High Flyer - Michelle Diener Page 0,98

steal.

“We think they wanted it because they realized the same thing we did on just a cursory look, that it was incredibly old. They no doubt wanted to take it apart, see what tech was used, looking for something new to them.

“It was an amazing discovery, one which we were very sure was part of the fleet that brought our ancestors to the Verdant String.

“Unfortunately there was no salvageable data from any of the systems, except for a single distress beacon.”

The woman at the table shook her head. “What was left was a treasure trove, Jackson. It might not have held the data we would have liked, but it spoke of a sophistication we had no idea--”

“Yes, Professor Farra.” Jackson cut the woman who had spoken up off. “But in terms of directly communicated information, there was nothing.”

She seemed mollified by this, and gave a nod of agreement.

“Does this mean the ship we found did have information you could retrieve?” Hana asked.

“Professor Vande here.” The second man leaned forward eagerly. “I'm happy to answer that. We think the ship that Tally Riva found had foundered somehow in space, and the crew abandoned it, wiping every trace of themselves away as a security measure. The ship you found . . .” Vande paused for a moment. “They didn't have the luxury of wiping anything. They were simply trying to survive the crash they could see coming.”

“You said you already knew the ship Tally Riva found was from the ancestral fleet. How could you be sure?” Iver stretched out his legs, his thigh bumping against hers.

“Besides the fact that everything was built exactly for people of our physiology, we found a body. A mummified body of the one person who must have stayed onboard in case the others needed to return.” The woman who Jackson had called Professor Farra spoke quietly. “We will soon be able to go public with what we know. We've only kept it quiet because we wanted to make sure we had all the facts before announcing something this big. Now we have your discovery, too.”

“It will be view-altering,” Jackson's words were hushed. “We cannot thank you enough for finding the ship. And that you flew one of the runners--” He sent a quick, narrow-eyed look at General Yarne, who threw up a hand.

“Special Forces have apologized numerous times for the destruction of that runner. Fortunately, there are seven others you can study, still in perfect working order.”

“How did you?” Vande studied Hana, his attention a little disconcerting. “How did you fly it?”

Hana lifted her shoulders and worked on keeping her face earnest and honest. “We were under a lot of pressure. We had armed soldiers after us, and we knew we needed to get to Touka City to stop the shield engine from being stolen. I just did what looked right, and fortunately for me, the design was user friendly.”

Vande nodded and sat back in his chair, but Hana wasn't sure he was convinced.

“What's happening with the shield engine, now that I mention it,” she asked Yarne, as a distraction. She knew from Iver the military had taken over clearing the site.

“There's another group of archaeologists and scientists waiting until conditions are safe for them to access the ruin. Most of them were working on the ruins at Cepi before it was destroyed, so they're beside themselves at the opportunity they see in the Spikes,” Yarne said.

“There was something you wanted to show us today?” Iver asked, and Yarne nodded.

“Professor Jackson agreed that as the people who discovered the wreck, you should be the first to see it.”

Jackson cleared his throat. “It is . . . astonishing. Absolutely astonishing.”

Hana leaned forward, felt a nervous tick start up beneath her eye.

“They had supersoldiers.” Professor Farra couldn't hold it in any longer. “They had mastered nanotech, more than we have, and they used that tech on the men and women who volunteered to carry the tech in their bodies as a safeguard against any adverse conditions they might encounter.”

“But if they were part of the fleet, why don't we see evidence of this nanotech in ourselves?” Iver asked. He squeezed Hana's hand a little harder.

“We don't know. It appears not everyone was comfortable with the concept. And don't forget, the first planets in the Verdant String were clearly suitable environments. Perhaps it was only the part of the fleet pushing into the unknown that thought they would need the nanotech. It doesn't come without cost, it seems. There were