Chapter SIX
Brad leaned back, drew his legs in and stretchedthem straight, heels to the deck. His eyes followedRam to the dais and as he turned to face him.
"You and your crew will start intensive training inintelligence operations using our most advancedmethods. It will cover infiltration, interrogation,psychological defenses against psychic probesand other means that might be used to acquireinformation from you, under duress or otherwise.You will absorb intelligence countermeasures andcounter-countermeasures, identification of militaryspacecraft and weapons used by both the UIPSand INOR, analysis of our military capabilities andthose of our adversaries, covert communicationsthrough conventional, unconventional and spunnelchannels, and other tricks of the trade. Your quickreaction reflexes will be enhanced through meansthat will not be apparent to you."
"What does that last part mean?"
"I'll get to it. First, your mission. Your escapefrom this Station has been arranged. The piecesare being moved into place. Your immediatedestination is tanktown Coldfield on Planet Pluto."
The view tank's image of Pluto expanded as didthe gray-black contrasts of the planet's surface.A white light in a mottled area blinked, drawingBrad's momentary attention. His eyes returnedto Ram.
"Your initial field of operations is centered inColdfield," Ram pointed to the light. "Where you gofrom there depends on the contacts you developand how well you exploit each opportunity. The tanktown has a permanent population of about fiftythousand plus about ten thousand transients.Mix with the transients for starters."
"Get to the mission, Ram," Brad cut Xindral short.
Ram sighed. "We've sent a succession of formaldiplomatic missions to INOR," he said, "including afew to the renegades that now run Planet Pluto.We've asked them repeatedly to not interfere withthe Slingshot program. We've emphasized to eachINOR government that Slingshot is as importantto them as it is to us. They're not listening. We'restill pressing diplomatic means, meanwhile, ourlogistics is being disrupted by Pluto's PresidentNarval's hoodlums."
"How does this team fit in?"
"If we send in a military force to sweep awaythese scoundrels, our action will be seen as animperialist intrusion into the Outer Region. Itwill create such resentment among the governmentsout there that the Slingshot schedule cannot helpbut suffer serious harm. Getting INOR's cooperationwill also become more difficult than ever.
"Maybe, if we gather enough hard evidence ofa conspiracy and confront them with it, they'llchange their ways. Right now, they're blaming theattacks on partisans over whom they say theyhave no control. We don't buy that. We need youto gather and send confirmations to us and, whileyou're doing that, disrupt the plans and weaponsbeing marshaled against us. Use whateverinitiatives you can devise on site. Go where youneed to, do whatever it takes to frustrate ouradversaries."
"What happens if we fail?"
"Failure is unacceptable. As long as you or anyof your people are alive and useful to us we'll getthrough to you and we'll expect you to keep uscurrent on developments."
"Big order."
"Yes, it is."
"I am, or rather, I was, skipper of a spacefreighter," Brad said, tenting his hands. "I knowalmost nothing of military operations, intelligencegathering, and especially covert actions, whateverthose might entail. I'm not familiar with spaceweapons except for garden-variety small arms. Otherthan Kumiko, I gather that the members of this teamare not experts in the weapons and explosives weare likely to encounter or use. You're sending usin against a rough crowd, from the way you describethem. Aren't you risking a lot on us?"
"Absolutely."
"I refuse."
"You're not being given the choice. Neither arethe others."
"I can withhold my cooperation."
"I repeat, Brad, you have no choice."
Ram paused, eyeball to eyeball with Brad,whose eyes had gone cold. Ram's voice went asflat as when he had read the group their orders.
"You will be psychologically adjusted as youprogress through this indoctrination. The'adjustment', for want of a better term, isnecessary for several reasons. It applies tothe entire team."
Brad stared.
"What does that mean?"
"Just that we can't afford to let normal humanweaknesses and scruples interfere the mission."
"The hell you say," Brad raised his voice. "You'retelling me we're expendable?"
"You're in covert intelligence work, Brad, andyou'll be in the enemy's camp. Doesn't thatanswer your question?"
"Come on, dammit."
