Lunar Dust, Martian Sands by Tom Chmielewski

Author:Tom Chmielewski [Chmielewski, Tom]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: TEC Publishing
Published: 2014-07-11T11:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Theories and Doubt

“Did you hear? They know who did it.”

Ed had barely walked through 4th Orbit’s door Fridim morning when Hafiz blurted out the news.“The Serling Heights blowout? There was nothing on the morning rundown.”Ed said, putting his take-out“coffee”on the counter.“Who was it?”

“It just came through. Some guy on a fake passport and Mars tourist visa. They think he’s back on Earth now.”

“Wait a minute. Some guy on a fake passport who they think is on Earth hardly qualifies as knowing who did it. Who’s they, anyway?”

“The FBI. Did you happen to buy any donuts with that coffee?”

Ed tossed a bag on the counter.“Save me the cinnamon. How long ago is the FBI saying this mystery tourist planted the bomb?”

“Actually, it was four charges that blew out that airlock. They say the charges may have been planted almost two months ago.”

“What’s OSAR saying about this?”

“Mmm-nnn”was all Hafiz could get out after biting down on a powdered sugar donut. He shrugged his shoulders.

“Never mind.”Ed pulled out his personal com and switched to news, scanning quickly.

“Here it is.‘Capt. Keritan said the evidence at the site is consistent with the FBI theory on the case.’Hell, that just means they haven’t found enough to prove or disprove anything. It’s only been a day. What about the freeze out?”

Hafiz swallowed a swig of his own coffee from the office pot before answering.“They think the temperature drop triggered the explosion. They found a control device that was monitoring the dome’s environmental sensors. When the temperature dropped, boom.”

“So what triggered the temperature drop?”

“The FBI suspects a signal was sent over the InterPlanet, probably from Earth.”

“C’mon. I’ve never heard of a hacker on the Earth Internet getting far on the InterPlanet, particularly on sites beyond the Moon. Security is too good, and the time delays in cache transfers too frustrating. Someone just can’t sneak in from Earth.”

“The theory goes the tourist hacked in while on Mars, and either set a timer in the program or sent a signal from Earth that set off a bug.”

“But who is it?”Ed got out between bites of his cinnamon donut.

Hafiz tossed Ed a napkin.“So far no one seems to know him. Interpol discovered him while double checking the passenger lists for this past window. I forget what name he used.”

Ed checked his com again.“It says here, John Harrington. A couple of people barely remember him. Black and gray hair, mostly gray beard, heavy set. He stayed at the Far Horizons. That’s where Jessica’s staying.”

“Not anymore,”Hafiz said.

“What do you mean?”

“She’s moving in with somebody at the college who needed a roommate. She stopped here this morning before heading out to Serling Heights. She had me lock up a small duffel for her in the safe, and she left a note for you.” Hafiz walked over to the office safe and pulled a plastic note off the duffel. “Jessica didn’t want the note in public view, but she didn’t seem to mind me seeing it.” He handed the note over.

“Ed, can you take this bag home with you? Taking rest of gear to new place.

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