Tela Montague peered out over the desolate landscape of the moon. The Chief Auditor General of the UNF was a demanding job and for the most part political in nature. Tela was a lawyer by profession, which helped with the legal technicalities that the Auditor Generals department had become.

  Her biggest gripe was the time she had to spend away from her teenage boys, her journalist husband had managed to move his career around hers and she loved them all dearly. Her Husband Josh, had helped her to a limited extent with the politics of the job. Limited extent. It frustrated her opponents that she simply failed to understand the politics they directed at her, he was a gem.

  She read the message once more, ‘Worm hole disturbance, Resolute and Sparta lost, gen X is confirmed. Require for QEC, 7/12.’ It had been coded and was far too short but she knew what gen X was. They had found ii’s gen7 on the cube and they now had to take out the one at this end. It is what she had feared for some time.

  “Simon.” She flicked on her com.

  “Yes ma’am.” Came the response.

  “I need the viper fuelled and ready fly in ten minutes, destination New York, UNF.” Tela responded.

  “Consider it done.” Simon’s voice echoed in her head.

  Amanda Nguyen looked at the decoded message, there had been a wormhole disturbance and they had lost two ships, one of them an experimental sub. She had to find out how critical that was, the timing could not have been worse.

  No doubt Alfredo Papillion would be in her office within the hour. The UNF president could be a pompous arse, he was the exemplary populist with and uncanny ability to read the public mind. Although elected through popular vote, the role of UNF president was largely to manage the various government bodies in an impartial manner, the voice of the people as it may.

  Amanda, on the other hand was the General Secretary of the UNF and her role was most definitely to run the machine that was the UNF. She was often caught between the UNF president and the UNF prime minister, Samuel Ragoon leader of the biggest political party. There seemed to be a pattern where the president and prime minister usually came form different sides of politics with the bureaucrat stuck in between. It was the system and for the most part it worked.

  She looked down at her desk, a picture of Tela Montague came up, she was outside her office requesting and immediate audience. Amanda had twelve direct reports and Tela was of the least maintenance. Highly self sufficient and highly intelligent, she often unsettled her. She also had one the more difficult jobs, auditing the vast machine the UNF had become to ensure graft and corruption was kept to a minimum.

  “Enter.” Amanda nodded and the large wooden doors parted and the forty four year old Tela entered, she was a good head taller then herself with a much more serious face. “I thought you were on Moon Base for the next month?”

  “I was ma’am, left three hours ago.” Tela took a seat smoothly.

  “For the love of God that’s quick!” Amanda sat back with surprise.

  “The viper.” Tela nodded.

  “Nice to know someone gets some use out of the expensive piece of hardware.” Amanda nodded. The ultra high speed small shuttle was the fastest space to planetary vessel civilian vessel. There wasn’t much even the UNF defence arms had that could touch it. “So why the visit? Comms down?” Amanda felt a moment of dread, it was unlikely to be good news and she need some good news at the moment.

  “No Amanda, I had a coded message this morning come through in regards to the incident at the Cube.” Tela was still expressionless. She was the perfect auditor.

  “Yes, the wormhole disturbance, we receive that yesterday.” Amanda wished for moment she could hide her emotions as well as Tela, now doubt Tela could read her like a book, she was like a machine and Tela always unnerved her.

  “Unfortunate as the loss of the Sparta was the loss of the Resolute is strategically significant.” Tela began.

  “You are well informed Tela, I often wonder how much information your team has access to.” Amanda added coolly.

  “Ultimately the loss of vessels is not my concern, I was running an operation with Zhou and the Resolute though, code named Dodo.” Tela waved aside the subtle attack.

  “Looking for mythical gen 7 AI’s.” Amanda nodded. Amanda still felt pressured into allowing this to occur, it was a dangerous game they were playing at the highest level. She had circumvented approval processes to proceed with this, only Alfredo and Samuel knew of this particular operation. Accusing the ii of anything these days was fraught with danger. It was fast becoming the most potent of departments within the UNF.

