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Chapter Twelve --- New Brain in Town.

            Even with the investigations involving telepathic scans by Imra, plus surreptitious monitoring by Lyle and Reep (the latter having transformed into a fly), enough time was spent among the arcades, avenues and parks of Glamorgan Square to finally convince the team that nothing of any genuine importance would be gained.

            The team eventually rendezvoused at an out-of-the-way Nutrimat kiosk to exchange notes. “Lots of people discussing the exploding statue,” Lyle said after he became visible, “especially around the explosion site. But nothing in the way of what I’d call significant comments. The media and Science Police are wrapping up their recording of statements from witnesses, but ConspiracyNet is still collecting material for a later broadcast on the Hearsay Channel.”

            Reep, back in his human disguise, was studying the Nutrimat’s menu, idly wondering how a Colonic Scrubby Cola would affect his system. “Anyone of any actual importance to our search would, I think, be long gone from the scene of the crime,” he said, turning to the others. “Imra? The Science Police who’re still around. Would you know if they’ve been given any updates?”

            “I should,” Imra slowly admitted, “and I did make a point of regularly listening in to their minds. So far, though, nothing.”

           “You’re beginning to accept Garth’s theory about the attack being his brother’s way of drawing him out.”

            Imra frowned up from her ruminations. “You sure you’re not able to read my mind?”

             “It’s not that,” Luornu pointed out. “I’ve noticed you tend to wear your emotions on your face rather easily.”

            Imra made a face. “Ugh! Yeah . . . my Mom always pointed that out.”

            “Can you expand your mental surveillance further?”

            “Ye-es, but the further I stretch, and the more people I try to read, the worse my chances become if I need to zero in on anyone . . . what?”

            Luornu blinked. “I didn’t say---”

            But all of them were now hearing Nura’s voice in their ears, and data squares materialized before everyone’s face, indicating who was in the conference call loop. “I cannot provide more information,” the Naltorian apologetically reported, “but I’ve just caught a premonition that I firmly believe involves all of you.”

            “Go ahead,” Imra commanded.

            “There are four of you, but soon there will be five of you.”              Everyone stood quietly for a few moments.

            Then: “That’s it?” Lyle asked.

             “I told you there wasn’t much information---"

            “All right, all right.” Lyle rubbed at his forehead. “Naltorian precognitive readings can be vague,” Imra explained. “But they can also be . . . I think the term is ‘flavored’ . . . with impressions and secondary thoughts. Am I correct, Nura?”

            “Yes. I’ve been performing concentration rituals, trying to pull in more details. I hate giving out suppositions---”

          “But it’s still a premonition. Tell us what you’ve got, and we’ll decide whether or not the information is useful.”

             “All right.” A rather large Naltorian yawn echoed in everyone’s ears. “The newcomer is not an ally. However, my mind is absolutely void of any details which indicate that the newcomer is an opponent. On either extreme my visions are positively arctic.”

            “You’re saying that our courses are going to intersect,” Luornu suggested.

             “Ah-hhh . . . no. Yes.”

            “Sort of looking for a consensus here,” Lyle muttered.

            “Sorry. There will be an intersection. But whether or not it will be personal is still beyond my sight.”

            “At least we’ve been warned,” Imra said. “Thank you, Nura. We’ll keep all eyes open and report when something happens to corroborate your vision.”

          “And now it’s time for another nap.”

          “Lyle! She’s still online.”

          “Sorry! I didn’t mean to jump on Nura. I know she’s trying in her sweet Naltorian way but, and I’m very sorry again, we’re really flying first class on the midnight shuttle to Unfocused Station and being served drinks. We’ve got to push harder here.”

          “Be more aggressive,” Reep suggested.

          "Exactly! I don’t mean kick down doors and such but concentrate on key points in this business. I vote that we’ve done Glamorgan Square to death and really need to move on.”

          Imra thought it over: her mind also going Am I in charge here? And when did that happen? “Luornu? You’re the seasoned intelligence agent in the bunch.”

          “You were going to enter the Science Police,” Luornu pointed out.

          “Exactly. Going to. Does your experience suggest any notions?” Luornu turned her head, gazing thoughtfully into the distance.

          “And just letting you know,” Nura’s voice remarked, “I can still clearly hear.”

          Lyle winced.

          "Lyle’s right,” Luornu said. “We’ve been here, we’ve been at Samantha Point, we now need to collate what we know to determine a new direction. Garth?”

          “Um . . . yeah.”

