Deep Black Road: The Head of the Snake

Chapter 30

"Yes, sir?" Suzanne answered when General Orkan linked to her.

"Please come to my office."

That could only mean that he had something confidential related to the 'project' to pass along. "Right away, sir."

Lt. Corran merely nodded as she brushed past him on her way to the general's office.

"Yes, sir," she said as she closed the door.

"I'm headed over to New Orleans tomorrow," General Orkan said. "How's the research going?"

However, at the same time, he radioed, "Have you been able to learn anything more about Major General Smith-Feeney?" This was their real conversation, hidden so that it wouldn't be monitored, since the room was shielded.

"Very well, sir," she said, while radioing, "Yes, sir. He's definitely on your side. I caught him supporting some of your transfers to Colonel Davies this morning."

"Good," he radioed as they continued the two-level conversation. "I'll mention some of my plans when I see him; and he can confirm your observations of the staff around him. Thank you for your hard work. It's going far better than I'd hoped."

"I'm enjoying it, sir. It's satisfying to know I'm helping our Federation."

He stood up and came around his desk. "Good. Keep up the good work; and I'll see you when I get back on Saturday."

"Yes, sir," she replied.

Several weeks later, at one of their regular meetings in his office, General Orkan radioed, "Things are going very well. I have all my people where I need them; and the equipment's in place. It's time to make our move on the provincial government here in Atlanta."

"Does that mean I'm done monitoring the link traffic?" she asked.

"Not at all. Once we've consolidated our position in Foredan, then it'll be time to take on the rest of the Federation; and that should be relatively simple, since it isn't in the least prepared for war."

The rest of the Federation? Cool! she thought, and radioed, "I'm ready, sir."

"Thank you."

#

Suzanne was busy monitoring link traffic as usual a week later.

We did it, she thought happily. Ol' Dixie rises again. Foredan's now its own country, and General Orkan's the head of the military council that's running it. What's left of the Federation is all bent out of shape; but what can they do? Their standing army's a joke.

And they probably don't see they're next. Orkan thinks it'll take us less than three months to get ready, which is going to take some pretty fast work; but nobody seems to be cluing in that the link system leaks; and I'm sitting here with the bucket, catching all the juicy info.

This is great!

#

"Good morning, Ricky," said the voice-male this time-of mission control. "How's it going out there today?"

"Doing okay, sir," Ricky radioed back through the compact but powerful transceiver in his backpack, which was all he was wearing over his skin armour.

There'd been a real scramble when he'd offered his services, because the window of opportunity for the expedition was just about to open, and for only a short time, due to the relative positions of Earth and Mars. Mars was entering opposition-that is, it was getting to its closest distance to Earth.