Convergence by Alex Albrinck Page B

to take to bring down the enemy.” He took a deep breath. “Once I get inside, I’ll find a spot that looks safe for teleportation and transmit to all of you an image of the space via telepathy. Hopefully you’ll hear from me in the next twenty minutes or so. If not…” He swallowed.
    Athos nodded. “I find your thinking to be quite sound, Scott. Your willingness to volunteer for the scouting role, with full understanding of the danger it poses, won’t be forgotten.” He clapped Scott on the back. “Go, board one of the pods, and we’ll eagerly await your communication.”
    Scott nodded. He moved from the comms station to the clear window overseeing the darkness outside the submarine, watching as a faint light approached. He closed his eyes, no doubt using clairvoyance to explore the approaching pod, identifying images of the interior that would enable teleportation.
    Seconds later, Scott vanished.
    And then they waited.
    It was agonizing. He imagined everything that might go wrong. Perhaps the tunnel reached a length of twenty miles, a distance rendering teleportation an impossibility for much of the crew. The Alliance might, despite their earlier self-talk of the low likelihood, elect to destroy the pod with a stranger. Scott might reach the base, leave the pod, and find himself captured. Perhaps the Alliance had discovered a technique enabling telepathy blockages.
    As the time passed, the captains grew anxious as well. Anxious men considered uncomfortable outcomes and asked awkward questions. “What happens if he doesn’t succeed, Hunter?” Jude asked.
    Athos said nothing aloud. He’d ask for another volunteer if Scott failed in his contact efforts. He’d order someone into the scouting role if needed. But what if that person failed as well? He wouldn’t get any more volunteers. The men would sense the pattern quickly, and would choose not to avail themselves of an opportunity to die among the enemy in this strange place.
    “He will succeed,” Athos said.
    His voice was quiet. But his tone made clear that no further discussion on the topic would occur. In light of their recent success in finding the Alliance base, the men respected his comment
    The image flashed into his mind. A room. Large, spacious. Plenty of space for the men to meet en masse. Space where they could advance upon the unsuspecting members of the Alliance, a telepathic message that burst forth without warning.
    It was the perfect landing spot for the invasion.
    The captains whistled as they, too, sensed the message and saw the teleportation target image in their minds.
    Athos smiled. “As I said: Scott will succeed. And he has.” He paused dramatically. “Round up the troops, gentlemen. We leave in five minutes.”
    Five minutes later, the Aliomenti subs emptied as the warriors aboard teleported inside the Alliance base.
    The war for control of the Alliance base had begun.

XI
    The nano-constructed raft bobbed upon the water, a motion Fil often found soothing. He’d learned early in his life that water gave comfort, the sounds and motions often providing sufficient relaxation to allow him restful sleep.
    In the distance, on the horizon, he saw a reminder that with him, even water could be deadly.
    He’d positioned himself two miles from the main port of Headquarters Island. The distance ensured he’d not be seen aboard his invisible raft by anyone on the Island until he chose to make his presence known.
    Waiting for that moment was difficult, for it let him remember the past. He saw their faces once more, saw the light in their eyes vanish in death, remembered the anguish. He’d learned to compartmentalize the pain, observing rather than feeling it, a means of ensuring he’d never again lose control in so deadly a manner. His eyes flicked from their downcast position, staring at the fish swimming merrily along beneath his raft, back toward the Island. That outburst had stripped the Island bare, forcing the Aliomenti to rebuild.