Starship's Mage 2 Hand of Mars Read Online Free PDF Page B

also eavesdrop on everything going on around us. It’s the job of the folks down here to sort it all and let myself and you two know what’s important.”
    The Mage officer led his way into the room. Despite the impression Damien had got from Harmon’s description, the room was empty. Viewscreens covered the walls, surrounding the half-dozen empty consoles to provide an ability to view dozens of streams simultaneously.
    “It’s also, for a variety of reasons, one of the most secure rooms on the ship,” Harmon continued. “Take a seat, both of you.”
    Without waiting to see if the Hand or the Envoy obeyed, he fiddled with the controls and brought up a recording.
    “This was forwarded us to by the Tau Ceti Runic Transceiver Array while you were meeting Rickard,” he said quietly. “The recording is audio only, obviously.”
    The Runic Transceiver Arrays were massive constructs, networks of runes that filled large domes with a complexity that rivaled the core sections of a jump or amplifier matrix. All of that focus and energy, however, was targeted on a single room slightly less than three meters square.
    From that room, a Mage could throw his voice to a single, specific, other RTA anywhere in the galaxy. He had to know where the other RTA was to within a few planetary diameters, so an RTA station also included a giant array of computers, and the message was audio only, so everything in that room was recorded.
    The recording started playing.
    “Tau Ceti RTA, this message is for Hand Alaura Stealey, Priority One.”
    The audio was distorted, static and other noises running under it. The inability to provide a clear audio signal prevented the RTAs being used for any kind of data transmission - only voice was useful, which also prevented any security except locking down the RTA itself. Despite the distortion, Damien recognized the voice instantly: it was Desmond Alexander himself.
    “We have received further updates from Mage-Governor Vaughn on Ardennes,” the recording continued. “He has requested that we accelerate your arrival, as the situation has drastically escalated.
    “Twelve hours prior to the transmission of this message, unknown terrorists managed to drop a crude kinetic weapon on the town of Karlsberg. Shortly thereafter, a military relief column intended to deliver medical supplies and desperately needed heavy machinery was destroyed in an ambush using heavy anti-tank weapons.”
    “You are directed to proceed as soon as reasonably possible to the Ardennes system,” Alexander continued. “Beyond that, I leave to your discretion - but the son of a bitch who just blew away fifty thousand people must be brought to justice.
    “Olympus Mons, ending transmission.”
    The room was silent for a long moment.
    “The Tides of Justice is prepared to move on your order, Lady Hand,” Harmon said quietly.
    “Make it so, Mage-Commander,” Alaura replied flatly. “You can let your communication team have their center back, too.”
    Damien glanced over at her. A few things in what he was hearing didn’t add up, and from Alaura’s sour expression, she was thinking much the same.
    “Your office?” he queried aloud.

    #

    Alaura threw herself into the chair in her office, turning back to face Damien with a determined expression on her face. A gesture snapped up a holographic screen from the personal computer wrapped around her arm, and she studied for a long moment before sighing.
    “We have the data from Rickard,” she told him. “I’m less convinced of its value now, though.”
    Damien leaned back against the wall next to the door, considering the situation.
    “We still need to deal with the Governor if he’s fixing elections,” he pointed out. “We can’t let that stand.”
    Alaura made a throw away gesture, shutting down her PC screen.
    “Yes, but that just dropped off the priority list,” she admitted. “From my own research and Rickard’s information, I’m reasonably sure Vaughn is a good