          “Your brother. He spoke about Earth a lot. Did he ever mention any place in particular? Any comment which might suggest where on Earth he particularly wanted to be?”

          Imra nodded to herself. Good move.

          “Not as such,” Garth said. “To him Earth was simply the prime harvest. The golden crop. All I can offer is that he’d try to keep as low a profile as possible. Oh, and I’m willing to bet he somehow smuggled himself onto Earth.”

          “Local authorities wouldn’t have allowed him to arrive in a stolen spaceship,” Luornu said half to herself. “I’m willing to bet he somehow changed to another ship, abandoning the one he stole from Gosaki. Perhaps more than once. He could’ve used his power to rob people and, with whatever funds he acquired . . . apologies by the way, Garth.”

          A brief silence. “Don’t worry about it,” Garth said neutrally.

          “With whatever funds he acquired he could’ve purchased legitimate passage to Earth,” Luornu went on. “But there was no preparation involved. He did everything on the spot.  Improvising. Garth, is Mekt exceptionally intelligent?”

          Another brief silence. “Understand that I’m not fishing for compliments here, but we were all equally clever---”

          “Even so, his move to Earth couldn’t have been totally smooth. He had to make mistakes and slips somewhere along his path, and especially when one considers the distance he had to travel.”

          “UPFleet Security and the Science Police would’ve already been researching that,” Reep gently pointed out.

          “Agreed,” Imra added. “But even though I’m stressing group effort here, it’d be stupid to totally ignore available information. Garth? Rokk? Can all of you start researching along those lines as we continue plodding along?”

          “’Plodding’,” Lyle muttered.

          “We’re on it,” Rokk promised.

          “And we’ll be somewhere else,” Imra said. “But expect us back for dinner.”

          The data squares disappeared, as well as the voices in everyone’s ears. “And now,” Imra remarked, “all we need is a somewhere else to be.”

          “I don’t enjoy the idea of staying longer in this area,” Reep said, “but if Mekt had been the attacker, then he obviously had to strike from somewhere near. Would he have had a room here? Should we be making inquiries at the local hotels and hostels and such?”

          Luornu shook her head. “Too obvious. Mekt chose this as a good visible target. He would’ve left as soon as possible after making his move.”

          “Garth allowed me to take an image on Mekt from his mind before we set out,” Imra added. “I haven’t seen it in any of my probings.” She slowly looked around. “And here’s an idea. Let’s take one of the local tours of the city via tube car. I want to sit back a bit and let my mind drift as far as possible”

          “That’s very Naltorian of you,” Lyle remarked.

          “But it’s a good idea,” Luornu said. “When all is said and done, Imra’s got the most range of all of us here. We can split up into groups again if and when we locate anything interesting. Which reminds me: does Earth employ telepathic shielding in certain locations?”

          Both Imra and Lyle started to speak. “Go ahead,” Lyle said to Imra.

          "It happens,” Imra slowly explained, “but understand it’s not easy, or cheap. All psychoacoustic activity can be reflected, or shielded against, but then you’re talking about shielding against bombardments from practically all directions, and which change frequencies at a rate too fast for any system or method to provide one hundred per cent effectiveness.”

          "The best way is simply to broadcast a brute force transmission of psychic white noise,” Lyle added. “But you’d need a continually conscious team of telepaths to handle that. Practically battalion strength. There aren’t that many telepaths available who can supply that sort of constant effort.”

          “Experiments have been tried with linked series of cloned ape and cat brains,” Imra said. “Even cloned neural tissue. So far, no good.”

          Luornu considered it. “Well. It was a thought.”

          “But a good one,” Imra said. “I’d immediately know if we encountered such a site.”

          Luornu nodded. “All right. Let’s go find a tube station.”

          They began walking off, but Lyle was stopped by the touch of Imra’s hand on his shoulder. “What?”

          “I know we’re all guilty of this to some degree,” Imra hissed low to him. “But we’ve got to try and keep in mind that things would go smoother if we stopped sniping at each other.”

          “I didn’t mean---”

          “You’re going to apologize to Nura when we get back.”

          “I’m sorry, but---”

          “You’re. Going. To. Apologize. To. Nura!”

          “Yes’m.”

* * * * * * *

          “Okay, we get off here.”

          Imra’s announcement took everyone by surprise. They had taken the Ganesha Line’s rather extensive Grand Visitors Tour of Metropolis, and little conversation had been made in the two hours since setting out.

