Retribution (The Federation Reborn Book 3) (75 page)

It was also why prizes like the
Firefly
and
Bismark
derelicts had been overlooked apparently. Both would have required far more investment than anyone had been willing to give to get them back. They wouldn't have broken even on the project so they'd been ignored. And now the two were being used against them.

The ruling families oversaw the paydays and usually had their own fingers in the pie to skim off some for themselves. But, there was an unwritten rule, one that few people knew about. If the prize was too great, too onerous to pay, other steps were taken. The winner would be quietly eliminated or convinced to give up and renounce their claim in lieu of a title and future holdings.

Some ships and cargo were still en route, using the pirate dens and cove star systems seeded in the neighboring sector for the Gather Fleet's support. The largest ship found, a super monitor, the
Kaiju
class
Jotnar
for instance had been en route for nearly five decades from where she'd been found. Just getting her in motion had been a monumental feat of engineering. The winning family didn't get a single credit until the ship arrived at Horath.

Which was now impossible since the Admiralty had just released orders to redirect all prizes to the den supplying
El Dorado
, the praetor thought.

“We'll have to have someone do an evaluation of them. Pay them on a scale. I wish we could charge the bastard for losing all his ships. You'd think he could have gotten one of them out!” Admiral Post growled.

“I know. He burned them up trying to escape the federation. And yes, I checked the records; his report is accurate, even understated in some cases. The federation has sown up that side of the sector.

“You're kidding!” Admiral Rico said, aghast.

“I wish I were,” the praetor said, shaking his head. “And they are sitting on the chain to Tau sector. We can write off any assets we've got there,” he warned. “Ditto for any assets coming in to Syntia's World from Pi sector,” he stated.

“Damn,” the minister stated, sitting back.

“I know. Every hull they encounter is potentially one they can catch, refit, and add to their ranks to use against us,” the praetor warned.

“Not a nice thought. Though with the crack problem …,” Lewis scowled.

“Wanna bet their ships don't have that sort of problem?” the praetor replied with a disgusted sniff. “Trust me; they are far more thorough than our engineers are. Well trained apparently too, since we're seeing new construction here. If the reports are accurate, they had
new
battle cruisers in Protodon during the third battle there. New ships when we still haven't finished our own new construction in that class.”

“And we've had a head start,” Lewis said, now disgusted as well. “But they've got Irons. That bastard is a key master,” he said.

Admiral Rico frowned. “What led you to that conclusion?” he finally asked, turning to the OPS officer. “I'm not discounting it, but do you have evidence?”

“It fits. And yes, we do. He's said so in several speeches. Imperial Intelligence has copies,” Lewis said. “And we know he's acting president. They confirmed that with this last courier,” he said.

“So he's giving out keys like candy,” the praetor said. “Keys to build warships, and more importantly, to build the tools to build them,” he stated.

“Lovely,” the minister sighed. “I see now why you are so alarmed by the situation. Now we need to stress the danger to others,” he stated. The other two officers nodded.

:::{)(}:::

Doctor Milligram settled himself the best he could. It wasn't easy. He knew all eyes were on him and his subjects, so they had to perform and they had to beat expectations. More importantly, he, or he should think, they, had to impress powerful skeptical people. Passing on the detailed records of their transit times had helped immensely in that regard. He also knew that the losses appalled some powerful people. They couldn't be helped. He had no way of knowing if it was pilot error or an engineering fault, nor did they.

While they were digesting the reports and the admiral was making his pitch, the doctor did his best to get his subjects to the labs and settled in. At least he had Doctor Nutell in his corner he thought.

:::{)(}:::

Mara and her people toured the facilities while they were being led to a special series of chambers for their exclusive use. Doctor Milligram had promised them to her, he'd made it out like they were special, but she felt anything but relief when she saw them. It felt like they were in a zoo she'd seen somewhere with glass walls and mirrors to put them on display. There were cameras everywhere she noted, looking around anxiously. Also many people, many in white or full biocontamination suits she'd seen. The series of labs were sterile and industrial in nature with tubes and bodies floating in the murky fluids. She wondered if they were alive. Possibly preserved a small corner of her mind whispered.

Even the habitats they were to sleep and live in were white and sterile she noted as they were escorted into them. “You'll find the facilities there,” the head nurse said. “Males will be in the other dorm,” she stated.

Mara looked around. She hadn't noted until that moment that the men had been segregated from their ranks. It had been done while she'd been distracted but so expertly handled. No one had protested. Not that they had any need to do so, she thought. They all trusted Doctor Milligram, she thought.

“Any questions?” Nurse Jane asked. “I have one. Why are you so calm?”

“Doctor Milligram promised us a reward if we were on our best behavior,” a girl said, squirming a bit as the matron leveled her intent gaze on her.

“Well, that's between him and Doctor Nutell now I suppose. I think you did a good job. Settle in. We'll check on you in a few hours at dinner.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Mara said softly. She indicated the group should settle onto the bunks. The girl bounced on hers. It moved like a wave. “A water bed?” Mara asked.

“Yes,” Nurse Jane said. “Spoiling you I suppose,” she said.

“Actually it's not a good idea,” Mara said just as one of the females sat down and leaned back. Her elbow spikes and fins dug into the cloth covering, penetrating it right to the rubber mattress. With a soft spoosh her mattress was pierced. Greenish water gushed out.

Jane saw the mess and sighed. “I'll get maintenance in here with a mop. Until then, none of you touch them. That goes for you,” she said pointing to the miscreant. And you,” she said, pointing to the girl. “We'll see about removing the fins and spikes later,” she muttered storming out.

