Page 38

W e found Frank and Stuedecker in the main lab of the physics department, standing on either side of a strange contraption that I assumed was the Van de Graaff generator.

From a wide base rose a thick support of metal surrounded by glass.

On top of that column was a large, highly polished metal ball.

Bigger than a basketball by a few inches.

I pointed at it as we walked in. “Is that it?”

“That’s it,” Frank said. “I don’t think it’s ever been used.”

Stuedecker looked proud of himself. “We pulled it out of a storage closet.”

Hazel looked underwhelmed. “Do we know if it works?”

“Just about to test it,” Frank said. He unwound the cord and plugged it into the outlet at the nearest workstation.

A low hum came out of the generator.

“Warming up,” Frank said. He kneeled and adjusted a dial at the base.

“This looks old-school,” Hazel commented.

“It is,” Frank said as he straightened. He reached out to touch the large metal ball.

I stiffened. “Frank!”

He laughed. “It’s okay. It’s perfectly safe.” He planted his hand on the curved surface, and his hair stood on end.

Hazel chuckled. “Mom, they had one of those at the science center when I was a kid. Remember that field trip? You went as a chaperone.”

I put my hand on my stomach and nodded. “I remember that now. You ate all of my popcorn.”

She snickered at the memory, letting out a little sigh. “Those were the days. So, Frank, what’s next?”

Frank took his hand off the ball, and his hair settled back into its usual style.

“We’ll need to get some kind of cart to put it on so it’ll be easy to move.

Then we’ll go to each deck and, using the access area for the elevators, I should be able to power it up and distribute the charge through each deck.

I’d like to have Ellis along to help me, if that’s all right. ”

“It’s fine with me,” Hazel said, looking at me.

I nodded. “Happy to help.”

He unplugged the machine. “Then all we really need to do is get the test announcement made.”

Hazel gestured at Stuedecker. “You ready to do that?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She clapped her hands together. “Then let’s get it done. I need to be back in my office to arm the two EMS’s coming in, anyway.” She raised her brows. “Frank, half an hour enough time for you to start? That’ll put us right at twenty-one hundred hours for the test.”

“We’ll be in position and ready to go,” Frank answered.

“Carry on.” Hazel turned for the door.

Stuedecker went after her, tossing a quick, “Good luck,” over his shoulder, and then they were gone.

I grabbed Frank’s arm. “Gracie and Harry are shut down, but I have to tell you, I didn’t like it all. They looked so lifeless. I know they’re not real, but it still made me sad.”

“I know,” he said. “Tugs at the heart, doesn’t it?”

I nodded, sniffing. I knew he’d understand.

“Let’s get this done, and we can get them turned back on. There should be some kind of cart or dolly we can use to move this thing. There are storage closets in the other two labs. I’m thinking there must be something like that in one of them.”

“I’ll take the right-hand side.”

“Meet you back here.”

I went into the next lab, found the storage closet, and opened it up. There were shelves of equipment, some cleaning supplies, boxes labeled Parts, but nothing that looked like it could be used to move that generator.

I came out and looked around the lab. In one corner was a wheeled cart. It had two tiers, like an old-fashioned bar cart. It would mean putting the generator up on the top one, which would make it awfully tall, but maybe it was better than nothing.

I was just starting to wheel it out when Frank called my name. I went to see what was up.

He walked out of the other lab pushing a two-wheeled dolly. “This will do.”

I hooked my thumb over my shoulder. “There’s a cart in there, but it’s got two shelves, and you’d have to put the generator on the top one. What you’ve got is better. What now?”

“Now we load up the generator and get to Deck1 so we can start this process.”

“Is that thing heavy?” Just because I’d been working out didn’t mean I was super strong. Thankfully, Frank had a titanium shoulder, a replacement due to an accident in the Space Marines, that meant he probably wouldn’t need any help.

“No, it’s surprisingly light. The base is the heaviest thing. I can manage it if you hold the dolly.”

“I can do that.”

We went back into the main lab and got the generator loaded.

Frank added an extension cord and something that looked like jumper cables, then he took over the handles of the dolly, tipping it back so it could easily be wheeled out.

We were on our way out when a soft chime rang out over the Athos ’s speaker system.

It was followed by Stuedecker giving us a cover story.

“To all those aboard, the Athos will be conducting necessary systems testing beginning at twenty-one hundred hours. To prepare for this test, please unplug and power down all unnecessary electrical devices, including tablets, laptops, small appliances, and compdroids. You may experience a slight jolt from the test, but be assured it is harmless. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated. Another announcement will be made when the testing has been completed.”

Frank nodded. “That should do it. Let’s get into position.”

We had about eight minutes to go when we arrived on Deck 1. It was dim and quiet. Frank parked the dolly as we exited the elevator. He walked around to the side of the bay that housed the elevators and pushed on the access panel.

The last time I’d seen the inside of one of those, there’d been a dead body inside. I knew that wouldn’t be the case this time, but no lie, there was still a little ick factor as he swung the panel door open.

He tapped the lights on. No body. That I could see anyway.

Frank grabbed the extension cord and the jumper cables and went in.

After just a few seconds, he tossed one end of the extension cord out.

Two minutes later, he came out with the end of the jumper cables, carefully holding the clamps apart.

“Plug the generator into the end of that extension cord, if you would.”

“Sure.” I did as he asked.

The generator started humming. This close to it, I could feel the energy coming off it.

Frank came closer, his hands squeezing the clamps open. “Here we go.” He attached the first to one side of the metal sphere underneath where it met the support. As it turned out, the sphere was hollow, making it easy to attach something to.

Then he took the second clamp around to the other side. He looked at me. “Ready?”

I nodded, totally unsure what to expect. “Let’s fry those things.”

Frank snapped the second clamp into place, then reached down to turn the dial on the base.

The humming intensified, and tiny blue sparks danced over the sphere’s surface. For a split second, the hairs on my arms lifted as the buzz went right through me.

Frank turned the dial back down and removed the last clamp he’d attached.

The buzz disappeared. “Is that it?”

“Yep. On to Deck 2.”

It took us nearly two hours to do every deck, but we got faster as we went because we knew what we were doing and worked well together.

Even so, I was glad to be done. I’d been zapped more times than I could count.

The kind of zap that made my skin itch for a few seconds.

Hopefully, if I had any nanoids on me, they were fried.

We ended at Deck 39, where Hazel and Stuedecker met up with us.

“Mission accomplished,” Hazel said.

Frank wound the extension cord around his hand and elbow, making a loop of it. “Indeed. All but Decks 40 through 45.”

Those decks were off-limits unless you were a FAN employee, which mostly meant Federation Military, like Hazel and Stuedecker. The escalators didn’t go there. Separate stairs served those decks from what I understood, and the elevators required your wristband to carry a Federation clearance.

I’d never been beyond this deck, and to my knowledge, neither had Frank.

Hazel nodded. “That’s why we’re here. We want to do them, too. I will not allow one single nanoid to remain on this vessel.”

“Cool,” I said softly. Who wouldn’t want to see the decks that were off-limits?

Hazel tipped her head. “Just Frank, Mom.”

“She goes or you two can figure this out on your own,” Frank said.

Hazel’s brows went up. “Really? You’d do that?”

“I didn’t say it just because I like the sound of my own voice.” Frank moved closer to me.

Hazel laughed softly. “Just checking. You are definitely the right man for my mother. Come on, this way to the classified elevators.”

As soon as she and Stuedecker turned their backs, I kissed Frank.

I think I got a little shock.