lowered to the hangar floor. When it had, a green light replaced the yellow. The feet moved forward, and Daoud had his first view of the MI team sent to investigate the encounter, the death.
“Commander Leland, welcome to Fall.”
“It’s General Leland.”
Confident. Not many people corrected him, less still within seconds of encounter.
Kate took Daoud’s out-stretched hand. “Administrator Daoud this is my team, Commanders Ho-Yung and Cygnate. Thank you for your welcome.” Their voices echoed in hollow whispers around the hangar.
Around them the small robots scurried, gripping hoses, extending sensors, plugging in. The Hand moved with them to a rear bay, a low thrum of tensor fields blurring its landing pads.
“Commanders.” Daoud looked at Win and Djembe in turn. “General, congratulations on your promotion. May I introduce Sophie Argus, my Operations Director. Sophie will take you to your quarters. You are welcome to Fall. A good flight, I presume?”
“Bumpy. Something tried to emerge into the wormhole on top of us. Do you run test flights of new craft in this quarter?”
This was unexpected. Daoud decided to pass it off, in case it was connected to the herald. Probably it was. “I'll have my people look into it, General. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some matters to see to. We will hold a briefing session in one hour, if that's suitable? Good. Sophie?”
Daoud dipped his head slightly to Kate, excused himself and walked out of the hangar.
He had no reason for a one hour delay. It simply suited him to make them wait, to put them at his disposal, rather than he at theirs. But while he had the opportunity, he decided to monitor Sophie's interaction with these people, to see if they affected her thinking any. The fewer things he had to worry about at the moment, the better. And he wanted to monitor the wormhole. If they were coming, this MI posed little risk to him and the war could start.
While Daoud walked away, Sophie appraised the MI operatives. “Welcome to Fall. Let me take you to your quarters.”
Kate shifted the shoulder bag she was carrying, “Shall we?”
“Follow me.”
While they walked to their quarters, the team asked Sophie about the Colony's operations. She described the mineral production and output. The minerals were mined from the bare rock, which ran thick with seams of crystals and a sandstone-like substance. She told them how it wasn't quantity that was important, although the planet was abundant in the minerals, but the extraction technique. No one had been able to replicate the mineral structures in the lab, and it broke down easily under stress. The miners were high technology users. Rather than mechanical drills, saws and industrial laser cutters, they had to ease the minerals out by slow and gentle grinding. They created dust. Win asked about accidents, and Sophie told him how the early days had seen more of them, when minerals exploded or tunnels collapsed due to unusual rock movements during mining. The minerals spread the load of the crust above them in unusual patterns, which weren't always obvious. The load of the inselberg nearby affected the mining, its gravity putting extra stress on the area.
“But the minerals are most abundant around the inselberg, so that's where we mine.”
“And how are they transported off Fall?” Djembe was keying his wristpad even as he asked. She looked at him: the Consequence Planner. He'd be trying to find out if cargo ships had been recently. If they were a weak point.
“We have our own military cargo vessels. They visit once every three months, and they're
“Commander Leland, welcome to Fall.”
“It’s General Leland.”
Confident. Not many people corrected him, less still within seconds of encounter.
Kate took Daoud’s out-stretched hand. “Administrator Daoud this is my team, Commanders Ho-Yung and Cygnate. Thank you for your welcome.” Their voices echoed in hollow whispers around the hangar.
Around them the small robots scurried, gripping hoses, extending sensors, plugging in. The Hand moved with them to a rear bay, a low thrum of tensor fields blurring its landing pads.
“Commanders.” Daoud looked at Win and Djembe in turn. “General, congratulations on your promotion. May I introduce Sophie Argus, my Operations Director. Sophie will take you to your quarters. You are welcome to Fall. A good flight, I presume?”
“Bumpy. Something tried to emerge into the wormhole on top of us. Do you run test flights of new craft in this quarter?”
This was unexpected. Daoud decided to pass it off, in case it was connected to the herald. Probably it was. “I'll have my people look into it, General. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some matters to see to. We will hold a briefing session in one hour, if that's suitable? Good. Sophie?”
Daoud dipped his head slightly to Kate, excused himself and walked out of the hangar.
He had no reason for a one hour delay. It simply suited him to make them wait, to put them at his disposal, rather than he at theirs. But while he had the opportunity, he decided to monitor Sophie's interaction with these people, to see if they affected her thinking any. The fewer things he had to worry about at the moment, the better. And he wanted to monitor the wormhole. If they were coming, this MI posed little risk to him and the war could start.
While Daoud walked away, Sophie appraised the MI operatives. “Welcome to Fall. Let me take you to your quarters.”
Kate shifted the shoulder bag she was carrying, “Shall we?”
“Follow me.”
While they walked to their quarters, the team asked Sophie about the Colony's operations. She described the mineral production and output. The minerals were mined from the bare rock, which ran thick with seams of crystals and a sandstone-like substance. She told them how it wasn't quantity that was important, although the planet was abundant in the minerals, but the extraction technique. No one had been able to replicate the mineral structures in the lab, and it broke down easily under stress. The miners were high technology users. Rather than mechanical drills, saws and industrial laser cutters, they had to ease the minerals out by slow and gentle grinding. They created dust. Win asked about accidents, and Sophie told him how the early days had seen more of them, when minerals exploded or tunnels collapsed due to unusual rock movements during mining. The minerals spread the load of the crust above them in unusual patterns, which weren't always obvious. The load of the inselberg nearby affected the mining, its gravity putting extra stress on the area.
“But the minerals are most abundant around the inselberg, so that's where we mine.”
“And how are they transported off Fall?” Djembe was keying his wristpad even as he asked. She looked at him: the Consequence Planner. He'd be trying to find out if cargo ships had been recently. If they were a weak point.
“We have our own military cargo vessels. They visit once every three months, and they're
Similar Books