          But the surprise was at their current location when Imra spoke up. Their tube car was currently passing the outer edge of the Siegel Administrative Complex. There were few buildings in the area, but they more than compensated in terms of bulk and importance. There were landscaped parks, and sculpture gardens but, above all, Siegel Administrative Complex was crowned by the glittering dome of the United Planets Headquarters.

          “Well,” Lyle admitted as everyone followed Imra out onto the tube platform, “my legs could use a stretch. Unless . . .”

          “Yes,” Luornu flowed in, catching up with Imra. “Have you picked up something?”

          “More like I’m picking at something,” Imra replied. She was standing on the platform, her hands on her hips. “Our tour swung back and forth through this district before curving in to give us this current view. I haven’t picked up anything I could call definite, but there’s something here that’s attracting me. Reep? What was that emotion reading greeblik you turned into some time ago?”

          “A Dryadi reflection hedge.”

          “Yes! If you became one now, would you be able to link with me and enhance my capabilities?”

          She was surprised to see Reep look uncomfortable. “What?”

          “I . . . know what you’re wanting,” the Durlan slowly said. “And understand I think I can do what you ask. But, to be honest, I’ve never actually tried biologically mingling with another life form and . . .”

          Imra’s mind went Oops! This was quickly followed by Durlan mating practices and Durlan mores. “Sorry,” she quickly said. “I didn’t mean---”

          “I know you didn’t.”

          “Let’s try this. Become the hedge and, as you scan about, I’ll try and read your mind. No physical contact.”

          “Oh!” Reep seemed brightened at this. “All right.” His form suddenly melted, reforming into the slowly dancing mass of silver (the action causing several people on the tube platform to jump). Imra sent out a light burst of calming signals and then concentrated firmly upon the hedge. Reep was more alien than any other type of mind she had encountered, and it took her a few moments to sift through the outer conscious layers to reach the part of his brain functioning at the level of the plant.

          Durlan dating habits are . . . sort of odd, she privately admitted, having briefly caught the edges of Reep’s outer thoughts.

          Over a minute passed before Reep resumed his human disguise. “Well?”

          “It’s not there,” Imra replied, nodding at the UP dome. It’s more over there.” This time the nod was directed at the building which lay at the opposite edge of Siegel Plaza. The slender ebon form of Shuster Tower.

          Headquarters of the Science Police.

          "Well it sort of makes sense,” Lyle said to Imra. “After all, we’re handling an assignment for the Science Police. But are you sure you didn’t just pick up a crossed signal?”

          “That’s why I asked Reep for help,” Imra explained. “Shuster Tower’d be an obvious nest for troubled thoughts. But I keep getting . . . oh, I don’t know . . . something intense. Something blistering. Hot.” The others frowned.

          “Hot?” Luornu asked.

          "I know it’s crazy,” Imra admitted. “But, right now, extreme heat is at the heart of the thoughts of a sizable portion of Science Police personnel. And it’s not the Sun. Or the climate.  Rather, it’s something within Shuster Tower.”

          Lyle sighed. “So-oooo. Do we just march over there, knock on the door and ask to see the building’s thermostat?”

          Imra thought it over. “Reep?”

          “Yes?”

          “Run advance surveillance for us. Change into something fast and hopefully unobtrusive and scout around the entrance. We’ll be arriving by slidewalk.”

        Reep’s form shifted into some sort of bird which departed too rapidly for the others to make a determination as to what species he had selected.

          “Well now I feel guilty,” Imra said, heading for the slidewalk. “Maybe I should’ve specified a form that would’ve allowed him to carry at least one of us.”

          “Too conspicuous,” Luornu assured her. “And Reep can handle himself.”

          “By Mimas’ shadow I swear we’ll take our flying belts from now on . . . and stop whoever you are.”

          Everyone halted.

          “Ah . . . Imra?” Luornu began.

          "Over there,” Imra declared, pointing at a nearby dense stand of northern Japanese hemlock. “I can feel you,” she shouted at the trees, “but I also can’t. You’re real, but you’re not.  COME OUT! NOW!”

          A pause, and Lyle exchanged a cautious look with an equally worried Luornu. But their attention became quickly drawn to the figure who now moved out from among the trees into the open. A humanoid male possessing hair only slightly less blonde than Imra’s. His eyes were the brilliant green of a polished emerald, and the color extended throughout what the others could see of his skin. Dressed from head to toe in a simple purple jumpsuit bisected by a yellow belt.

          Standing there calmly, while Imra was becoming more agitated.

          “Your thoughts,” she cried out. “They’re there, but they’re too big. Too fast. Stop! Oh, please stop.”

          And then she collapsed onto the ground.