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  In preparation for an extended stay on Dakistee, Christa moved the shuttle to a small, open area nearer the new facility. The area, located just fifty meters from the tunnel entrance, would from then on serve as the shuttleport for the new outpost.

  * * *

  Chapter Three

  ~ May 5th, 2285 ~

  Higgins SCB was only thirty light years away, so a reply from Admiral Holt arrived the next day. Christa was having breakfast when the computer informed her of its arrival. She immediately set her meal aside and moved to the computer console.

  As Christa activated the viewscreen, a head-and-shoulders image of Admiral Holt filled the image area. Jenetta had long ago learned to judge his mood from his expression and, as their interaction with him had increased, so had Christa and Eliza. They could tell when he was masking his mood and what mood he was masking. On this occasion his face was affable, and Christa could tell it was genuine even before he spoke a word.

  "Hello, Christa," the Admiral said, "it's a pleasure to welcome you back to Region One. I'll naturally do everything I can to support your mission on Dakistee. After receiving Jenetta's initial message, I assigned Lt. Grace Carmoody of the GSC research ship Heisenberg to your operation. All reports indicate that she's an excellent officer and scientist. Her ship should arrive in orbit within two days and she'll transfer to your command there for temporary duty. I've also issued orders to the Commanding officer of the Marine battalion stationed on Dakistee to send you as many Marines as he can free up. I'm afraid the troop strength on Dakistee is woefully limited, so don't expect more than a company, and don't be surprised if you only receive a squad. But even a squad should be enough to guard the tunnel entrance from a bunch of unarmed scientists. Keep me apprised of the situation there and don't hesitate to ask if you need anything. Our Marine resources are low in this deca-sector, but I'll give you everything else I can.

  "Brian Holt, Rear Admiral, Upper Half, Higgins Space Command Base, message complete."

  Christa knew she couldn't attempt to open the facility's door until she had some support. She didn't expect to need help opening the door, but she'd need a few Marines to ensure the anxious scientists stayed far enough away so they remained unaware of the procedure. Jenetta wanted to make sure that as few people as possible learned the secret to the process so Space Command would always have to be called if any additional facilities were discovered.

  Christa spent the remainder of the morning reviewing files downloaded from the first facility's computer core. Just after noon, local time, the computer informed her that an Armored Personnel Carrier was approaching. Christa watched the computer-provided image on her monitor for a few seconds, then gave the computer an instruction to open the hatch. A few minutes later she heard the sounds made by someone climbing the ramp, and a Marine appeared in the hatchway.

  "Sergeant Flegetti reporting, Commander," he said as he braced to attention.

  "At ease, Flegetti. What are your orders?"

  "To report to the Commander for temporary duty in support of the operation, Ma'am. That was all I was told."

  "How many Marines do you have with you?"

  "Two fire teams of four, Ma'am."

  "Very well. That will be adequate for now. Where are you normally posted?"

  "About two klicks from here, Ma'am. We're part of the Fort Carver squad."

  Christa smiled and said, "I wasn't aware it was still being called that. I never saw the sign that was put up, but my sister told me about it."

  "Technically it's the Loudescott Outpost, but everyone prefers the informal designation as a tribute to the people who fought the battle that took place here in 2270."

  "A number of good people were injured or lost their lives here."

  "Yes, ma'am. The Corps put up an official plaque at the entrance to the bunker and the original handmade sign was mounted on the wall in the mess hall. "

  "Are you the senior non-com for your squad?"

  "No ma'am. That would be Staff Sergeant Burton."

  "I would have expected him or her to arrive with the teams."

  "Um, I'm sorry, ma'am. I was so excited about meeting you that I forgot I was supposed to say Lt. Uronson sends his regrets and will come to see you as soon as he returns from Pendleton. Staff Sergeant Burton went with him."

  "Pendleton? Camp Pendleton, California?"

  "No ma'am. There's a dig site here named Fallbrook halfway around the planet. Battalion headquarters is located there on a Marine camp that's been named North Pendleton."

  "I see. There's no need to be in awe of me, Sergeant. The Admiral is the one who's done all the fantastic deeds."

  "Um, yes ma'am, but you're a clo…" The last word seem to stick in his throat.

  "It's okay to say it, Sergeant. Everyone in the GA knows that my sister Eliza and I are clones of the Admiral. Our birth wasn't intentional, but we're glad it happened all the same."

  "Uh, yes ma'am." A bit red-faced he added, "So is everyone else."

  Christa smiled, then said, "Sergeant, your assignment here is simple. The archeologists have discovered another bunker like Fort Carver. They haven't been able to gain access and it's up to us to see that they don't until it's been checked for hazards and cleared of equipment designated as contraband by the GA. You and your people will empty the tunnel of any non-military personnel and post guards at the entrance to see that no one except Space Command and Marine personnel are permitted entry unless I amend this order. Clear?"

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "Good. The tunnel entrance is about fifty meters off this ship's starboard bow. Your two fire teams will take responsibility for the tunnel immediately and guard it around the clock. Dismissed."

