First Command Read Online Free Page A

Officer Alistair Bennett placed his ship in geosynchronous orbit around Shepard and linked into the planetary communications system.   He let his computers download the planet’s data buffer containing the last year of data and voice signals to process, and took a nap.   In an hour, he had a list of suspicious communications for further study.   He discounted a dozen on the list as normal criminal or immoral activity and no concern of his.   Two were overly secretive lovers planning and coordinating affairs.   Seven were shady business dealings, more of interest to securities regulators than him.   The remaining two were possible covert communications to authorities in the K’Rang Empire.   Alistair followed up on these.
           Both communications sets were similar in that they contained hidden data.   One set contained hidden video files in a cooking recipe email.   The other contained hidden instructions on placing and receiving something from a dead drop.   Alistair had his first clue toward dismantling the cell or cells.   Now he searched the data for links from the recipients to others.   Pretty soon, he found he had nothing.   He had never seen a cell with such tight security.
           Alistair ran down the specifics on the recipients.   He got their names, photos, addresses, aliases, and all sites that they frequented regularly.   He looked for similar interests, friends, and activities, then cross-referenced their known IP numbers against other aliases and email addresses – and found the common link.
     
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           Shadow Lead Agent H’Topa reported promptly to Shadow Leader J’Kraul as ordered.   The Shadow Leader kept his attention on what he was working as H’Topa patiently stood at attention before his desk.   It was a standard trick to put your visitor off balance.   H’Topa and J’Kraul had attended many of the same espionage training courses together and knew all the techniques.   It did not work on H’Topa.
           Unimpressed, he asked in a strong voice, “Was what you called me here for of importance, Shadow Leader, or should I come back later?”
           J’Kraul started laughing.   “No, my friend, sit down, relax.   I wanted to make sure time had not softened you.   I have a top priority assignment for you from the Elders.   They want the transporter ring technology from the Humans, but don’t want the Humans to know we have it.   What can your network do to get it for us?”
           H’Topa took a moment to stretch.   “Your information exists in five places in the Human space.   It exists in the minds of Andrew and Moira Blake.   It exists in their notes locked in a triple-sealed safe in their high security lab on the planet they call Gagarin.   The notes are in their own coded language that only they speak.   It exists in a triple-sealed safe in their Fleet HQ on their main world, Earth, and the production design exists in three parts in three safes at the manufacturing facility on their main world Shepard.   No one has access to all three safes.”
           “The factory is the easiest to access.   I have two agents working there, but they have yet to gain access to any of the three data sets.   The humans jealously guard this data.   Whoever their security chief is, he is good.”
           “One of my agents asked about all the security and was told that even if the K’Rang got hold of the manufacturing design sheets they wouldn’t be able to make them work, because each ring has excess components.   There is a code unique to each ring that tells it which components to activate.   If it doesn’t activate in the right sequence, it shuts down until a special restart code is entered.   That code has to come from a special office in their defense HQ and be entered by hand.”
           “As you can see, I am on top of the situation.   I just haven’t found a way to break through their