A'NIR (Jim Able: Offworld Book 4) by Ed Charlton

Author:Ed Charlton [Charlton, Ed]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction
Publisher: Scribbulations LLC
Published: 2017-11-26T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

Jim lay back in the pilot’s seat. His mind was drifting. He didn’t know the flight procedures to land back at the EIA secure terminal. He’d worry about that when he got there. He didn’t know how to reach Tella when he got back to Earth. He doubted the EIA would even admit Tella’s existence, let alone give out its address. It troubled him. Tella was an unexpected friend. Jim didn’t have enough friends to lightly lose one. He felt angry and sad about both Tella and the Maggnir.

If only I’d been quicker! If only I’d stopped Sopha before he’d started!

He slept again for several hours. The radio transmissions returned sometime during his sleep. He awoke half-hearing news about troops on street corners and curfews. By the time he had showered and eaten breakfast, he could hear that order had been restored.

“Perhaps someone has shown some backbone? Apart,” he said wryly to himself, “from Angara Myourn.”

He tried to send a message to Madhar, but the system was still unavailable. He considered calling the Regdenir but didn’t want to be told he should be patient again.

An idea occurred to him.

If I reconfigure the scanners to the correct frequency, imitate the destroyed node from Sopha’s array, and go over to TMV-Two, I can use his entire array to look at the current state of the Maggnir. And then run a comparison with Sopha’s accumulated data. Surely the Turcanians will want to know what had happened on Beauty?

He nudged the flier out of orbit and made the short trip to the second moon. He spent an hour mapping the heat sources on the planet.

The Regdenir communicator came to life.

“James Able?”

“This is he.”

“Greetings, James Able, this is Margrev Aplar. The scanning devices are behaving in a different manner.”

“Ah, yes. I am using them.”

“Please explain.”

“I’m taking readings of Main-umm-Beauty. I guessed you would need to know what damage Sopha Luca had done.”

The Regdenir was silent long enough for Jim’s heart to sink.

“Please cease all such activities. We must consult with the First Order before any such thing is done again.”

“Margrev, I’m only recording data. What possible objection could they have?”

There was another silence on the other end.

“James Able, please remember you are our guest. We are not yet ready to allow any...anyone to use such equipment or to observe Beauty in such a manner. We must consult with the First Order.”

Jim sighed and terminated the scanning.

“Very well. I’m powering down.”

“Thank you.”

“Any news for me?”

“The audnir are calm once more. We are controlling the restoration of power. The meeting will take place soon. Be patient, James Able, be patient.”

As he ended the call, Jim brought his fist down on the console and shouted, “Stupid bastards!”

He decided to return to TMV-I via TMV. He did as comprehensive a planetary sweep as he could using the flier’s sensors. It would not have the accuracy of the wide array that Sopha had assembled, but there might be something to see. Jim thought if no one else wanted to know what damage had been done, he did.

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