  "Aye, Ma'am.

  Sergeant Flegetti braced to attention , then turned on his heel and left the small ship. A couple of minutes later, Christa saw the APC depart in the direction of the tunnel entrance.

  After completing the research she had been engaged in when the marines arrived, Christa left the shuttle and walked to the tunnel entrance. The two Marines on duty there braced to attention until she had passed them.

  The tunnel was as quiet as a tomb. Christa thought briefly about all the Mummy movies she had seen while growing up, then shook herself mentally to clear her head and think about the job at hand.

  The blacker-than-black door and wall looked forbidding and ominous as they came into view on the lowest level. Impregnability was a given since they had firsthand experience with the construction material used, but there shouldn't be anything ominous about the facility. It was just a workplace that happened to be underground. Innumerous military facilities were located underground, mainly for protection from attack, and that factor had been of immense value when the Tsgardi tried to take the cloning equipment. Having the entrance underground meant they couldn't bring large equipment to bear that might have given them a better chance of breaking in. Perhaps the sensation she was experiencing now was simply the result of knowing how old the facility was, as well as the pale-yellow light given off by the Chembrite panels.

  Christa walked to within a meter of the door, took another look around to make sure she was alone, and said, "Dwuthathsei." She had expected the door to open as soon as she used the Nordakian word for open, but nothing happened. So she said it again, more clearly. Still nothing happened. Because it had worked at the other facility, she and Jenetta had expected it to work here as well. Finally, she began saying the word in slightly different ways. Ancient Dakistian was marginally different than modern Nordakian, although the computer at the other facility had been able to understand and bridge the subtleties. It appeared this computer was a little more dense. Or perhaps the computer was malfunctioning. If that was the case, getting inside was going to be a real chore.

  After trying every variation of 'dwuthathsei' she could think of, Christa gave up. She had to find a new approach to the problem. Moving right up to the door, she placed her hand against it to see if she could feel any vibration that migh
t indicate something was happening inside or that the door was trying to open. She felt no vibration, but she did feel something unexpected. There were scratches on a door that should have none. The tools used against the door shouldn't have been able to mar the surface at all.

  Christa retrieved a Chembrite panel from against the rear wall and brought it over to the door. When it was placed off to the side, the scratches became barely visible, but it turned out they weren't really scratches at all. They were carefully etched patterns and markings in the door. Although almost invisible, it was obvious they weren't accidental.

  Christa used the camera in her viewpad to photograph the marks from several different angles and with the Chembrite panel casting light from several different directions. When she felt she had a good representation of images, she had the computer assemble a single image and increase the contrast so the marks were easy to identify. What she saw was six circles, each approximately twelve centimeters in diameter, arranged horizontally across the center of the door. Perpendicular to the circumference line of each circle were small lines, sort of like the points on a compass. Christa counted thirty-eight of the equidistant marks around each circle. A single, large symbol or icon appeared just above the row of circles.

  Christa felt sure the markings were important and might hold the key to opening the door, but she didn't have a clue as to what they indicated.

  * * *

  When the Heisenberg entered orbit two days later, Christa still hadn't a clue as to the meaning of the circles or the large symbol on the door, but it wasn't because she hadn't thought about them. She had thought of little else for the better part of two days. If she was going to follow this lead, she needed a starting point.

  Lt. Grace Carmoody arrived dirt-side early afternoon local time. By Galactic System Time it was early in the first watch when the shuttle touched down. The pad next to Christa's shuttle was vacant, so the Heisenberg shuttle landed there and then took off as soon as Carmoody had disembarked with her gear.

  "Lieutenant Grace Carmoody reporting as ordered, Commander," Carmoody said as she braced to attention.

  "At ease, Lieutenant. Welcome to Dakistee. Coffee?"

  "Thank you, Ma'am. A cup of coffee would be great. I was so excited about this assignment that I skipped breakfast."

  "Help yourself," Christa said, gesturing towards the small galley unit installed against a forward bulkhead where two seats would normally be located, "then come sit down."

  When Carmoody had fixed her coffee and was seated at the dining/work table, Christa said, "Do you know why you're here?"

  "I was only told to report to you to assist on a science project. Nothing else."

  "Sixteen years ago, archeologists working on this planet discovered an ancient underground lab where a cloning process had been perfected."

  "Yes, I know about that. At least as much as has been released to the public."

  "Then you're probably also aware that I was a product of that process, as was my sister Eliza and seven duplicates each of the eleven scientists who discovered the lab."

  "Yes, I believe you're called the 'Dakistee Seventy-Nine.'"

  "That's correct. Space Command confiscated the illegal equipment and that ended the cloning activity here. We still maintain control of the underground lab because the entire facility is sheathed in Dakinium and it's imperative that it not fall into enemy hands."

  "I understand."

  "Okay, that ends the history discussion and brings us to the current situation. Those same archeologists have discovered another facility. Like the first, it's sheathed in Dakinium. But, unlike the first, they haven't been able to gain entry. That's probably a good thing. We're here to find a way in and ensure there's no illegal equipment on the premises. We'll also probably have to take permanent command of the facility to prevent anyone from getting samples of Dakinium. The scientists won't be happy, but we have our orders."

