The Catherine Kimbridge Chronicles #4, Retribution by Andrew Beery Read Free Book Online

special. The lens in his eyes had been surgically replaced by doctors sympathetic to the resistance. They were now selectively polarized. The glasses themselves were also polarized. The interesting thing about the combination was that neither could be used without the other. Combined they allowed messages to be transmitted on special computer displays. These displays seemed completely white without both sets of polarizing lens. This allowed messages to be seen in plain daylight without their Modos oppressors ever knowing they were there.
    The stems of the glasses even included miniature bone-conducting speakers, so covert audio could also be received. The audio was broadcast at a frequency that was well beyond what most races within the Syndicate could hear. This included Debb u’ s people. However, by offsetting the signal to each side of the head and taking advantage of the specific bone-conduction delays unique to each wearer, an audible interference pattern could be established that the wearer of the glasses alone could hear. The audio data itself was encoded in a polarized video feed that the operative wearing the glasses would be looking at. In this case the computer display/whiteboard in the front of the class was the source of this feed.
    Once Debbu donned the glasses, he could see a young femal e’ s face on what had been an unused and blank section of the whiteboard. The perso n’ s lips were moving, so Debbu tapped the side of his glasses to activate the embedded audio feed electronics.
    “ … out time you put your glasses on! Did n’ t you get my signal that we needed to talk immediately ? ” The signal in question was a bowl of dried Cuecak bugs on his desk. They were a favorite delicacy for his peopl e … a delicacy the Modos were allergic to. The three bugs in the bowl meant a conference was desired ASAP.
    “ I had a class full of students whose parents are senior executives within the Syndicate. I was not about to risk a meeting with them in the room . ”
    Debbu used hand signals to sign his response to the whiteboar d’ s camera silently. Anybody watching who did n’ t know how to read the hand signs might confuse them for random movements of his eight finger digits. They were subtle and not altogether easy to spo t – designed as they were for covert communications.
    “ Why do we need to talk so urgently ? ”
    “ The East-Tree brigade is planning to move tonight. They plan to take over the Syndicate Center. You need to let our new allies know that the timetable for Operation Clean Sweep has been moved up . ”
    Debbu glanced toward the door to his classroom. His sensitive ears had sensed a noise but he did n’ t see anyone. Turning back toward the screen he signed a quick response.
    “ Why the change? Why the Syndicate Center and why tonight? The humans are going to want to know . ”
    The young female he was talking with looked exasperated .“ Who really ever knows why the East-Trees do what they do? It has something to do with the new Chairman leaving to join the invasion force. Some hothead has decided that they want to take over the facility while there is a partial power vacuum . ”
    Debbu considered that. It made a certain amount of sense. While the Chairman was in the dimensional hyperfold conduit between universes, he would be out of contact. Given his recent appointment to the chairmanship, it was unlikely there would be many close associates empowered to step in to fill his place while he was incommunicado. That type of trust took years to develop and there clearly had not been enough time.
    He leaned forward and signaled a final response. That simple movement might have saved his life. “ I will go to our safe house and let them know immediately . ”
    ***
    Breakwater pulled her little mirror back. She had been using it to watch her Economics professor hand sign. Normally she would be on a tram heading back to her Covert Counter-Intelligence (CCI) offices in Syndicate Center,