  “Yes, the loss of the Resolute effectively ends that mission.” Tela nodded with the barest note of annoyance. Amanda forced herself not to shake her head at the perceived callousness of Tela. But it was that lack of emotion that made Tela so good at what she did.

  “And this couldn’t wait?” Amanda didn’t bother to hide her annoyance.

  “This is where it gets interesting.” Tela leaned forward for effect, it was very rare she did anything for effect and this was not lost on Amanda.

  “You have a point then?” Amanda casually took the bait.

  “Nine days ago, exactly four hours after the event in real time, the ii sent out a burst of communicate, within days various military branches had been redeployed and certain senior UNF officials began unplanned visits off Earth.” Tela began.

  “You are sounding a little paranoid, could be coincident, that’s a bit unlike you Tela.” Amanda interrupted.

  “Amanda, what happens when a significant wormhole event occurs?” Tela knew she had Amanda now.

  “The security council meets.” Amanda shrugged. “We are meeting in eight hours.”

  “Humour me, who makes up the security council and the incident advisory council?” Tela pushed.

  “The Secretary General, the President, the Prime Minster, the Secretary of Defence, the Secretary of Colonies, the Home Minster and leader of the opposition make up the security council and in such an advent the advisory council. Which is the Director General of ii, Director of Earth Defence, joint Director of UNF Defence, Director of Colonial forces and chief Director of UNF Science.” Amanda was well aware that Tela was leading her somewhere on this and for the moment was happy to play along.

  “In the event the primary position holder is unable to attend then there is a set protocol on who steps in?” Tela pushed.

  “As you know full well, you know all this, get to your point Tela, I have a busy day.” Amanda snapped.

  “Eight days ago there was an intercept from ii on rebel activity on Zeus, both Samuel Ragoon and the Secretary of Colonies Hori Takimoto, departed, the deputy prime minster was then called across to one of the outer colonies and isn’t due back for two days leaving political king maker Yvonne Prescott as the next in line for Samuel. Deputy Secretary of colonies is Terri Goldberg, she not known for making any rash decision. Robert Chan, the Secretary of defence of Defence left three days ago for a review of the perceived worsening situation on Zeus at the heckling of Yvonne, one day latter we received notification of high speed transit bombing killing 128 people. Robert’s stand in is Peter Gandhi and likely successor to the under siege Robert. Finally Director General of ii, whom reported the incidents on Zeus is still here, the always polite and secretive Nigel Khan, his cousin incidentally is on board the Resolute.” Tela finished.

  “Thank you for that series of events, but you have just given a great deal of circumstantial evidence that lacks a clear motive or even point.” Amanda answered dryly. Tela was usually much better then this. Tela let out a rare sigh.

  “In the last six emergency meetings of security council, Khan, Gandhi and Yvonne have stood in, with events calling away others. It was you and Field Marshall Fythe who asked us to audit the ii to see if they had the tech to receive instant messaging. Chief Director of Science, Melinda Wu pointed us in the direction of Zhou and the their Karajini project. Wu’s former protégé Melissa Vitelli, led us to understand it was one of the programs the gen7 was looking at, confirmed by the gen7 Karajini had working for them. It was called Quantum Entanglement Communicator or QEC. We use a very primitive form of it as a black box on UNF vessels but it is only one way and on or off.”

  “Yes, yes, you were looking to see if the ii had a gen7 at the Cube.” Amanda waved her hand, she could see partly where this was heading.

  “The plan was for Admiral Mouille to have my office conduct and audit of the ii facility on the Cube, at the same time Melissa would have her gen7 try and communicate with the possible ii gen7. Clearly that is no longer an option but the rival tripartite have once again manoeuvred us to be key decision makers with only yourself and Alfredo strong enough to stand up to them. I Like Melinda but she’ll not play politics.” Tela continued.

  “Its not like I can act on this right now it will take months.” Amanda ran her fingers through her greying hair. “If you are right then it is likely that ii may have set up the recent incident on Zeus, that’s murder on a grand scale.”

  “Amanda.” Tela simply said, sitting perfectly with her hands on her lap with almost no emotion showing. “You’re missing the point.”

