The Trilisk AI by Michael McCloskey

Violet Vandivier proved itself a legitimate vessel.
    This
time there was a bit of extra scrutiny. The security had been tightened since
the destruction of the Seeker. A ring of protective satellites were
under construction in orbit of the planet, as well as a small Space Force
vessel. Once again Relachik took note of these developments and felt annoyance
at his lack of clearance.
    As
they made their final approach, Relachik found Arlin in person and spoke aloud.
“Arlin. We have a name. This guy is on the space habitat. I’m sending you the
details.” He sent the information Cilreth had provided about someone who lived
on the habitat. “Check this out. Make sure it’s not a trap. If the guy is
alone, we’ll arrange a meet at another spot.”
    Arlin
nodded.
    “Look,”
Relachik said. “You haven’t done anything wrong. If it is a trap, they’re
either after me or Telisa and Magnus.”
    “I
wasn’t complaining,” Arlin said.
    “Just
letting you know I’m not putting you in harm’s way...yet.”
    Arlin
went to his weapons locker. He came back to the lock wearing a thick protective
suit. Relachik saw his equipment and nodded.
    “You
got something better than a stunner?”
    “Yes.
A laser,” he said, drawing the weapon.
    At
the cue ‘laser,’ Relachik activated the trap.
    There
was a loud snap and crackle to their left. The ship’s lights winked. A humanoid
form materialized from thin air. The stranger emitted a surprised curse.
    Arlin
shot the form in the shoulder without hesitation, then charged forward and
bowled the intruder over. Relachik joined him, grabbing the spy’s
still-holstered weapon, some kind of compact slugthrower.
    “So
you made me,” the person croaked. A visor covered half the face, open over the
mouth. Goggled eyes locked onto Relachik.
    “This
is where you get off. Leave the suit behind.”
    “You’re
going to be in a—”
    “Save
the speech or we’ll space you instead,” Relachik snapped.
    The
man stripped off the thick stealth suit. It had protected him from the majority
of the laser’s energy. He wore only a thin shirt and undersheers after shedding
the suit. The laser burn was a small black mark on the edge of his pectoral.
Pain dominated the spy’s face.
    Relachik
covered him for a couple of tense minutes while the Vandivier descended.
Finally Relachik extended the ramp. It revealed a remote location on a barren
planet.
    “Move
it,” Relachik prompted.
    The
man staggered down the ramp. Arlin closed the Vandivier back up and
began the takeoff procedure.
    “Even
though you warned me, it still scared the crap out of me when he showed up out
of thin air!” Cilreth said. “He’s been here the whole time?”
    “Yes.”
    “Who
could have sent him? Maybe we need to interrogate him.”
    “He
has to be Space Force. I guess they don’t trust me very much.” They’re
covering all their bases because of the aliens. And they know I made unusual
decisions in an encounter. How much do they know?
    “What
now?” Cilreth asked.
    “We
have to check all the systems and see what the remora broke,” Relachik said. He
stole a glance at the remora. It was a thick disc stuck to the ceiling above
the spot where the spy had been standing. A small green light winked on its
surface as Relachik disarmed it.
    “We
used the lowest setting, so it shouldn’t be too bad,” Arlin said. “I have to
admit, I’d never have thought of using a remora inside my own ship. But it sure
did a number on his stealth suit.”
    Cilreth
looked the suit over. “We don’t have a key for it.”
    “Luckily,
I have a computer expert in my employ.”
    “I’m
a searcher, not a hacker.”
    “You
can’t do it?”
    “I
can do it. But it’s going to cost you extra. Just because you risked my life,
just then.”
    “As
long as we find Telisa.”
    Cilreth
nodded and retreated with the gear. Relachik suspected she’d head to the cargo
bay, where she could find some useful tools for her investigation. Or