MAYA CARTER:
"It's already been authenticated."
NOAH REEVES:
"Then you know what it contains."
MAYA CARTER:
"We found the original command transmission."
The connection crackled again.
NOAH REEVES:
"Did you identify the authorization?"
Maya looked toward the secretary.
Brooks stepped closer to the microphone.
DEFENSE SECRETARY BROOKS:
"This is David Brooks, Secretary of Defense. We have identified an original command signature belonging to General Richard Sterling."
The transmission became completely silent.
Then Noah spoke.
NOAH REEVES:
"Then the system has finally opened."
Brooks looked toward the screen.
DEFENSE SECRETARY BROOKS:
"Sergeant, are you able to verify the original transmission?"
NOAH REEVES:
"Yes, sir."
DEFENSE SECRETARY BROOKS:
"Can you confirm that the cancellation order was issued using General Sterling's command credentials?"
NOAH REEVES:
"I can confirm that the order was created using those credentials. But the original record contains something more important."
DEFENSE SECRETARY BROOKS:
"What?"
NOAH REEVES:
"The general's credentials were not used alone."
Brooks narrowed his eyes.
DEFENSE SECRETARY BROOKS:
"Explain."
NOAH REEVES:
"The parallel system required two separate authentication sources. One authorized the transmission. The other confirmed the destination and execution."
The secretary looked toward the terminal.
DEFENSE SECRETARY BROOKS:
"Who supplied the second authorization?"
NOAH REEVES:
"That is the part I could never access before the original key was recovered."
Maya looked at the screen.
MAYA CARTER:
"Noah, what does that mean?"
NOAH REEVES:
"It means the general may not have acted alone."
The courtroom became silent.
General Whitaker slowly turned toward Admiral Reynolds.
Admiral Reynolds looked down at the table.
Brooks moved closer to the terminal.
DEFENSE SECRETARY BROOKS:
"Can you send the second authorization record?"
NOAH REEVES:
"I can try. But I need the original authentication sequence."
Maya looked at her damaged glove.
Then she placed her left hand beside the terminal.
MAYA CARTER:
"It's here."
NOAH REEVES:
"Good. Keep it visible. The system should recognize the secondary layer."
The security officer adjusted the scanner.
The terminal produced a new verification window.
SECONDARY COMMAND AUTHORITY REQUESTED.
Brooks looked toward the officer.
DEFENSE SECRETARY BROOKS:
"Proceed."
The officer entered the remaining characters.
The system began processing.
A blue line moved across the screen.
Then the display changed.
SECONDARY AUTHORIZATION DETECTED.
The security officer looked at the secretary.
SECURITY OFFICER:
"Sir, we have another signature."
Brooks leaned forward.
DEFENSE SECRETARY BROOKS:
"Display the identity."
The terminal loaded the information.
A military identification number appeared.
Below it was a name.
Admiral Thomas Reynolds.
The entire courtroom seemed to stop breathing.
Reynolds slowly raised his head.
GENERAL WHITAKER:
"Admiral?"
Reynolds did not answer.
Brooks looked directly at him.
DEFENSE SECRETARY BROOKS:
"Admiral Reynolds, did you authorize the secondary command transmission?"
Reynolds remained silent.
GENERAL STERLING:
"This system is compromised."
DEFENSE SECRETARY BROOKS:
"That is not an answer."
REYNOLDS:
"I never authorized the abandonment of those personnel."
DEFENSE SECRETARY BROOKS:
"Your authentication signature is attached to the original record."
REYNOLDS:
"Someone used my credentials."
MAYA CARTER:
"Then why was your signature on the transmission that canceled our evacuation?"
Reynolds looked toward Maya.
For the first time, he appeared genuinely uncomfortable.
REYNOLDS:
"I was told the operation had already been terminated."
MAYA CARTER:
"Who told you that?"
Reynolds looked toward Sterling.
The general immediately turned toward him.
GENERAL STERLING:
"Do not speculate."
Brooks watched them carefully.
DEFENSE SECRETARY BROOKS:
"Admiral, answer the question."
Reynolds lowered his eyes.
REYNOLDS:
"General Sterling informed me that the northern unit had been compromised and that all personnel were being withdrawn."
MAYA CARTER:
"That was false."
REYNOLDS:
"I understand that now."
MAYA CARTER:
"People were still alive."
Reynolds looked at her.
REYNOLDS:
"I was not informed that anyone remained."
Maya shook her head.
MAYA CARTER:
"We sent repeated requests for evacuation."
The admiral said nothing.
MAYA CARTER:
"We sent our coordinates. We transmitted our identification numbers. We reported the wounded personnel."
Her voice became slightly stronger.
MAYA CARTER:
"Someone received every one of those messages."
She looked toward Sterling.
MAYA CARTER:
"And someone decided not to answer."
The secretary turned toward the terminal.
DEFENSE SECRETARY BROOKS:
"Retrieve the communication history between General Sterling and Admiral Reynolds."
The officer began searching.
A series of messages appeared.
Some were marked confidential.
Others were classified as command-level communications.
The first message concerned the original deployment.
The second concerned the communications failure.
The third was sent shortly before the evacuation cancellation.
Brooks opened it.
The text appeared on the screen.
GENERAL STERLING:
"THE NORTHERN UNIT MUST NOT RETURN WITH THE ORIGINAL RECORDS. CANCEL ALL EXTRACTION AUTHORIZATIONS."
Maya stared at the message.
The words were unmistakable.