“Isolate, as in place it in a lead vault, or under Cheyenne Mountain, or inside a Faraday cage, something that will isolate it from access to outside electronic systems.” He explained in a tone like he was speaking to a child. “Sergeant, you do understand this AI represents a potential security risk?”

“Look, you don’t know Skippy like I do. I’ve seen him warp spacetime and throw a starship jump half a lightyear off course. And that's what he does as a hobby. You could probably drop Skippy into a volcano and that wouldn’t even make him warm, or interfere with his ability to fry every electronic system on this planet. It would piss him off. I wouldn’t do that.”

“We have to consider-“

Now the CIA guy was pissing me off. “No, I already told you," I refrained from adding 'you dumbass', "Skippy only temporarily disrupted the operation of the local wormhole, and it will reboot, or reset itself or whatever in less than a month. If we let that happen, there are going to be some angry lizards coming through and wondering what the hell is going on with Earth. Skippy isn’t a security risk, he’s our only hope for security. We need to do what I promised, and fly back out there so he can shut the wormhole down permanently, lock all other species out. Then we help him find this Collective, whatever that is.”

The CIA guy scowled at me, apparently we were mutually pissed at each other. “That is a promise you didn’t have the authority to make, Sergeant, and now that you’re here-“

Authority? Where was this jerk when I was having to make the plan up as I went along? Making that promise to Skippy had freed Earth from enslavement by the lizards! The Army and Navy intel guys were now giving disparaging looks at the CIA guy, and whispering to each other, that made me bold. “We’re only here because we needed supplies aboard the Flying Dutchman, and I convinced Skippy that our casualties meant we couldn’t continue the mission. He took care of the Kristang here because they were in his way. You want to get in his way?”

Colonel Landry cut in to shut the CIA guy up. “Sergeant, we understand the situation, and it is being discussed at the highest level. Information you are providing to us will inform that decision. Now, I’d like to go back to something this, uh,” he checked his notes, “this burgermeister told you-“