  “Missing the point?” Amanda’s voice grew dangerous. “Missing the point.” She repeated more slowly. “You are suggesting the ii used a gen7 QEC to organize a terrorist attack to lure away key decision makers so the supposedly secret tripartite can call the shots within the UNF Security council? Are you going to suggest they organised the wormhole?”

  “No, they lack the technology for that. But as tragic as those 128 deaths are, they are not my concern, I am sure you’ll investigate that in good time.” Tela showed no sign of taking offence.

  “You are a cold hearted bitch Tela.” Amanda barely controlled her anger now.

  “We each serve a purpose.” Tela made no apologies. “The point I am making for being here today is that the Cube has an gen7 and the Resolute has a gen7 and Melissa has set up her gen7 to act with a QEC, the same as the cube’s possible gen7.”

  “Zhou took the gen7 to the Cube?” Amanda was shocked.

  “It was the only way to test the theory.” Tela nodded. “Use a gen7 to flush out a gen7.”

  “Then the gen7 is on the other side of the wormhole?” Amanda wanted to be sure on this.

  “That is correct.” Tela nodded.

  “Oh god help us.” Amanda shook her head. “Please do go on and remember I do not have Melinda’s science background.” Amanda rubbed her forehead.

  “QEC’s do not communicate across the vastness of space by accident. First you need them together, then you can transport them across space through hyperspace to your destination and then you can communicate back. That way we do break the laws of physics. Once you use those entangled bits you need to send out another set via hyperspace. Once you have them you can communicate instantly across that space.” Tela calmly explained.

  “And?” Amanda waved her hand for Tela to continue.

  “It would appear that Zhou has convinced Mouille that they can communicate with the Resolute this way and has sent for the Resolute’s QEC box from Moon Base, it left yesterday. The council will meet today with new orders to the Cube, if the ii do indeed have a gen7 then they’ll know the outcomes of that meeting today also. Admiral Gerald Mouille intends to storm the ii compound on the Cube and secure the gen7 and when the Resolute’s QEC box arrives, he is going to communicate with them. In Mecoid space in real time.” Tela finally explained.

  There was silence for a minute.

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  “Shit, we can do that?” Amanda lifted her eyebrow as this sunk in.

  “According the Melinda Wu, yes. And I suspect ii also know this and Kahn’s cousin is on the Resolute. If we don’t act the ii will and Kahn will direct his cousin to take command.” Tela went on.

  “Over my fucking dead body.” Amanda now stood up. She then started to pace up and down. “How I stop this?”

  “We raid ii in the next six hours and knock out the gen7 one way or another.” Tela responded.

  “God, you are not even sure if they have a gen7 though?” Amanda sat back down.

  “No, it is all circumstantial but I’d rather not have Nigel Kahn calling the shots on what happens in Mecoid space, he already operates outside the UNF.” Tela politely nodded. “Oh that we have enough of in case files.”

  “I can’t even fathom how I call make that call, I have immense political power but no military power, its how the UNF works.

  “We have Duncan Fythe, Melinda Wu and Admiral of Fleet Amah Arafat. There is even Alfredo Papillion.” Tela provided.

  “Duncan is a good friend, of that there is no doubt. Melinda is not a political animal and Arafat is wrapped in protocol.” Amanda closed her eyes for a moment. “Alfredo is pure politics and his support can not be guaranteed.”

  “That’s your job Amanda, Mouille is committed to his action in six hours, the council meets in eight. I have done my part.” Tela stood up.

  “Sit down Montague, you’re in this now. In two hours time come back here and we’ll finalise our plan.”

  “As you wish.” Tela still did show a hint of emotion except for the briefest of smiles.

  Alfredo Papillion grew up in Peru, he was charismatic and handsome and used this to his advantage. He became involved in politics early in life, always playing middle politics and crowd favourite. His wife had died some ten years ago in a car accident, it had had a dramatic effect on him, it gave him a slight hardness, which in turn only improved his popularity.

