27
Identity: Jimmy Scadden
The moment of truth had arrived.
In the middle of ADF Command, we were watching projections of the storms overlaid with a glowing array of plotted future paths of Atopia through them. The phutures were stabilizing as we approached time-zero. Everything was coming together, and I readied to power up our weapons systems.
“Thanks for everything,” said Rick as we waited in the final moments. “Whatever happens, I wanted to thank you for trying to help with Cindy.”
I looked at him. How quickly our roles had reversed. He was pathetic. I could smell the booze from here. “Of course, Commander. We’ll find her, get her out somehow.”
He nodded, his bloodshot eyes on mine for a moment. “You ready for this?”
“I am.”
The high-altitude displays had a hypnotic effect. They centered on the pulsing orb of Atopia, highlighted near the convergence point of the storms. We only had a window of a few minutes to get it right.
The room went deathly quiet as the image of the storm systems engulfed us. They were all waiting on me. I looked up at Kesselring, Rick, and then at Marie. Patricia hadn’t shown up in person, but I knew she was watching through her proxxi.
“On my command, enable the weapons systems,” I instructed, waiting, feeling for just the right moment as I fed the information flowing in through my extrasensory splinter network. I could feel the winds ripping at the surface of Atopia, her forests heaving and tearing, the waves pounding against her hull.
“On my mark.” I raised my hand. “Five…four…three.…”
Everyone held a collective breath.
I waited.
Something held me back—something inside me.
Someone inside me.
I hesitated, trying to understand what was going on. Interminable seconds ticked by. Then—I understood. It was sitting there in front of me, all the time, but I hadn’t been able to see it.
Until now.
“For God’s sake, Jimmy!” screamed Kesselring. “What the hell are you waiting for?”