Bertie says.
Boo. But I wonder… “Is there the same frequency radio waves coming from all the black holes in the universe?”
“No. They’re all different. And only the radio-loud active galaxies produce radio wave emissions. They range in frequency from 10 megahertz to 100 gigahertz.”
So no way our black hole is connected to another black hole in a different galaxy, creating a shortcut between them. The astrophysicists leave to consult with the engineer.
“We really could use DES’s help with all this,” Dad says. “Any progress on getting through the blockade?”
I glance at Radcliff. Beau and I’ve been testing Jarren’s defenses while waiting for orders to try and use Jarren’s exit.
“I’ve been reluctant to make an attempt to reach DES until we learned more about the HoLFs,” Radcliff says. “But it appears it’s going to be a while before the astrophysicists are ready.” He looks at me. “Can you find that breach again?”
I don’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“All right. Tomorrow afternoon, we’ll implement the distraction protocol.”
“We, sir?”
“Officer Morgan and I will provide the distraction while you and Dorey slip through the crack.”
Fun. I just hope Jarren’s not waiting on the other side.
The four of us gather in Radcliff’s office. The countdown has started for Operation Distraction! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Plus nervous energy courses through me like electricity. If I screw this up, Jarren will know I’m alive and probably start planning to correct his oversight right away. No pressure there. Right?
“How much time do you need to worm to the breach?” Radcliff asks me.
I consider. On my own, it’d take me about an hour. With Beau trailing… “Ninety minutes.”
“All right. Morgan and I will wait thirty minutes then go in and test grids one-forty-three and one-forty-four,” Radcliff says.
He and Morgan will use the two terminals in his office while Beau and I will use the dual ones in Beau’s. When we enter, I spot a glass of water and a bottle of painkillers on his desk. That’s super nice and a pang of guilt hits me. Beau doesn’t know about my new ability. Radcliff thought it was best to keep the information to those that needed to know and I’d argued—unsuccessfully—that my partner definitely needed to know. However, I’m pretty certain that there’s going to be a slip-up in my future.
I sit down in front of the terminal and insert my tangs. This is too important and I don’t want to drop out of the Q-net during a critical time.
“Ready?” Beau asks me.
I square my shoulders and draw in a breath. “Yes.”
“Let’s go.”
We access the Q-net. I take point and lead Beau to Jarren’s maze of hidden clusters, alarms, and programs. To say it’s complex is not doing it justice. It’s a work of freaking art.
Damn, Beau says. How did you find this?
I followed Jarren, now shush.
As I enter the maze, I have a brief thought about being the proverbial mouse in the maze searching for a piece of cheese. Queen Mouse will show Jarren, the murdering looter, just what she can do. I clamp down on a laugh. Niall’s nickname for me is very appropriate right now.
What’s so funny? Beau asks.
Too much to explain. And I need to concentrate. Slowing, I worm through the intricate layers with care. Beau slides in behind me with nary a ripple. After all this time working together, we’ve developed a synergy.
We near the breach. Jarren’s Q-net fingerprints are all over like a green slime on wet walls. I channel my inner snail and squeeze through his gaps at a…well, snail’s pace. It’s tight and I wonder if he increased his security measures. Did he suspect someone found his exit? Fear sweeps through me, tingling down to my fingertips. I pause. I check the programming again, seeking traps. Being thorough, it takes me a while and—oh, you tricky bastard. There’s a near invisible web around the breach.
Stars. The strands of the alarm are woven tight, but there are a few tiny fissures. I aim for one of the bigger ones, which isn’t saying much as they’re all really small. I sense Beau backing away. No surprise, getting one of us through is going to be a miracle. With two of us there’s no chance in hell.
An ache throbs in my head as I navigate through the tight threads. Halfway through, I’m stuck with nowhere to go. I’m just too…heavy. It’s hard to describe, but I’m like a shadow-blob with too many tentacles. Too much mass. If I move in any direction, I’ll trigger an alarm. Argh!
Too bad