Read Scourge: Book Two of the Starcrown Chronicles Page 48

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  Perched atop the tallest building in the city, the view from the penthouse office was impressive. The floor to ceiling windows that occupied the wall behind the room’s desk afforded a commanding view of the sprawling metropolis that was the seat of government for the most powerful nation in the galaxy. From a height of more than three hundred stories the man who owned the office stood with his hands clasped lightly behind his back as he looked out across the lesser buildings stretching between the heart of the business district and the distant capital grounds. Weather control had decided that it was to be a clear day in the capital so there were no clouds obscuring his view. Hovercars crawled through the streets far below as the common people went about their insignificant lives. The beetle shapes of their vehicles formed orderly patterns amid the towering canyons of glass and steel while lines of air going vehicles obediently followed the pre arranged flight paths designated by traffic control regulations. Like an immense hive of insects, the daily flow of life continued beneath his feet.

  As he stared through the window, the man felt like Zeus looking down on the world from the heights of Olympus. The parallel amused him and he smiled to himself. Without turning around he spoke to the woman seated on the far side of his desk.

  “And you are sure that the Prometheus was destroyed in the explosion?” he asked in a deceptively mild voice.

  The woman who was known to the crew of the Prometheus as Angela spoke up without hesitation. “Yes, father. We waited for more than eighteen hours while the battle group looked for them. They conducted an extensive search through the asteroid field for any sign of the ship without success. We also tapped into their flagship’s database and found nothing to indicate that they had received any transmissions warning them about Praetorian. I am quite certain the ship was destroyed.”

  “Very well then,” the man said. “We can continue with our plans as before.”

  “I am sorry about having to kill the Duke,” she added, “but he was on the verge of revealing information about you to their spies.”

  The man made a dismissive gesture with one hand. “A minor inconvenience at worst. Do not concern yourself about it, you did what was necessary. Like the asteroid base, the Duke was always considered to be expendable.” He turned around and fixed her briefly with a look. The man who faced her was of shorter than average stature, with a slight build, mousy brown hair, and unremarkable features. He was the kind of man who was easily overlooked in a crowd. The only thing about him that stood out at all was the fine quality of his clothing, although in truth there were many wealthy people in Haven.

  “Besides,” he continued, “it is time to move into the next phase of the plan.” He looked at the room’s other occupant. Seated next to Angela was the man who had been introduced to Captain Pell and his security officer as Mr. Smith.

  “How is everything progressing?” the man asked.

  Mr. Smith inclined his head. “All of the preliminary work is finished. We are ready to conduct field tests.”

  Angela cocked her head at him. “You’ve been busy, little brother.” It was a joke that had existed between them since they were children. Although she was the older sibling, her genetic coding had determined that she would be petite, disguising her physical prowess. He, on the other hand, looked every bit as physically capable as his genetically engineered body was. But beyond this, it was his mind that made him truly important to their father. He possessed an eidetic memory and the ability to simultaneously think about several things at the same time, making him a living computer.

  The man allowed himself to smile slightly, letting his children know that he was pleased with their performance.

  “Then it is time for you to learn the details of the final phase of the plan,” he said as he lowered himself into his seat. Although he trusted his children more than anyone else alive, he would not share even with them any more of his plans than was necessary for them to know. He had not become the wealthiest man in the galaxy by being careless with information. This was also the reason why he insisted on meeting with them face to face. He understood how vulnerable the communication network was and would never discuss anything of critical importance over the comm-net. The only people who knew about his plans were the three of them.

  As he settled into his chair the man pressed a control on the edge of his desk, activating the security field that would make his office impervious to electronic detection. It would be several hours before they emerged from the office, at which time they would put the final phase into action.