  "Yes, Ma'am."

  "Since we're going to be working closely, why don't you simply use my first name when we're alone. I'm Christa."

  Carmoody smiled. "I'd like that. I'm Gracie to my friends."

  "Okay, Gracie, here's what I've found so far." Christa handed her a holo-magazine cylinder that contained the enhanced image of the door. "Just activate the cylinder.

  As Carmoody powered on the device, a high-resolution color image of the door rose up from the device.

  "What is this, Christa?" Carmoody asked after she had examined it for a couple of minutes.

  They're markings I discovered on the facility's entry door. They're so faint that they're almost imperceptible, even when you're looking for them. As you've probably heard, Dakinium is almost indestructible, so the marks are there by design, not by accident."

  "Does the original facility entry door have these marks?"

  "I don't know. No mention of markings has ever been included in the files. Perhaps no one ever looked, or perhaps the door was so badly damaged during the Tsgardi assault that markings would have been considered mere scratches without a close examination. In any event, the door was removed by the Prometheus' engineers and taken away. I have no idea where it might be now, or even if it's still intact. It might have been destroyed by SC Research during the experiments to reproduce Dakinium."

  "Then we have very little to go on."

  "Yes. The force required to open the door might very well destroy the entire facility, so we have to find a non-violent way in. It will, therefore, be necessary to solve this puzzle. Let me add that everything we discuss regarding this issue is to be considered Most Secret. You're not to mention any of our findings to anyone."

  "Do the archeologists know of the circles or the symbol?"

  "Not as far as I know. I didn't tell them, and they never mentioned them to me. I suppose they spent all their time trying to open the door in a manner consistent with access to the other facility."

  "And what is that?"

  "A simple vocal command in ancient Dakistian, which is amazingly close to the current language equivalent in spoken Nordakian."

  Carmoody simply nodded to convey understanding and returned her attention to the image on the cylinder. Jenetta took another holo-magazine cylinder from the table and also stared at the image, perhaps hoping for an epiphany of sorts.

  After a time, Carmoody said, "These small lines around the circumference of the circles are interesting. I count thirty-eight. Could they be compass headings?"

  "I suppose they could, but I doubt it. We use three hundred sixty degrees, but according to the computer files, the ancients here used a segmentation of five hundred degrees for direction. I ran the number thirty-eight as a search argument, but nothing that seemed relative was returned."

  "Too bad. May I see the tunnel and door?"

  "Of course. It's just across the way. I'll show you."

  The Marines had erected a small canopy to shade them from the hot sun when they stood guard. The two on duty at the tunnel entrance braced to attention as the two officers approached and held it until Christa and Carmoody had passed. The tunnel was cooler than the outside temperature and continued to drop slightly as the ramp led downward.

  "Wow," was Carmoody's reaction when she first laid eyes on the wall and door.

  Christa smiled and said, "It does create awe in people when they first see it.

  "It almost looks evil," Carmoody said.

  "It's just a wall and door, but I understand what you mean. Of course, there may be some great evil inside. But we won't know until we get the door open."

  "I don't see the marks," Carmoody said when they were just a meter away.

  "You practically have to press your face against the door. I didn't know they were there until I inadvertently felt them. Here, this will help," Christa said as she retrieved the Chembrite panel she had used to highlight the marks from the side.

  "Yes, I can see them now, barely," Carmoody said when her nose was just a couple of centimeters from the door. "I can understand why mos
t people might miss them. It's entirely possible the archeologists have no idea they're there." As she ran her hand over the surface she said, "It's amazing you even felt them. I know they're there and can barely sense them."

  "Information isn't of much use if you can't relate it to the problem at hand, and so far I haven't a clue about their importance. I could have a table moved down if you think it would be beneficial to work here instead of on the surface."

  "No," Carmoody said. "Now that I've seen the door and have a better appreciation of the problem, I can work just as well on the surface."

  * * *

  Chapter Four

  ~ May 8th, 2285 ~

  Several days later they were no closer to a solution.

  "This is frustrating," Christa said. "It's like what we went through when we were charged with dismantling the cloning equipment in the other lab but didn't want to simply pull the plug and possibly harm developing embryos."

  "What if we ask the archeologists if they know anything?"

  "I don't want them to know what we found. The Admiral wants to keep all civilians in the dark concerning the opening of facilities like this in case more are uncovered. We need to be the first ones in."

  "I don't mean we should share our findings. I mean maybe we should show them the unidentified symbol and ask if it looks familiar."

  "Hmm," Christa muttered as she thought, "you know, when Jenetta was working on her problem at the other lab, one of the archeologists gave her some information about symbols that were etched into the floor."

  "Did it ultimately help her solve the problem?"

  "No, but it gave her hope that she was making progress. I think we could use a little encouragement like that. Okay, I'll ask Dr. Vlashsku. He's always been anxious to help without expecting reciprocal favors."