Athena Lee Chronicles 8: Infiltration by T S Paul

children are like you Gen Mod? How many are stronger, faster, and have longer lives?”
     
    “I don’t know. I don’t know, please don’t hurt me.” Zeta smiled at his captain. His work was done here and in record time too.
     
    “I have good news Gen Mod. You get to live. We have uses for your breed, unlike the sapes you came with. They went for a walk outside. Their usefulness is over. Take him down to the Quartermaster. Inform him that this one is to survive, but to feel free to work him.” He motioned to the Deltas, and they dragged Johann off the bridge.
     
    Alpha 364 looked at his co-captain, Alpha 366 and they both smiled. The plan was coming together. “Attention on the bridge. Navigation, continue the course for Mars. Communications, begin scanning for Martian frequencies. As soon as we reach the frontier we will be sending a message. A message of peace.” The bridge crew looked back at him in shock. “For now.” They all nodded and began to laugh. Their laughter echoed through the halls and corridors of Colossus.
     
     
     
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    The Empire was burning. The inner circle of the Cabal all stood atop the Imperial Senate building watching the flames. By morning the worst should be over but for now the battle for control continued. “How much of the Empire do we control?”
     
    “Sir, Jeremiah 117 and his people control seventy percent. Over ninety percent of the Navy is with them. They’re actively hunting down Admiral Kane and her rebel fleet. A few of the larger ships escaped but most were heavily damaged and have no chance of linking up with her.”
     
    “What are we telling the masses? What is the spin?”
     
    “Rogue Senators attempting to pull off a coup were intercepted by loyal government troops. In the resulting battles many of the conspirators were killed and others captured. Elements of the Imperial Navy were involved and are now on the run as brave patriots sacrificed their lives intercepting the enemy ships and destroying them. Martial law has been declared to help round up those few traitors who escaped. The curfew will end in two days after Government troops have had time to ensure public safety.”
     
    “Excellent. Be sure that the Vid networks don’t alter it too much. We need a unified message to go out. Get with Robert 025 and start planning the public trials and executions. We need for the people to trust us to protect them.”
     
    “Sarah 100, get with your people in the education system. We need patriotic youth groups started, plans for this should be in the archives. Control the youth and you control the country.”
     
    “How stands the non-Empire worlds? Did any of our groups succeed?”
     
    “No, Sir. Hong Kong intercepted the hit squad and captured them. Somehow they have discovered all the listening devices that we have planted on Freedom Station. The last of our people retreated to the Consulate and are staying in hiding there. New Reno was our only success. Our agents eliminated the bridge crew and took control of the station. A pitched battle broke out in the main concourse lasting for several hours. Without access to Station supplies and services our people managed to capture them.”
     
    “How many are they holding?”
     
    “None now. They all went for a walk outside.” The leader of the circle smiled.
     
    “What about Sam 0256, did we capture that old bastard?”
     
    Peter 400 winced. “I’m sorry, Sir. Sam had a hidden ship no one knew about and used it to escape. It was a Mark One Starfury.”
     
    “Damn it, Peter! You had one job. Find him and kill him! What of Mars?”
     
    “Another failure, Sir. Our agents were intercepted and destroyed. They, like Hong Kong, have some sort of new surveillance detection system. Somehow they located our training camps and captured many of our graduates.”
     
    “One last question and there had better not be bad news related to it or off the roof you go. What of the Earth