Ivan hesitated. He wanted so much to tell Seth about some of the things he was learning, about his new abilities. But he couldn’t do that. He’d dropped hints of things to Dr. Kemp in a moment of weakness, and might have put him in danger. He wasn’t going to repeat that with his friend.

“Thanks for being honest with me, Seth. And tell the guys not to worry. They have their lives to live. My family is taken care of, so I’m good.”

“All right, buddy. Take care of yourself.”

Ivan hung up the phone. Funny, the world seemed less lonely now.

He lay back on his bunk. And what about that whole question? What would he do if the military decided to cart him off to the backside of the moon and take him apart? Could he even do anything? Would he be better off dead? Would his family be better off if he was dead?

And what if it turned out the computer was here to pass on the secrets of FTL, immortality, infinite energy, and universal peace? He’d be quite the putz if he sabotaged that, wouldn’t he?

The same questions as ever, round and around and around. But no answers, yet. Ivan had always prided himself on being analytical—a necessary quality for a computer guy. For all the despair that colored his world at the moment, he wouldn’t check out until he knew for sure it was for the best.

43.Reconsiderations

43.Reconsiderations

The officers grouped around the table looked up as Moore came into the room. He stopped to examine each person and do a quick threat analysis. The last meeting had been fractious, and he’d only hinted at the possibility of unorthodox operations. Today, would be, well…harder.

He sat, took a moment to review his notes, and looked up. “Sers, we have a problem. Multiple problems, really. You’ve all seen the news. I’m sure you’re getting regular recaps from your staff. It’s in the shit on Earth, but good. We’ve tracked down the source of the leak, by the way, and there’s a court-martial in someone’s future. But that doesn’t help us now.”

“Presumably you have a suggestion that will help us,” Castillo said.

Moore didn’t appreciate the sarcasm. “Since you ask, yes. It may become necessary for us to cure the alien infection, in a very public manner. Civil unrest is at a level not seen since the events that led to the New Liberation. The public wants a fix, and no half-measures.”

Castillo leaned forward, his antagonism forgotten. “Public manner implies that it might be more about presentation than reality?”

Moore nodded. “That’s right, Admiral. We implement your failsafe strategy, then—”

“The nuke? You’ll actually go through with it?” Gerrard looked genuinely scared, and Moore felt a stab of contempt. How did that man ever get into a command position, anyway?