Meeting Brad's eyes, Ram shrugged.
"Each of you will be full to the brim withmotivational boosters to keep you oriented tothe mission. You won't stray, whatever thetemptations. We'll install undetectable barriersagainst psychic probes; then there are..."
"Damn you, Ram." Brad cut in, his voice cracklingwith rage. "You sons of bitches are going torobotize us. Expendable is bad enough; you'reprogramming us into suicide."
"Not quite, Brad. Hear me out."
Ram paced restlessly as he spoke, his tall, slenderframe swaying, his head changing direction tomaintain eye contact.
Brad rose and stood erect, legs apart, fists onhips, fury pouring out in his body language.
"Your team has just been assembled," Ram said,"yet we don't have a moment to lose to get youin place and operational. Orientation and trainingwill allow no more than four sleeps. The specialknowledge and skills each you needs for thismission will be implanted into your conscious andsubconscious minds, and, as it suits our needs,into your survival instincts. We have a longhistory at this game."
Brad rose and strode angrily up the aisle to thedoor and pressed the panel that would slide itopen. The panel did not function. Other than raisehis eyes to follow him to the door, Ram continuedtalking as if Brad had remained nearby. After amoment's hesitation, Brad returned to his seat.Ram paused and gazed at Brad sympathetically.
"If you're all going to operate like a well-lubedmachine, without appearing to be doing so," hesaid, "you'll need all the gimmicks we can hang onto each of you."
Ram shrugged and went on, "News of your escapewill be broadcast system-wide; all part of the cover.They'll be suspicious for quite a while, but you'vegot to infiltrate, despite the risks.
"The mission has many subtleties; you must allunderstand how they interact. Above all, you mustnever, despite the most extreme interrogation,betray the mission. In that sense, yes, you areexpendable. Small comfort, I know, but insuranceagainst betrayal will entail a simple psy-mod."
"Is there to be a complex one?"
"Yes."
"Let's have it all, man."
"If you are to join these terrorists, pirates, orwhatever they are, your characters must be suitableto blend with theirs. On the one hand, you will beloyal to each other and to us; on the other, you,and I mean each of you, will lie, cheat, bribe,subvert, sabotage, and kill for the mission, andif it serves our greater purpose, act convincinglyagainst us. That's one complex psy-mod."
"There's more?"
"There's communications and one other. Aboutcomm, off-planet messages from Planet Pluto,especially through spunnel channels, are underthe tight control of Pluto's insurgent government.Transmission facilities are under constant heavyguard. You'll all be checked out by the Pluto'ssecurity people to make sure none of you arecarrying prohibited comm gear or are otherwisewired."
"The 'other'."
"Last resort. It's need-to-know, if and whenneeded. When you become aware of thecrisis to which it applies it will surface in yourconsciousness and in the mind of one other memberof your team. You'll each know what to do."
"Sounds like a jolly crowd."
Ram grinned.
"I'm sure you'll all have a party. Back to comm:the Log Depot and the Terminal work siteshave spunnel centers. Zolan will have the accesscodes to the Log Depot. At all costs, keep theconstruction site from becoming involved inthis intelligence operation. If word got out thatwe used the Terminals for covert intelligenceor militar
y transmissions, the Outer Regiongovernments would blow their collective tops.We can rationalize using the Log Depot if weexperience piracy and harassment of ourtransports and citizens. It'll be extremelydangerous to go beyond that."
"No chance of using the Pluto comm center?"Brad asked.
"Don't count on it." Ram replied grimly.
"What happens afterward, assuming that wesurvive? Also, can what you're doing to eachof us be reversed so that we can return towhat, for us, would be normal?"
"In the order you raise them: first, after thisis over you will all be free citizens, recordscleared, and we'll help you to return to yourformer lives, or reasonably close to what theywere; second, the mods are reversible and youwill all be de-programmed.
"You mention survival, Brad. You may be searchingfor assurance that you'll come through alive. Ican't give you that assurance, for you or for yourteam. In all sincerity, I think that you and yourteam have less than an even chance for survival.Understand then, the name of the game is dare,but not stupidly."