
After a moment, they all said 'Mackinac'.
Tye giggled at the happenstance.
"Give Tye and me a chance to think of something." Higgs told Jenny.
"I'm meeting John in the mess," Jenny said. "I'll see if he has any other ideas."
"Not much time," Tye replied. "And there is something else everyone should realize. The EPFCG's enormous energy will mean it cannot be tested without divulging our plan to the enemy."
"So, we'll have one shot to get it right," Jenny said.
"We're afraid so," Higgs concurred.
Heading to the mess to meet John, Jenny received a com that the Deputy Director wanted to see her in his office.
Arriving at Morris' office, the door was open. He waved her in, brushing aside his station's displays.
"I thought President Chambers was here," she said.
"He's meeting with Queen Luinan," he said sounding a bit miffed.
"But I've got an update on Operation Sundial: the STS Sojourn mission.
Higgs has briefed me on the technical details. Although the President is withholding final judgment for a while longer, we are go for initial planning, and the Canadians are onboard with the proposed EMP stations around Calgary. General West will be coordinating the Calgary defense parameter, and Timberin will do the same in Plus.
"Any ideas on the Moonbase team?" Jenny asked.
"You are volunteering?" he asked with disbelief.
"No way," she said. "You know how sea sick I get."
"I think there's a risk the EMP could affect the Moonbase, but Higgs assures me it's safe," Morris said shaking his head. "Anyway, the mission specialists are currently unnamed. You got any recommendations?"
"When's the next launch window?" she asked.
Morris looked dreadfully tired. "Ten to twenty days," he replied.
"Damn. That's not much time," she said. "Robert Polleto is the best EM spectrum guy we have, and I'd have a security team along, too."
"I'm afraid there are only two seats on the Luna Utility Shuttle; the other shuttles are in the middle of their launch prep cycle. More NASA cuts," Morris explained grimly.
"Then I'd recommend Master Gunnery Sergeant Mathews. He's zero-g trained and has an EVA from the new space station under his belt,"
Jenny said. She had trusted Dutch with her life on more than one occasion, and she had confidence he could provide redundancy if he had to for Robert's part of the mission as well.
"I don't think we'll have to convince the President it's a STS
mission," Morris said. "I'll see what I can do."
Jenny suddenly felt hungry seeing Tye, Higgs and John seated around a table as she entered the mess.
"I recommend the steak over the salmon," John told her solemnly as she joined them.
"So that's the fish," Higgs said staring at his plate.
"Thanks," Jenny said looking at the sight of the mostly eaten T-bone on John's plate.
"I assume you've been brought up to date?" she asked him.
"Just the bare bones," John said taking another bite.
Higgs moaned.
"I was just about to inform the captain about the EMP's parameters,"
Tye said. "Because Calgary is within the optimum position with respect to the current North Pole, the EMP device should occupy less than five cubic meters."
"And should be easily transported in a conventional truck," Higgs added. "We thought if we devised a simple system of several supposedly redundant and connected devices with a central command unit covering most of Calgary, we could covertly keep the real EMP just out of town."
"Several decoys to keep them busy. I like it," Jenny said.
"The actual optimal location is just north of the city," Tye added.
"This has the additional advantage that most of the troops assigned to the Calgary defense should survive the detonation."
"Plus' history indicates the flare should be at its peak in 28 days,"
John said. "And there's been no substantial change in either the Earth's field strength or the Calgary instability."
"Great flares are highly unpredictable," Tye said. "We must be ready as soon as possible."
"Tye has already started construction of the flare emission monitor,"
Higgs said.
"It should be rudimentary to operate," Tye said and then cautioned,
"but there always can be unforeseen issues."
"I've recommended Robert for the mission," Jenny said. "Along with Dutch for security."
"Robert would be my choice as well," Tye added. "I will train them both in the operation of the device. We'll tap into the available EM dishes at the Moonbase, but even so, we'll need a directional sensor package
outside the lunar modules. The actual monitoring package will be relatively small, less than half a square meter."
"That's good," Jenny said, "as it seems the only operational shuttle has limited space."
"My Plus twin has volunteered to help," Higgs said, "so the EPFCG
should be ready in six or seven days. In the meantime, Tye and I will be mocking-up the fake EMP system for a team briefing by the captain in a day or two. To keep things as real as possible, the explosive flux compressors in the decoy array will be real but too small to cause much damage."
"Sounds good to me," Jenny said.
John nodded agreement, finishing his last bite of steak.
