Read Online Aneka Jansen 3: Steel Heart by Niall Teasdale - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Niall Teasdale
Tags: Science-Fiction, adventure, Artificial intelligence, Alien, Robots, Aliens, cyborg, Aneka Jansen, robot
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records showed, M960 had never been used on anything other than Humans. They had tried it on some Human tissue and it was viable, replicating correctly, but seemingly unable to work to full effect. Maybe it needed some specific organ, or would only work properly on a full body. Perhaps a certain mass of material was required. Whatever, she needed a Human subject and it was going to be weeks before Nayland could supply one.
‘I guess we’re on hold until we get some new bodies in,’ the technician said, his tone cheerful. ‘Gives us a chance to nail down the genome. We still haven’t managed to lock it down yet. Seems like it mutates at an abnormally high rate.’
‘Get the sequences rerun. Cool the samples down to a hundred kelvin, maybe that’ll stop it.’ She looked down at the technician as he started to type commands on his console. She needed some Human subjects…
Hayward Alpha Research Facility, 17.12.525 FSC.
‘How many affected?’ Nayland was looking annoyed, very annoyed.
‘Three showing symptoms. We’ve isolated everyone who was in or near to the culture room when the release occurred.’ Corazon was doing her best to look concerned, very concerned, but inside she was trying hard to contain her enthusiasm.
‘Do we know how it got out?’
‘Not yet. It seems to be able to mutate at an unpredictable rate. Maybe something evolved which could eat through the seals on the isolation cabinets.’
‘I hope not. Those seals are no different from any of the other seals in the facility. If it got out that way then it could have infected everyone here.’
‘A good point.’
Nayland considered for a second. ‘To be on the safe side, have Kottigan shut down all traffic between sites. Lock down the Beta site entirely. Anyone there stays there until we’re sure it’s contained. We’ll operate by remote from here where possible.’
Corazon had not considered that he would do that; she wanted to be over there, examining M960 at work. ‘But…’
‘That’s an order, Lisa. No one is to move between the sites.’
‘Yes, sir,’ Corazon said. ‘Of course. Safety first.’
New Earth, 20.12.525 FSC.
Winter’s eyes scanned rapidly over her console. Truelove watched her, still a little impressed at the woman’s speed of comprehension. Even after five years as Winter’s assistant, she still managed to be amazed at her boss’ ability to absorb information. The woman was a computer!
‘This business with Hayward concerns me, Elaine,’ Winter said, her eyes shifting up to look across the desk.
‘Yes, ma’am. The evidence that they are behind the attack on Miss Jansen is circumstantial…’
‘And I’d initiate further investigation and we would get nowhere… if it were not for the fact that Hayward has Ella Narrows on Eshebbon.’
Truelove nodded. ‘Orders, ma’am?’
Winter’s lips pursed for a second, one finger tapping on them. ‘Check for any outgoing flights to Eshebbon, have them blocked. Send the same orders out to any world with scheduled flights to Eshebbon. Get me a list of any in-flight vessels. I want a frigate in warp to Eshebbon today, orders to retrieve Miss Narrows.’
Truelove got to her feet and started for the door. Her cybernetics were already connecting to the local network to begin compiling the information Winter wanted. One thing popped up immediately. ‘The Delta Lantilla is in-system and ready for deployment after a crew training exercise.’
Winter nodded. ‘You deal with the rest of it. I’ll contact Captain DeMarco myself.’
Nodding, Truelove walked out. Maybe someday if she could remember the name of every ship captain in the fleet, she could be Winter.
Hayward Alpha Research Facility, 24.12.525 FSC.
Ella’s eyes flickered open and she saw blurred lights and quite clear diagnostic messages from her implants. There was nothing wrong with her eyes, it was her brain that was distorting the image. She let out a groan.
‘Get on your feet, girl.’
‘I guess we’re on hold until we get some new bodies in,’ the technician said, his tone cheerful. ‘Gives us a chance to nail down the genome. We still haven’t managed to lock it down yet. Seems like it mutates at an abnormally high rate.’
‘Get the sequences rerun. Cool the samples down to a hundred kelvin, maybe that’ll stop it.’ She looked down at the technician as he started to type commands on his console. She needed some Human subjects…
Hayward Alpha Research Facility, 17.12.525 FSC.
‘How many affected?’ Nayland was looking annoyed, very annoyed.
‘Three showing symptoms. We’ve isolated everyone who was in or near to the culture room when the release occurred.’ Corazon was doing her best to look concerned, very concerned, but inside she was trying hard to contain her enthusiasm.
‘Do we know how it got out?’
‘Not yet. It seems to be able to mutate at an unpredictable rate. Maybe something evolved which could eat through the seals on the isolation cabinets.’
‘I hope not. Those seals are no different from any of the other seals in the facility. If it got out that way then it could have infected everyone here.’
‘A good point.’
Nayland considered for a second. ‘To be on the safe side, have Kottigan shut down all traffic between sites. Lock down the Beta site entirely. Anyone there stays there until we’re sure it’s contained. We’ll operate by remote from here where possible.’
Corazon had not considered that he would do that; she wanted to be over there, examining M960 at work. ‘But…’
‘That’s an order, Lisa. No one is to move between the sites.’
‘Yes, sir,’ Corazon said. ‘Of course. Safety first.’
New Earth, 20.12.525 FSC.
Winter’s eyes scanned rapidly over her console. Truelove watched her, still a little impressed at the woman’s speed of comprehension. Even after five years as Winter’s assistant, she still managed to be amazed at her boss’ ability to absorb information. The woman was a computer!
‘This business with Hayward concerns me, Elaine,’ Winter said, her eyes shifting up to look across the desk.
‘Yes, ma’am. The evidence that they are behind the attack on Miss Jansen is circumstantial…’
‘And I’d initiate further investigation and we would get nowhere… if it were not for the fact that Hayward has Ella Narrows on Eshebbon.’
Truelove nodded. ‘Orders, ma’am?’
Winter’s lips pursed for a second, one finger tapping on them. ‘Check for any outgoing flights to Eshebbon, have them blocked. Send the same orders out to any world with scheduled flights to Eshebbon. Get me a list of any in-flight vessels. I want a frigate in warp to Eshebbon today, orders to retrieve Miss Narrows.’
Truelove got to her feet and started for the door. Her cybernetics were already connecting to the local network to begin compiling the information Winter wanted. One thing popped up immediately. ‘The Delta Lantilla is in-system and ready for deployment after a crew training exercise.’
Winter nodded. ‘You deal with the rest of it. I’ll contact Captain DeMarco myself.’
Nodding, Truelove walked out. Maybe someday if she could remember the name of every ship captain in the fleet, she could be Winter.
Hayward Alpha Research Facility, 24.12.525 FSC.
Ella’s eyes flickered open and she saw blurred lights and quite clear diagnostic messages from her implants. There was nothing wrong with her eyes, it was her brain that was distorting the image. She let out a groan.
‘Get on your feet, girl.’
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