Forward Shield (Galaxy Bridge Book 6) by Daniel Gibbs & Steve Rzasa

Author:Daniel Gibbs & Steve Rzasa [Gibbs, Daniel & Rzasa, Steve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-09-02T00:00:00+00:00

Najm paced the confines of the CIC, tablet in hand, as reports continued to flood in. None of them were good news. The Oxford had not yet found the Home or Mateo. The protests on C-One were spreading into the civilian pylon. The brig cells were filling up with people from all walks of life who had gone as far as to brawl with security officers rather than be scanned—in the end, they wound up bruised and scanned.

“We’re stretching our people thin down there, Colonel,” Simsek said. “If this keeps up, we’ll have to come up with another strategy.”

“How are the scans proceeding?”

“Approximately fifty-five percent of CDF and other military personnel scanned, maybe thirty percent of civilians.” Simsek shook his head. “Andy’s doing his best to retune the large station scanners, but those were never meant to be turned inward.”

“They seemed to work well enough when we were initially guarding against the Kin, Major.”

“They did, sir, but this is more complicated. We’re talking about every sentient being on the Arch—thousands of them—and they won’t stay put. I’ve already run two full-station scans and come up with nothing. Then again, those two constructs were able to circumvent the coarser scans.”

“The close-up inspections do have the benefit of being more precise.”

“Exactly. But they take time, unless you want to start locking us down deck by deck and section by section.”

Najm grimaced. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Colonel?” Cockran turned in his chair at the comms terminals. “I’ve got an incoming call for you from Doctor Pruitt. She said she, um, needs more security to stop her from pumping sedatives into the life support vents.”

“Care to clarify, Mr. Cockran?”

“Pretty sure she just needs to keep the crowds at bay from trying to get scanned, sir.”

Anger or fear. We must, it seems, pick our poison. Najm sighed. Mateo, he knew, would give an inspiring speech and rally people to the right cause. Najm’s difficulty was in knowing what the right cause was and how to chart a course to it. “Let me know as soon as those external sensors can be reoriented, Major Simsek. We will endeavor to keep that aspect of mass scanning quiet, I hope.”

“Aye, sir.”

The lift doors opened. A trio of CDF crewmen in technicians’ coveralls exited, each one carrying a handheld scanning unit.

“Sir?” the burly man in front said. “Petty Officer First Class Pollard, Colonel. Reporting for requested personnel scans.”

“Very good, PO. Start with the auxiliary stations, and work your way around from both sides to me.” Najm gestured to the consoles off to the starboard side of the CIC.

“Yes, sir.” The technicians swept toward the Zeivlot and human noncoms seated at their stations.

Najm straightened his shoulders. He hated to see even the most trusted crew aboard the Arch subjected to that level of scrutiny, but there was no escaping the necessity. If just one more of those constructs detonates itself in a vital area…

“Conn, TAO, incoming Lawrence drive signatures,” Pierce said from the tactical station. “Telemetry confirmed—the Eisenhower and her battlegroup.”

“Thank you, Mr.

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