Free The Golden Circuit (The Smith Chronicles) by John K. Irvine

their maimed spacecraft in the Pocket Rocket-16.
    The list went on, and on.
    And now, he was with Tina, attractive, intelligent, with a razor-sharp wit. But even she didn’t know everything about Jameson - not many people did. And those that did, had been dead now for some time.
     
    Jameson got out of the lift and made his way through Sub-Section 1 towards the Medical Lab.
    Tina was still running what tests she could on Zanthu’s muidog. It was in bad shape from continually gnawing and biting itself, and from whatever else was causing the dog’s physical and mental distress.
    “How’s the pooch, Tina?” asked Jameson.
    “It doesn’t look good, Phil. I’d hazard that this will turn out to be a post-mortem rather than a rehab.”
    “That bad, huh? Well, the Code youth is very attached to the thing. He’ll take it hard. I would have a sedative handy for him when he hears the news.”
    “Gotcha, will do. And Phil, there’s something else I need to tell -” Tina was interrupted.
    “How is my Spoolu? Ha s she recovered yet?” It was Zanthu, with Lead-Out running up behind him.
    “Sorry, sir, ma’am,” she offered. “He was desperate for news of his dog. I couldn’t stop him.”
    “It’s OK, Lead-Out,” said Tina, looking over at Jameson. He nodded. “Zanthu. I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but the prognosis is not good for Spoolu. She has multiple lacerations to her entire body and has lost a lot of blood. We could lose her at any moment. I’m so sorry.”
    Zanthu’s face was ashen.
    “We will do our best for her, to make her as comfortable as possible, for what little time she has left.”
    Zanthu managed a smile of thanks , but underneath he was stricken with anguish.
    “Lead-Out,” began the Captain. “Could you take Zanthu back to his room?”
    “No! No! I want to be with Spoolu! Please? Let me hold her?” implored the young Code. “Please, Captain Jameson? For a few minutes?”
    “Yes, yes, of course Zanthu. You can have a moment or two. Corporal, sit with Zanthu for a few minutes will you? But don’t let him get in Dr. Gössner’s way.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    Then, taking Jameson aside to where they could talk in private, Tina said: “Phil, listen - what I was trying to tell you before? About the muidog? We found something. In its ear, there was a device of some kind. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
    She took Jameson into the lab’s anteroom where she'd setup the Argon’s transmission electron microscope. “Take a look at this,” she said, ominously.
    Jameson stooped over the scope and looked down through the eyepiece. He adjusted the fine focus a notch or two and there, pinioned by a force-field mechanism, was what looked to be a tiny, winged insect. Except this one appeared to be metallic, like it had on some kind of hi-tech armour. And it was struggling to free itself from the electromagnetic prison Gössner had set for it.
    “What the heck is that?” asked Jameson, looking up at her.
    “I’m not sure. But I have a sneaking suspicion that this little mite here is the cause of what’s been happening on Baal-500.”
    “Is it a Code device? Maybe it’ s got something do to with the Linking process? We can ask Zanthu about this, right now. He may be able to shed some light.”
    “Wait, Phil. I don’t think this technology belongs to the Codes. This has more than an essence of malice about it. It’s definitely come from the mind of one angry individual.”
    “But that would mean either the Codes are lying about being peace-loving zealots or there’s another party involved.”
    “I’m going with your second interpretation.”
    Jameson thought to himself for a second. “We need Gadget in on this.”
    Tina nodded.
    Jameson went back into the main lab area. “Lead-Out, get down to Technical and ask Corporal Gadget to come up here. And I want every member of the crew down here in Medical, now. Tell them we have an emergency!”
    He didn’t show it on his