The Major sighed. “Now, Eric, are you ready to negotiate? There’s no way you can win.”

For a long moment there was no response. “Give it up, Eric,” he said softly. “It’s pointless to die for nothing.”

“Major, we didn’t come here as a suicide squad, but you may not leave us much of an option. Suppose we do surrender. Then what?”

“You’ll be arrested, of course. But there’ll be no need for punishment. You’ll simply be implanted once more, and then you’ll not be any threat to us.”

“Come on, Major,” Eric said in disgust. “You said I wasn’t a fool. We both know you’d never dare let me go around with nothing more than just implantation.”

The Major sighed. “True, except for the fact that in your case—and I’ll be honest with you—in your case it would be a Stage Three implantation. It would be sufficient. It’s not very pleasant to contemplate, but certainly better than death.”

“Only in your mind, Major. I think we prefer the swiftness of high-powered explosives to any tender mercies you can promise. And at least that way, we would know that you hadn’t won either.”

“You’re bluffing again, Eric.” The Major spoke with arrogant confidence, but for the first time Travis saw his eyes cloud with worry.

“Am I? Two hundred thousand people out there are anxious to get their hands on you, Major. If I free them, it won’t matter whether we live or die. Your empire is finished.”

Travis grabbed the microphone. “If you care so much for those two hundred thousand people, you’d better not blow the central computers. It will automatically trigger Maximum Punishment Modes for everyone. And then, so much for freedom.”

“Sorry, Travis.” It was Rod Loopes’ voice. “You forget I’m here.”

Travis was unperturbed. “We’ve reprogrammed since you left, Rod, just in case something like this happened.”

For a long moment there was silence; then in a whisper they heard Eric’s voice. “Rod? Could that be true?”

The Major gave Travis a quick look of triumph, but it was instantly erased.

“No way!” Loopes said. “They couldn’t risk that. Suppose they had a power failure and the back-up generators didn’t work.”

“Nice try, Travis,” Eric called. “Major, we’ll blow the computers unless we get a better alternative than what you’re offering us now.”

The Major stared at the microphone. “All right, Eric, we seem to have a standoff. What do you want?”

“Freedom for all of us,” Eric said without hesitation. “Let us go, and we’ll not blow your little game here. We’ll leave the Alliance, and you’ll be free of us.”

“Now who is shamming who? But I think there’s one other thing for which we might bargain.”

“What?”

Very quietly the Major said one word. “Nicole.”