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February 11, 2051
Topaz kept one hand on the USB in her pocket and the other close to her electrical pistol as she walked between Alex and Claire. She breathed slowly and tried to drop her shoulders. It didn’t work. Even with both her pilots bodyguarding her, she was still tense.
She’d feel better when they returned the USB to the general in his office and briefed him and the others on what it contained.
The general got the door for them and nodded to three empty chairs placed together, the others already occupied by Autumn and Henry (with Bugguffin planted on his lap) on one side and Quinn, Izzy, and Colton on the other.
Alex sat next to Henry and Claire sat next to Quinn while Topaz placed the USB on Gonzalez’s desk. The operator took the remaining seat. “I checked it on a computer I disconnected from the station’s intranet. It’s got the kind of malicious code you use in an SQL—Structured Query Language—injection.
“Basically, if someone used it and it succeeded, it would bypass our firewalls and give that person access to our protected systems. Our computers, our databases—even your email.”
Gonzalez frowned. “But as far as we know, it hasn’t been used.”
“Perhaps they were waiting to use it.” Quinn leaned forward. “What if they know someone in the government is planning to send you an important email or piece of software? This USB would make sure they could access it too.”
“Or, maybe Webb used it, and we just don’t know yet.” Claire pointed out.
“Awr.” Bugguffin sounded bored.
Henry stroked her back.
Colton spoke up. “The Galaxy Explorer has USB ports.”
Topaz turned to look at him. “So, the rebels could have run an SQL injection on its systems?”
“Possibly. Although then evidence of the injection should have shown up in its logs during a basic functionality test…”
Alex frowned. “And that still wouldn’t account for the incendiary. Webb and Fitch were arrested yesterday, and Dr. Burke was working on the GE after that. If they’d planted it then, she would have found it.”
“Unless they have another accomplice who placed it in the Explorer,” Autumn answered.
“Another thing to think about.” Izzy’s gaze fastened on the USB. “We’ve been talking as if this is the only drive they have the code on—they could have multiple USBs with the code on them, or they could have copied it to something else.”
Gonzalez nodded. “Operator Bailey, I’d like you and Operator Jones to check your switchboards and computer systems’ logs for any suspicious activity, and I will order the other operators to do the same with theirs.
“We’ve already learned from Dr. Kellogg that we need to make sure every room we enter is free of hidden microphones and cameras. I’ll put out an order that we need to take similar precautions with our devices and electronic systems—more so than we already do.
“I’ll also ask you to check the Engineering Database for suspicious activity. As temporary station head, I can give you access to it.” He turned to the pilots. “While the station guards are in the traitors’ rooms, I’d like the four of you patrolling the station looking for suspicious activity.”
“What about Operator Bailey?” Claire asked.
“She should be safe with Operator Jones in the operators’ area.” Gonzalez’s gaze shifted between Autumn and Henry. “I’d like you both to monitor the medical bay as much as you can.”
Lastly, he turned to Colton. “I’d like you to stay in engineering and try to make note of anyone going to or from their quarters, and when they do. The guards can handle themselves if anyone tries to break into the traitors’ rooms, but if anyone escapes them, or if anything else happens, I want to know who may have been in the vicinity.
“Let the others know to do the same—and to watch for Morgan. No doubt he’s talked about seeing Hernandez in the hallway. The question is whether he’s alerted any rebels by doing so.” His eyes swept the whole group. “You are dismissed.”
“Yes sir,” they answered.
____________________________________________________________________________
Colton surreptitiously watched the hallway while he repaired CIDs with Albert at one of the tables near the middle of the main area. The tables closer to the hallway were occupied by other engineers, several of whom had eyed him as he entered the section, then looked away when he risked facing them.
They seemed to be ignoring Duy, who stood a few feet behind Albert, watching for threats. Colton didn’t know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Morgan hurried to the major’s office and let himself in.
Not good.
It also wasn’t good that Colton’s current position put him in direct view of Major Barr if the division head ventured from his office.
Albert added the CID he’d been working on to the pile of devices they’d finished fixing. “I wonder how long until we start working on the magnetic field prototypes.”
“Good question.” Colton felt a tension headache coming on.
Morgan’s leaving the major’s office and approaching them made it worse.
Duy moved closer, his shadow falling across the three engineers.
Morgan stared at him, but before he could speak, Albert greeted the other engineer. “Not bad! You got the TP off your foot before you spoke to the division head.”
“Shut up, Burke.” Morgan looked at Colton. “What’s he doing here?”
“Protecting Engineers Burke and Close.” Duy’s eyes narrowed. “Didn’t you hear they were almost injured while they were examining the Galaxy Explorer?”
“What’d Close do, bang his head?” Morgan grinned.
Colton guessed Barr had already told him what happened.
The other engineer focused on Colton again. “I told the major all about your new invention for Fletcher. Want to know what he said?”
Colton didn’t say anything, assuming Morgan would tell him.
Apparently, Morgan was waiting for him to ask.
Before he could, Albert spoke again. “Obviously, he didn’t expect you to repeat it, as you haven’t—or are you ignoring his orders? Morgan. I wonder what Major Barr would think if he knew you had the audacity to—”
Morgan snarled at him, then turned to Colton. “He says if you have more time than you know what to do with, you can help build the new failsafe mechanisms for the station’s engines when you finish with the devices.”
“Failsafe mechanisms?”