Higgs looked at Jenny. "We'll have to decide who's in on this."
Jenny, not feeling hungry anymore, pushed back in her chair. "I'm afraid it's just us," she said.
As Tristan paced the briefing room, Jenny could sense his turmoil.
They were waiting on Luinan to join them; Tye apparently had held her up in a Family conference.
"Hon, for Murphy's sake have a seat. And what's bothering you?"
Jenny asked.
"After the President gave the go ahead to Sundial," he said, "it became starkly clear about the huge ramifications it would have for hundreds of people, mainly the military exchanges. And in order to keep Sundial under wraps for as long as possible, it just won't be feasible to inform all personnel in time for them to return to their own fractimes."
Jenny knew there were thousands of support personnel and advisors in Plus from Prime as well as over a hundred dignitaries in Minus. The numbers in Prime were smaller but still significant.
"We can be subtle with some recalls," she said, "but I agree; we won't be able to get everyone back in time. A massive recall would tip our hand, even if we can find our mole sooner rather than later."
Tristan appeared lost in thought and then said, "How is Moon team?
I watched the launch on the secured net from DC."
"They're anxious to get boots on Luna; the shuttle is too vulnerable in its current lunar orbit. And Robert is space sick, but Dutch is fine."
"Let me know personally when they are behind the airlock."
"Sure thing," she replied. "Is there a priority recall list for the displaced personnel?"
"The eyes-only on Sundial are too few," he said. "I'm afraid that hand has already been dealt and the best we can do is ready as many TRs as covertly possible for last-minute evacuations."
Jenny looked at Tristan with empathy. "At least we have a few second-gen monopole TRs operational that Higgs developed for short transits. We should recall as many people as plausible now between Prime and Minus," she suggested.
Tristan sighed and sat down as Morris' aide opened the door and announced Queen Luinan had arrived.
"Show her in Corporal," Tristan said standing back up.
Luinan entered wearing ceremonial dress because of an earlier official lunch meeting with dignitaries from the two adjacent fractimes.
Her large brimmed fascinator almost spanned her shoulders, but somehow it held motionless as she entered the briefing room.
"How are you two this afternoon?" she asked looking at Jenny.
Jenny was about to reply when Tristan said, "The implications of creating this Sojourn are immense, especially to people stuck in the wrong fractime."
"In warless sectors, fractime trade and tourism can be big business,"
Luinan said. "Many choose to occupy an adjacent fractime indefinitely.
Of course, it would be their choice."
Jenny recognized this as their problem, and only they could mitigate it.
"We hear you are leaving," she said to Luinan.
"I must appraise the Time Corps' command of breaking events,"
Luinan said, "and the rear action will require coordination before the Sojourn attempt. Also, the Time Ministry will need soothing," she added with a glance at Tristan.
"I don't really know how to say how much we appreciate the Family's assistance," Jenny said.
"Thanks," Luinan said, "but it is a joint effort."
"Jenny wanted to ask you about the transition into the Sojourn,"
Tristan said.
"Just what occurs technically?" Jenny clarified.
"Tye knows the details better than I," Luinan said, "but basically, the TRs eventually cease to function."
"Eventually?" Tristan asked.
"There is not a valid statistical data set from which to draw conclusions," Luinan explained. "Nevertheless, once the primary poles destabilize, a TR pair will produce a null effect, then stop altogether until the quantum field entangles again. This can last until the poles naturally reverse, but the detangled field may heal itself without another polarity flip in a few hundred or thousand years, sometimes much sooner."
"What exactly is this null effect?" Jenny asked.
"An interesting subject of much research. It's a one way transit to somewhere, maybe nowhere," Luinan said.
"Sounds like our early transit attempts to Minus-2. People just didn't come back," Jenny said remembering lost comrades.
"A similar effect, but not fully understood even by our scientists,"
Luinan said. "Transits must not take place after the threshold destabilization of the primary poles."
"Any idea how long this null state lasts?" Tristan asked.
"Perhaps only hours. Maybe minutes," Luinan said.
"We'll need to coordinate closely the recalls with the detonation,"
Jenny said.
"You're telling me," Tristan added with a worried look.
John stood in front of the Mountain's main auditorium. There were only STS and Higgs' Chronos staff in attendance.
He began the rehearsed statement while the viz system displayed Higgs technical diagrams for the EMP array. "The Calgary array will consist of five EMPs, or more specifically EPFCGs, with a central command unit or CCU," he said trying to use as many acronyms as possible to sound authentically military. "The exact locations will remain classified, but the general areas are shown in the screen behind me."
