Target Three, sarcastically: “If the ship speaks, why didn’t it come in person?”

Perihelion’s drone: You don’t want to meet me in person.

The Targets react with astonishment and some dismay.

Target Two: “What happened to those who boarded the transport?”

Thiago looks at Overse, who says, “They’re all dead.”

(Thiago and Overse had decided earlier that Overse will be the “bad one” who agrees with the evil transport’s desire to destroy the colony.)

My drones reach the open plaza of the installation, and slip down past the rib structures. I send to our secured feed, Intel incoming. The drones detect seven armed Targets, concealed just inside the two entrances into the structure on the eastern side. The other two entrances appear to be clear. Perihelion taps the feed in acknowledgment.

Target Two: “What do you want from us?”

Thiago: “We want you to return the person who you captured in the drop box embarkation chamber. Return that person and we will leave you in peace.” On the secure feed, he says, I have to try, maybe it will be just this easy.

Overse replies, Oh, Thiago.

Iris adds, It’s never easy.

They are correct. Hostages are never taken simply to be released on demand.

Target One: “We can’t return that person, we didn’t take them. That was the infected group.”

Overse: “Then tell them to return that person, or there will be more detonations.”

Target Two: “They won’t listen to us.”

Overse jerks her head toward the pathfinder. “Make them listen. None of us has a choice.”

Thiago: “If you can tell us where they are keeping our friend, that may convince the transport to wait.”

The drones manage to make stealth entries into the two clear doorways on the western side of the plaza. I report this to Perihelion, who taps my feed again. It sends to the humans: Continue to stall.

The Targets continue to exhibit agitated behavior.

Iris: “Tell us what happened here, maybe that will help. We know you found alien remnants. You put one on the transport’s drive, and on the explorer.”

Target Two: “We didn’t know they did that.”

Target Four, speaking for the first time: “You could be lying. You want our findings.”

Overse: “Was the explosion in your agricultural zone a lie?”

Target One nudges Target Four to step back. “It affects some more than others. We are not all to blame for the actions of a few.”

Iris: “But the few killed most of the crew of the explorer, and they were going to forcibly contaminate us. We were coming to help you. Why should we believe you?”

Overse: “You need to do something besides just repeating that it’s not your fault. Tell us where they’re keeping our friend.”

The drones scout darkened corridors now and I am mainly receiving low resolution visuals. A feed is active but no SecUnit activity has been detected yet. One drone has located an open antigrav shaft and is proceeding down it. I direct a squad to follow it. There are many levels to search. The installation is much larger underground than we had anticipated.