“Did I hear them correctly? Cloning? Force growth?” Sydney asked anxiously.

“Now now, don't fret,” Mara said, wrapping her arms around the girl to comfort her. “It will all work out. Doctor Milligram said so,” she said.

“When do we get our medication? We haven't had it,” another woman said. Mara looked up as she finger-combed the fish girl's head fins to calm her.

“I'm not sure. Remember to remain on your best behavior. I'll ask when they get someone in to clean up that,” she said, indicating the punctured mattress.

“I didn't mean to,” the woman who'd breached it said in a little girl's voice.

“Not your fault,” Mara said. “I'll ask Doctor Milligram if he can set up tanks or tubs we can soak in like we had on
Friar Tuck
,” she said.

“That was good,” Sydney said. “I miss the water slide. Do you think they have one here?” she asked. “I never got to try the surfing,” she said in a petulant tone of voice.

“We'll ask,” Mara said soothingly. “For now, let's see if we can help clean this mess up,” she said, indicating the mattress. The others nodded and got to work stripping the mattress just as a pair of men in maintenance jumpers and some orderlies arrived.

:::{)(}:::

Now that his clearance level had been raised, Doctor Milligram explored the complex to get a better feel for what else was going on, the competition, the dead projects, and what he'd missed while being with Fourth Fleet.

He found bodies in cylinders. He hadn't known that the empire had picked up so many subjects over the centuries. They'd been carefully preserved though. His reading of some of the files indicated many had been captured alive but had committed suicide after being brutalized. Until his approach had come along, none had survived long enough to get to the homeworld.

The very few that might have had been fed into the games somewhere along the line, he thought acidly. Such a stupid waste of potential.

On the fourth day, he found out about the most recent project to get funding. Apparently female human clones had been found living among the population. The concept was as preposterous as it was astonishing, so he read on further rather than skipping ahead.

Apparently the empire scientists had recently been made aware of Meia clones in their midst after the emperor ordered wide-spread genetic screening. The objective of the screening was to weed out genetic flaws in the population—also any undesired traits and any chimeras and others in their midst.

He frowned thoughtfully and looked up as Doctor Nutell approached him. “Ah, reading the brief,” the doctor asked.

“If you call it that. The clones,” Doctor Milligram said, waving the tablet.

“Ah, that one. A true competitor to your own endeavor I should say,” Doctor Nutell said. “Perhaps we can merge the two programs?” he suggested.

“This is going too far. Why the excess? It will induce paranoia and fear into our people when we can least afford the diversion,” the doctor said crossly.

“It isn't up to you or I, Doctor. It is up to the court and the will of the emperor. We have to trust in his grand plan. It has been forged over years,” Doctor Nutell replied, making a slight show of tugging on one ear as a way of warning that others were listening.

Suddenly the doctor was reminded of his ancient Terran ancestor and his experiments. How one could be drawn down the dark road to do someone else's bidding … he closed his eyes in pain but then nodded. “Yes, we have no choice I suppose. But what about them?” He indicated his subjects on the video monitors around his office. “Was everything we did, all the lives and resources sacrificed for nothing?”

“They will be given special dispensation as long as they remain useful. Your job is to see that they do,” the doctor stated.

“Understood. And the clones you mentioned?”

“We still don't know the source. They have apparently been popping up everywhere.”

“Everywhere?”

“Sightings have been reported in Sigma, Rho, Pi, and the neighboring sectors. All of the subjects are a female pubescent around ten years of age. They all share a common story; they are found in an escape pod in stasis.”

“Changelings?” Doctor Milligram asked.

“No, that's what we thought as well, but the scans came up negative. To be honest it has us baffled.”

“So, why the interest?”

“We don't like loose ends obviously, nor does imperial intelligence for that matter. But the real reason is that each subject has an interest in piloting. A gift one would say.”

“Piloting?”

“Yes. We're going to compare the samples we have with your own subjects. It's a pity we only have two here. Now that we know what to look for, imperial intelligence has gone through the personnel records and identified four more. They have been ordered to be transferred here. Unfortunately, two are considered lost behind enemy lines,” he stated. The doctor placed an image of a woman up on the screen.

Doctor Milligram frowned. “That face is familiar,” he admitted. “But I can't honestly say where I remember seeing it.”

“It should be familiar; it is the same face that the CAG of the
Lingchi
wears,” Doctor Nutell said, putting up the woman's stats. “Unfortunately your Admiral von Berk left her behind in Nuevo Madrid,” he scolded.

Doctor Milligram spread his hands in supplication while he mentally cursed the lost opportunity. “Not my decision obviously.
Lingchi
was damaged as well. I do know she accounted for herself well in some of the battles. She took out several enemy fighters. I don't know if she made ace or not,” he said, adjusting his glasses as he peered at the record.

“Quite possibly she did. They all have a gift for piloting. We haven't seen many naturals like it. And we know now she's nothing of the sort.”

“So when they do report, are you going to incarcerate her? She has no signs of disloyalty, no sign of being a changeling, and she's good at her job,” Doctor Milligram observed. “It seems a waste of her talent, especially if she can pass on her skills to others,” he stated.

“Again, it is a decision out of our hands,” Doctor Nutell replied with a diffident shrug. “What I am hoping for is to get enough samples of her and the others to do a comparison, and like I said, compare it to your subjects. Also, do the same for their abilities, see which comes up on top. Then we can decide if we are going down the correct path or not,” he stated.