“Major Barr said he was sure you’d appreciate that. He recently finished the design for them.” Morgan looked pleased over knowing something he didn’t. “After that one engine almost leaked—the one you were supposed to check—he came up with an idea for a system that would be able to detect a leak and turn off the engine before anything dangerous happened. Pretty genius of him.”
It was amazing how casual Major Barr could be in referring to one of the worst days of Colton’s life. “Yes, it was.”
Morgan smirked. “So delighted you agree. Let me know when you’re finished.” He walked to another table, where he started conversing with another engineer, Engineer Ramos. They laughed about something.
Duy moved back to his original position.
Albert touched Colton’s arm. “That engine he was talking about…Are you okay?”
Colton smiled. “Don’t worry about it, Albert. I’m fine.”
Albert’s eyebrows lifted like he didn’t believe him.
“Thank you for asking, though.” Colton turned back to his work, then remembered he’d wanted to say something else. “And thank you for the things you said to Morgan.”
Albert grinned. “You’re more than welcome.”
They repaired the rest of the CIDs in silence, and then Colton checked that no one was watching before he passed his own device to Albert. “Would you mind holding on to this? I can’t carry it while I’m wearing a—”
“Sure.” Albert had already slipped it into his jacket.
The CID Colton had received on the day before Henry’s birthday was currently hidden in his room. He felt better having his regular device closer than that.
Colton went to his quarters, pretending to leave his CID there in case Morgan asked, then returned to the main area and crossed the floor to the computers, where Morgan appeared to be admiring the major’s design on one of the large screens. “I’ve finished.”
Morgan flashed a cold smile. “Good. We’ll be working together. After we get some protective suits.” He led the way to the section’s main storage area.
Its large sliding door would only open after its computerized lock scanned an acceptable ID—one from an engineer that hadn’t been disabled.
The lock scanned Morgan’s ID, then clicked open. The engineers entered and motion sensors detected them and switched on the room’s overhead lights.
Passing shelves full of materials and cases, they approached a row of protective suits hanging on a rack.
Morgan grabbed one and started pulling it on.
“Have you already stored your CID?”
Morgan gave him an irritated look, then opened a nearby case and dropped his device in. “Have you?”
“Yes.” Colton took a suit off the rack. He started to pull it on, then realized something was missing. “Morgan…Is your suit this thin?”
“What are you”—Morgan felt the material and frowned. “Yeah—like some of the layers are missing.”
Colton’s stomach tightened, and he started feeling the other suits on the rack. “At least half of these feel like some of their layers were removed.”
“Why?” Morgan checked another rack. “If anyone received a big enough shock—”
Colton wished he still had his CID. While Morgan was distracted, he could message Topaz, and she’d tell the others.
Footsteps echoed, and Albert approached with Duy. “The major told me to help with…What’s wrong?”
Morgan growled an explanation while he rummaged through the other rack, and Colton signed to Albert to pass him his CID.
The puzzled engineer did, and Colton quickly typed a message to Topaz. Someone tampered with protective suits stored in engineering’s locked storage please check its scanning logs.
He hit send, then silenced the device and hid it in his jacket right before Morgan stomped over.
“This station guard, again? Close, whoever gutted the suits dumped the extra layers just a little past there”—he pointed further down the walkway—“but some of them are still viable.”
Colton counted the suits on both racks. One rack had two more suits than the other. Morgan had taken one, but that didn’t account for the other. Colton decided not to point that out, just in case.
“What do we do now, then?” Albert asked.
Morgan hesitated, and Colton answered, “Engineer Morgan could report what he found to the major while you and I and Station Guard Duy go to the station’s main storage area and retrieve enough protective suits to replace the damaged ones.” He hoped crediting Morgan with the discovery would distract him from the fact it was Colton’s idea.
It must have worked, because Morgan smirked again. “Right, he’d probably prefer to hear it from me.” He turned to leave the room.
As soon as he was gone, Colton checked the room for hidden microphones or cameras, then started searching the cases near the racks, holding up his ID for the ones with computerized locks.
Albert moved closer. “What are you looking for?”
“Morgan put his CID in a case…I’m wondering if whoever took the missing suit did the same.”
“So one was missing.” Albert started opening locked cases with him, and Duy checked unlocked ones.
A few moments later, as Colton put the last one back, Albert asked, “Anything?”
“No…But Fitch wore a suit when he”—Colton checked his CID and found a message from Topaz: F was the last person to have his ID scanned. Yesterday.
Colton showed the message to Albert and Duy. “Unless someone else tampered with the logs, Fitch was the last one in here. We didn’t find his CID in his room, so he must have put it somewhere else or kept it on his person.”
He typed a response to Topaz. Please find out from the guards whether they found his CID when they searched him.
A few seconds later, she messaged back, No. But are you able to meet J and me in the cell block?
She and Janet must have found something. Colton hesitated, then glanced at the other two. “Can you go on to the storage area, and I’ll meet them?”
“We can, but”—Albert frowned. “Then you’ll be going there by yourself.”
Duy nodded. “He’s right. I’d rather we call another guard to accompany you there.”
“I’ll be fine. Alex and Claire will probably be nearby anyway.” Colton sent a response to Topaz, then put his CID away. “We better leave before Morgan—or the major—comes.”
Thank you for reading “Firewalls” (Part 3). The next part of this episode drops next week.
The previous installment in this series is “Firewalls” (Part 2). Read it here.
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Copyright © 2026 Li Mitchell All Rights Reserved
Note: Everything I write is written without AI—even if I do use a lot of em dashes (and some semicolons).
I like Albert. 😊 But I don't like the idea of Colton going off by himself... 😬