Supernal

Chapter 25

9:30 am Friday, 6th July 2029

Sasha's Cabin on the OCF

Mutu lounged on one end of the bunk in Sasha's cabin and watched as Toby set up the notebook computer at the other end. Jayal and Toby then sat on either side of Sasha who was busily drawing at the desk. His small face was lost in concentration as he carefully formed minute shapes and figures on the sketch pad.

Sasha was still obsessed with space and rockets and seemed to like wearing the head cap. Toby guessed he imagined it was an astronaut's helmet. He watched in admiration as Sasha drew imaginary spaceships in meticulous detail. It was a good thing the cabins on the OCF had no windows or Sasha might have produced pictures containing classified information.

Breakfast had been awkward. Jayal hadn't spoken a word to him and she and Mutu had eaten in silence. She refused to even glance in his direction. It was Mutu who had asked him if he was ready to begin the test on Sasha.

Jayal complimented Sasha's drawing in fluent Russian. Sasha appeared to take no notice but the wavy lines on the notepad suddenly peaked when Jayal's praise filtered through.

Jayal spoke again and this time Sasha replied. She took one of several loose sheets and a pencil and she began to draw, trying to copy Sasha's technique. She shook her head and rubbed out what she had drawn, then began again. After a few minutes, she slid her effort across the desk and asked Sasha a question. He looked at her amateurish drawing but didn't respond. Then she caught Toby's eye and glanced down at the sheet.

Toby took the hint and looked. In the corner Jayal had printed: WEARING MONITORING COLLARS - VELAN CAN HEAR.

Toby frowned at her and surreptitiously pointed towards Mutu. Jayal gave a brief nod.

She quickly withdrew the sheet and rubbed out the words. A few minutes later she did the same. This time the message was: SITUATION CHANGED - VELAN RECEIVED NEW ORDERS.

They continued in that way for the next half an hour and Jayal was able to pass on more information ... with Mutu completely unaware of what was happening.

Her final message was: STOP NOW - LOVE YOU. Toby's heart soared as he shut down the notebook computer.

#

Toby knew he had to tell the others about the monitoring collars immediately so he went next door to Aliya's cabin, hoping to find Charlie there. He knocked gently on the door. Although the cabin doors on the OCF had no locks he didn't want to barge into a thirteen-year-old girl's room. Sure enough, Charlie opened the door but before she could say anything Toby bent down and whispered in her ear.

"Don't say anything. Mutu and Jayal are in the next room and they're bugged. Velan can hear everything and these partitions are thin. I'll tell you more later."

Charlie nodded her understanding and went back inside.

Toby dumped the neurological kit in his room and then scoured the OCF until he found Summers and Rob and delivered the same message.

#

The children were taken to the Manitan vessel at 3 pm and as soon as the pod undocked the team assembled in the SBR.

"How do we know this isn't bugged as well?" was the first thing Rob said when he came in. He began searching the walls and furniture for any tell-tale signs.

"None of the Manitan has been in here," Summers assured him. "When I gave them the tour we walked right past. Now, Toby, tell us everything you know and don't leave anything out."

Toby explained that Velan had made both Mutu and Jayal wear collars that picked up and transmitted every sound back to the blimp. She had managed to pull down the high neck of her tunic slightly to show him a thin black band encircling her neck.

Velan had also ordered both of them to stay together at all times. They were even to sleep in the same cabin. They were, in effect, spying on each other.

"Sleeping in the same cabin?" Rob said incredulously. "That'll put Toby's nose out of joint!"

"Rob, Mutu is gay," Charlie said.

Rob looked astonished but didn't say a word.

#

Toby went on to say that Jayal had also conveyed that those aboard the blimp were in constant communication with the Atikas in Caranal. They had a 'photon packet' communication system that could send and receive short messages. Rob whistled softly and Toby stopped talking and looked at him.

"NASA has been researching photon packet comms for years," he explained. "The theory is that you can encode a message in light photons and transmit it with a short laser burst. It travels at light speed so you can send a message across the solar system in minutes."

"That accounts for the flash your friend told you about," Summers mused. "But I wonder why they bothered sending that courier?"

"As Toby said, the photon packets can only carry a few words, maybe a dozen." Rob clarified. "If they were sending a long report that wasn't urgent it would have been more practical to use a courier."

"Did Jayal tell you what these new orders are that Velan received?" Summers asked.

"She doesn't know, she thinks it could be something to do with the type of tests they're doing. She's going to try to find out."

"Well, whatever is going on, Velan obviously wants it kept from us, and he's worried that his own people might give something away."

#

The children were returned from the blimp at 10 pm as before. A quick shake of the head from Jayal as she emerged from the airlock imparted that she had nothing further to report. The kids were given something to eat and put to bed then she and Mutu went to the cabin they were now sharing.

Toby spent a lonely evening in his cabin wondering if he would ever hold Jayal again before the Manitan departed. He made up his mind that if it came to it, he would beg Velan to let him go to Vitu with her, and that made him homesick for his cottage on Oronsay.

He suddenly remembered the flash drive he had brought with him. It had copies of all his files including hundreds of photographs he had taken on the island. He took the notebook computer out of the neurological kit, plugged in the flash drive, and scrolled through his folders to find the photos.

For the next two hours, he gazed at the pictures, not knowing if he would ever see his home again.