Lost Planet 02 - The Stolen Moon Read Online Free PDF Page B

conflict with Storros began long before the events surrounding Trucon.” Captain Lennard paused, and sighed. “Anyway, I sent word an hour ago that we’d be on our way there within the coming week. There’s nothing we can do. We’ll just have to be very, very careful.”
    Hearing the captain’s warning, Chase finally remembered why he’d come to visit. “The blackout. Parker doesn’t think it was an accident. He says somebody inside the ship hacked the mainframe.”
    The captain took a moment to absorb this. “Why does he think this?”
    â€œI don’t know, he said it seemed suspicious. You know how Parker is about computer stuff. He just said that was the only thing that made sense.”
    Frowning, the captain said, “Our crew will investigate every possibility.”
    â€œBut if someone on your crew did it in the first place, couldn’t they just cover it up and say it didn’t happen? How can you trust anyone?”
    â€œI have to be able to trust my crew. This,” he said, gesturing around them to indicate the entire ship, “doesn’t work without trust. We all work together, and if someone’s acting out of line, they’ll be found, believe me.”
    Chase smiled, but the uneasy feeling in his chest didn’t fade. If Parker could hack into the mainframe unnoticed, couldn’t someone else do the same?
    *   *   *
    Chase was in the officer’s lounge that evening watching Maurus annihilate his teammates from the expeditionary squad at a Shartese card game when Lennard came on the public address system to announce to the rest of the ship that they were leaving the Movala system. The lounge filled with cheers at the news.
    â€œHuzzah and hallelujah,” said Lieutenant Seto, throwing down his cards and flashing his easy grin. “Finally out of the backwater and back to civilization.”
    â€œI don’t know that I would call Storros civilization, exactly,” came a cool reply from one of the officers sitting at a big round table. Lieutenant Karsten Derrick was Chase’s least favorite member of the expeds, and not just because he consistently ignored Chase’s presence. “Bunch of slugs living in beehives, as far as I can tell.”
    â€œOh, give it a rest,” said a sharp-tongued female pilot who Chase knew only as Vidal. “Wherever we go, it’s guaranteed to be less boring than here.”
    Maurus, who had moved back to sit beside Vidal on a hard sofa, fixed his dark eyes on Chase as soon as the announcement was broadcast. Chase was certain he was thinking the same thing: This could be a trap . “Storros is actually a pretty enlightened place,” Maurus said casually. “They have a rich musical culture.”
    Derrick sneered. “No, they’re just rich, period. Otherwise we wouldn’t be rushing across the galaxy to solve their problems for them.”
    â€œWell, it’s hard to argue with an endless supply of rhenium,” said Seto in a wry voice. There was something about his expression that always made it look like he’d just heard a good joke.
    â€œA planet is more than its resources; a planet is its people,” said Maurus. “And the Storrians are far more than just a ‘bunch of slugs.’”
    â€œOf course you’d say that,” sneered Derrick. “Aliens stick up for one another.”
    Maurus turned on him. “I’ll tell you where you can stick something.” Chase had learned early on that the word alien was a quick path to Maurus’s formidable temper. It was moments like these where Chase was reminded of the fact that Maurus was the only non-Earthan among the Kuyddestor officers. Most of the officers treated Maurus, if not as a friend, at least with respect, but there were a few like Lieutenant Derrick who scorned him openly.
    â€œI’d like to see you try,” snapped