  He had taken advantage of fall in support for Samuel Ragoon’s Liberal Conservatives when he launched his UNF presidential bid. He had come back from five years out of the public life. He showed neither support for Ragoon or Pieter Hoosan’s Social Democrats. Few thought the former leader of the Peoples Republic, a sixth ranked party, could snatch away one the three most important jobs in the UNF. But he had and he had gone from strength to strength, with no alliances to appease he set about offending most of the ruling elite at a time when the UNF empire was in recession. He ran a uniting theme, healing the world and brining people together.

  He admired the dedication of Ragoon and his real need to turn the economy around, not necessarily his methods. Nor did he allow the Dutchman Hoosan to be over top in his blocking of resolutions. He really only feared two people, Nigel Kahn and Amanda Nguyen. He was sure Nigel had him followed, and he wasn’t paranoid, he had grown up in some nasty parts of the world. He simply disliked the man and what he stood for. He played politics where he had no right to play politics and tried to sway power that was not his. And he was a confident trickster. It took one to know one.

  Amanda Nguyen, the bitch of Hanoi. Its not that he didn’t like her, in fact he admired her, she was the career bureaucrat in the same way he was the career politician. She ran the UNF with sheer efficiency and she was the only person he had never criticised in his 18 months as UNF president. He had would have monthly meeting with her and Ragoon, as was dictated and for the most they were an effective team.

  He now sat opposite her with Tela Montague. Another woman that he feared, not in the same way as Nigel, just that she had a penetrating stare that would delve deep into his soul.

  “Good of you to join me Alfredo.” Amanda smiled, it was a forced smile, something was clearly bothering her.

  “I didn’t feel like I had a choice.” Alfredo was much more comfortable in large groups.

  “Before I get down to my topic, tell me have you avoided any travel in the last few days?” Amanda asked.

  “Why?” Alfredo asked. Something was going on here.

  “Humour me.” Amanda shrugged back.

  “Ragoon sent a request that I follow him to Zeus at all speed. I didn’t think it warranted my presence then of course the incident happened with the transporter.” Alfredo answered. I would have left yesterday until this wormhole incident and felt I better attend the security council first.”

  “Why? We could manage that.” Amanda smiled sweetly again.

  “I dislike Prescott, Goldberg is a fool and Gandhi can’t be trusted, he is too close to that bitch Prescott.” Alfredo did not mince his words. Amanda, despite herself laughed.

  “I actually find myself agreeing with you.” Amanda controlled herself, even the emotionless Tela smiled. It was hard not to like Alfredo.

  “Now I have a hard decision for you to make.” Amanda grew serious.

  “I suspect so.” Alfredo nodded. And Tela began her story, Alfredo did not interrupt her once and simply listened.

  It was the kind of decision you hoped you would never have to make and here it was with out so much as a shred of evidence. “You know what you are saying.” Alfredo simply said.

  “Yes, you are two of the three leaders of the UNF and I felt I should talk to you before we talk to the others.” Amanda nodded.

  “Others?”

  “Duncan Fythe, Amah Arafat and Melinda Wu,” Amanda answered.

  “I reserve judgment then until we talk to them, but I thank you for pre warning me.” Alfredo nodded. He was starting to sweat. Never had he thought that he would need to fight off an insurrection and worst of all, it sounded plausible. He was really not keeping pace with the government here.

  Melinda Wu was uncomfortable in this meeting, she relied on science, it was her life and she advocated strongly for it, playing politics was not her first choice. Amanda was a solid friend although the bitch of Hanoi scared her at times, Alfredo was charming and nice enough but she had seem him tear apart plenty of people with a ruthlessness that defied logic. The big red headed Scotsman Duncan Fythe was loud and opinionated man but well respected for his strategic mind. The Palestinian Amah was like a grand father figure and never said much and never to her. In the navy he was called the old man, solid and dependable. She had worked with Tela and for the most part they got on well.

  Tela did most of the talking and Melinda filled in on the more technical parts and verified the technology. She had cried for an hour when she found out Missy had been lost, she had been like a sister to her.

  “If this indeed true then what you are suggesting is that Nigel Kahn, Yvonne Prescott and Peter Gandhi have conspired to subvert and take control of the UNF at the expense of civilian lives and control parts of the military.” Amah wanted to be very clear. He disliked this immensely but understood the ramifications if true. Ideally this should be handled through a review but he understood the impact of the Mecoid intervention. They couldn’t have these people controlling the most significant incident in over two hundred years outside the workings of the UNF.