John pointed to one of the circles indicating a decoy EMP location.
"The detonations will be incredibly powerful and concentrated, exceeding a common lightning strike by a factor of several million. There's redundancy built in to the array in that only three of the five EMPs will need to detonate to achieve the desired outcome on the North Pole and reverse its polarity."
"Major General West's command is coordinating the defense of the EMP positions around Calgary as well as the CCU. The details of which are classified."
"What's the function of the CCU?" Kate Webber asked.
"To optimize the pull effect, the individual EMPs will need to be detonated at just over one hundred millisecond intervals. This is more critical if we lose one or two devices," John explained winging it. "The CCU coordinates, on-the-fly, the detonations based on EMP location and devices still available for maximum effect.
"Major Timberin is coordinating, along with General West, on the Plus Calgary defense parameter. Again, details are classified.
"The solar-EM monitoring team is in Luna orbit and will notify us when the specified spectrum passes the calculated threshold for the required duration. Plus historical accounts indicate the great flare may begin at any time. Any questions?" John asked.
There was none. He had just sold a colossal pile of bullshit to his friends and colleagues, and he did not even feel the slightest bit guilty; he just hoped it had worked.
As Jenny caught up with John on her way out of the auditorium, she whispered, "Perfect- short and sweet."
"Let's just hope it worked," he said.
"Want to come along to the op center?" Jenny asked. "I thought I'd check on the Moon team and both Calgary missions."
"Good idea," John said.
Higgs and Kate had worked around the clock for the past several days to ensure the decoy EMPs were ready for the mission while Tye along with Higgs' Plus twin readied the real EPFCG.
"Any word from Luna," Jenny asked Mikael as they stood in front of the main display in the Level-3 operations center.
"Just regular transmissions and technical reports to NASA," Mikael replied. "We're still waiting on the secure com link."
"Doesn't sound too good," John said. "They should have landed by now. The Moonbase is the weakest link in the whole op."
"You don't have to remind me," Jenny said tightening the band holding her short ponytail.
"I need to check on the Minus recalls that we've been able to provide suitable covers for," Mikael said. "Call me if anything breaks."
"No problem," Jenny said wearily as he left.
"Timberin's had a few skirmishes to contend with," John said studying the Plus Calgary mission's display. "Probably only local resistance."
"Colonel Scott!" the com specialist called out. "We've got a secure link with the Moonbase," he reported. "Master Gunnery Sergeant Mathews reports they are on location and have completed installing the monitoring equipment. He also reports the Luna Administrator Sanderson as KIA and the shuttle pilot is in custody."
"Go Gunny," John said exuberantly.
Jenny just felt weak. She needed to sit down. The lack of sleep was catching up to her.
"I just talked to Kate," John said. "She says the EMP array has been deployed, and our Higgs is undertaking the final tests with the CCU."
Jenny's pad alerted her with a secure tone. It was Tye; she wanted them to meet her in the Chronos lab.
"Tye's got something," Jenny said hopefully.
"Let's go. It looks like we have time," John said.
Jenny and John entered the lab to find a troubled look on Tye's face.
"Where's Higgs' Plus twin?" John asked.
"Already north of Calgary with the Sojourn devise," Tye said.
"That's not why we're here," Jenny told him.
"I have just detected a temporal transmission," Tye said.
"And just as the Moonbase reported the secure com link," John added.
"Location?" Jenny asked.
"Two levels down, an empty office," Tye said.
Jenny brushed her pad. "Security will meet us there."
As they approached the office, a security team was waiting for them in the hallway. The door was open to reveal a lifeless body in a STS
uniform, face down on the floor.
"Colonel, the door was locked from the inside. We found the body after we forced it," the ranking security officer reported to Jenny.
Tye checked for a pulse and felt the back of the person's neck.
"Synth," she said rolling the body over.
"It's Kate." John gasped at the horrific expression on her face.
"Let us hope she was the only one," Tye said.
"I wish we could count on that," Jenny said as her pad activated again. "Robert reports the solar emissions are going in and out of the threshold range, but haven't lasted for more than a few minutes," she said.
"That is excellent news," Tye said. "A great flare is beginning."
"The flare is projected as a category X63," Jen said staring at her pad in amazement.
"We must deploy the Sojourn device quickly." Tye said, then looking back at Weber's grotesquely contorted face she added, "There is not much time."