[Black Fleet Crisis(62)

“Have you isolated this sick man from the rest of your team? “

“He isolated himself, at the first symptoms, ” said Bijo.

“Can I assume that you’d have no problem being ready for a go order at fifteen hundred hours tomorrow? “

“None at all, Colonel. “

“Thank you. ” As Bijo sat down, Pakkpekatt turned toward the other end of the room. “General Calrissian, what can you tell us about the vagabond’s hailing signal? “

Lando was taken by surprise at being called on. “I can tell you that it’s a dual-frequency carrier, modulating up to a thousand times a second. I can tell you that the data capacity is at least fifty thousand units, and could be ten times that. And I can tell you that we still don’t know if they’re saying ‘Halt or I’ll shoot’ or ‘Welcome to the Cold Space Bazaar, transmit credit information immediately. Have your people had any better luck? “

Pakkpekatt looked down the table for an answer.

“Er, the contact protocol team believes that the signal recorded by the Hrasskis and in today’s contact was an automated collision alarm, ” a young rating said, his voice touched by nervousness. “In our opinion, it has no informational content. It’s simply meant to be heard loudly and clearly, no matter what sort of communications receivers an approaching ship might use. “

Lando walked forward to the table and leaned down to rest his weight on it. “Are you saying that the vagabond jumped to avoid a collision that was never going to happen? “

“You have another explanation, General? “

“How about that it was trying to get away from US? “

“Do you think the target didn’t know we were here until the intercept took place? “

“No, I-“

“Then why would the target wait until now to try to get away? “

“I’ll give you three answers for the price of one, ” Lando said. “Because some animals freeze first when a predator’s nearby. Because until now, we hadn’t made any aggressive moves. And because we flunked whatever intelligence test it sent us today. “

“Mr. Taisdan, ” said Pakkpekatt, keeping his steady gaze on Lando, “is there as much as a minority opinion on your team that believes we should wait until we have deciphered what General Calrissian has called the ‘intelligence test’? “

“No, sir, Colonel. “

“General Calrissian, do you have any clear evidence of informational content in the signal recorded during today’s intercept? “

“No, ” Lando admitted reluctantly.

“Thank you, ” said Pakkpekatt. “Captain Hammax, inform your team that we will begin operations at fifteen hundred hours tomorrow. Foray Team One will make the first attempt, in Assault Barge One. Everyone, make sure your sections are ready. Thank you-that’s all. “

Lando waited, arms crossed over his chest, as the other officers and staff filed out past him. He was like a rock in the middle of a river.

“Was there something else, General? “

“I’m just trying to find out if you and I are even on the same menu, ” said Lando. “We waited weeks before taking the first tentative step, and now we’re going to rush ahead and try to board her? Shouldn’t we allow some time to process what we’ve learned? “

“I am allowing time for that, ” Pakkpekatt said. “Why do you think we’re holding off until fifteen hundred hours tomorrow? “

“That’s not very blasted much time, ” Lando said angrily. “You’ve bought into this collision-alarm theory because it suits your purposes. If you think you’ve seen the last of the vagabond’s defenses, you should think again. You’re treating that ship like a yacht with a burglar alarm, when you should be treating it like-like a warship. “

“The assault barges are fully armored and have augmented shields. The agents will be in full armor as well, ” said Pakkpekatt. “How long would you have me wait for you while your vaunted cyborgs and droids fail to decipher something my experts tell me has no meaning to begin with? “

“Longer than twenty hours. “

“No, General, ” Pakkpekatt said firmly. “Even twenty hours may be too much. I will not relax for a moment until fifteen hundred hours arrives. We took a step forward today. We are no longer just curious companions, traveling in company. Our next step has to follow quickly, before whoever or whatever controls that ship decides to act rather than react. I would rather that the foray team was boarding the shuttle this minute. So use what time I have given you. And surely you can find better uses for it than arguing with me. “