  “No Amah, what I am saying is that they already have. Although I doubt Kahn is actually working with the other three, merely taking advantage of them, Kahn will have his own separate agenda.” Amanda corrected.

  “Should we not have Pieter Hoosan here, he is not implicated.” Amah looked around.

  “It’s a security function, Amanda and myself need to make the decision, Ragoon’s replacement is implicated so we have to make the call. You and Duncan here are to advise with Melinda then carry out any directive.” Alfredo was faultless in his response.

  “Directive?” Amah raised an eyebrow.

  “Regardless of the politically situation, there is very little we can do other then blunt their efforts until we can conduct a specific investigation. It Kahn and any potential plot to take control of communication to the Resolute that take precedent. The tripartite must control the Resolute not ii.” Amanda explained.

  “And that means?” Amah asked.

  “We are are going to physically take down the ii.”

  “You need to convince me this is lawful and the evidence is at best circumstantial.” Amah shot back as he leaned forward not actually believing what he was hearing.

  “Might I remind you that you have two thirds of UNF tripartite here and you will do as you are commanded to do.” Amanda did not mince her words.

  “With all due respect I report directly to Robert Chan and in his absence Peter Gandhi.” Amah grew red in the face.

  “Robert Chan reports to us Amah, Gandhi may or may not be conflicted by Kahn or at least pressured. You will do as you are commanded.” Amanda raised her voice and nearly everyone sat back.

  Amah grew red in the face. “I most certainly protest.”

  “God dam it Amah, you want to play politics go and get yourself elected or you are no better then Kahn and his supporters.” Amanda stood up and spat the words. Amah was silent for a moment. And then opened his mouth as Amanda let forward another torrent or words. “Alfredo and myself are the decision makers here, in lieu of a compromised security council then you will, by God default to us. Do I make myself clear Admiral!”

  Amah stared her in the eye and gritted his teeth. “You make yourself perfectly clear by I do so under duress. Might I remind you that history tells of great injustices created by following orders and if I for one moment-”

  Amanda slapped the Admiral across the face and stunned him into silence. “Now you listen here Arafat, you have an appointed position to the UNF to up hold and protect it, grow some balls and do it because history is also harsh of fucking fence sitters, do I make myself fucking clear!!” Amanda now stood over the sitting Admiral.

  “You give me no choice.” Arafat nodded.

  “You fucking better believe it, it is not your role to have a fucking choice Arafat, as I mentioned earlier, you want a fucking choice go and get elected and with that come great responsibility.” Amanda finally sat back down but was clearly rattled.

  Amah turned to Alfredo. “And you agree.”

  “Absolutely, you want to make choices in this, go and get elected, its fucking hard.” Alfredo nodded. “Trust me the decision has been made, we will take out ii today.”

  “So be it.” Amah sat back.

  “Fythe?” Amanda turned to the Scotsman.

  The Scotsman looked around the room and seemed to consider events before speaking. “We form governments really for when things go wrong and in most cased they are definable events on when to act. It is those events that are indefinable and gradual that pose the most risk and as result require great courage.” He then looked around the room.

  “We have two levels of supreme government, the tripartite of the president, prime minster and general secretary. One elected by the people for the people, one elected by the largest political faction and one elected by the governing bodies of the UNF. This is supported by the security council and then again by the national assembly. If what you say is correct then this is by far the greatest threat to our leadership in over two hundred years and is a front to all those levels of government and the great betrayal of our trust. The question is, is there enough evidence to prove this has happened.” He took a deep breath.

  “Amanda, I like you, you have balls, the bitch of Hanoi.” Duncan looked at Amanda.

  “I always hated that title.” Amanda shook her head.

  “I trust you, you have no need for deceit and nothing to gain but a great dealt to lose from this.” Duncan nodded. He then look at Alfredo. “You, I don’t like so much, you’re a politician of the worst type, popular. But in saying that you really haven’t wrong footed yourself in your role. I like Samuel Ragoon, I voted for him and you give him a hard time but you also keep him honest. Between the three of you, you have shown a good level of decent government in difficult conditions.”

  Duncan turned to the others. “Melinda, I have no idea what comes out of your mouth and I believe you are the smartest person in this room, if you say it is possible then I believe it even if don’t understand it. Tela, you scare and annoy me as much as Kahn but I understand your mission, I don’t under Kahn’s. And Amah.” He paused. “You should fucking retire.”

  “Fuck you.” Amah shot back.

  “All that said we have a crisis with a complete loss of confidence in the second layer of our government at a crucial time. It easy to defend against an enemy you can see, it is often the enemy within that is the hardest to recognise and defeat and requires the most courage, this needs to be done.”

  “You’d make a great politician.” Alfredo acknowledge with a nod.

  “I’ll take that as an insult.” Duncan fired back.

  “You will need an EMP barrier to knock this QEC then?” Amah conceded the point that he was going to have to be apart of this.

  “Not only does the tripartite out rank the Security Council but is more trust worthy and actually filled full of its rightful incumbents. I am willing to follow your orders and take down the ii.” Duncan finally finished.

  “Then it is set, we have four hours before Gerald attacks the ii at the cube and six hours before the security council meets here.” Amanda nodded.

  “Can you bring it forward, the meeting.” Melinda spoke up. Alfredo and Amanda looked at each other.

  “No, to ensure right of law you’ll need the meeting to progress as intended for the subversive tripartite to make their move and declare their hand.” Tela interjected. “Otherwise all we have is circumstantial evidence.”

  “If Gerald is attacking in four hours REMC time, allowing for time distortion, ii will notify Nigel if they do indeed have a gen7 and QEC.” Melinda shot back.

  “There are eight key ii installations on earth, we cant cover then all in that time.” Duncan pointed out.

  “We don’t need to, the gen7 is on Moon Base.” Tela replied. There was a brief silence.

  “You are sure of this?” Amah pushed, knowing the duty then fell to him.

  “In our audits, both the sub gen8 and the Moon Base gen8 showed the same tolerances, we suspected it was masquerading the true gen7.” Tela responded. “Its again circumstantial.”

  “I take it I can not block a QEC signal?” Amah nodded slowly.

  “No, but you can block to conventional signals use to relay that information to earth.” Melinda provided.

  “Keeping in mind the nine ii ships they have around the moon that could bounce the signal.” Tela chipped in.

  “And how do you think I can manage this?” Amah was letting his temper get the better of him.”

  “You are the head of the entire UNF navy, I am sure there is basic skill set there that enabled you to each that point other than your endless charm.” Amanda did not mince her words and Amah swallowed back a retort.

  “You, want one of my real assault teams?” Duncan looked to Tela.

  “I have already activated a phoenix team, they should nearly be at Moon Base now.” Tela nodded her head.

  “You up to this Amah?” Duncan turned the admiral.

  “Of course I am up to this, whether I like it or not. And certainly do not report to the likes of you Duncan.” Amah snapped.

  “Well we can’t go and ask the Secretary of Defence because he isn’t here and his deputy as he is subverting the current lawful government, what higher power are you appealing to Arafat?” Duncan gritted his teeth.

  “We need more proof.” Amah hissed, “This is madness.”

  “You think that this is an easy decision Amah?” Amanda interjected. “It is times like this we have the powers we do and really do not like to use them, it makes me sick but only the lawful government of the UNF can and should make decisions, not some subversive group with its own agenda. You are a military man, you more than most should know nothing is ever black or white, Duncan’s question stand’s are you up to this?”

  “If you are correct then Ragoon and the others could be in trouble on Zeus.” Amah pointed out avoiding the question.

  “They will have to deal with it.” Amanda nodded. “Just as we have to deal with it here. Where would you rather be?”

  “Point taken.” Amah nodded. “For better or worse I shall play my part.”

  “I can drop you back on the London in the viper, it will be quicker than your Eclipse.” Tela offered.

  “Thank you, that will ease some time pressure.” Amah nodded.