Logan glanced at me. “Didn’t you tell him?”
“You made me promise not to.” I shot Riley a significant look. “And I keep my promises.”
“Oh. Well you could have told him,” Logan said.
“Then next time you swear me to secrecy, you need to include that exception.” I quickly explained the Transmission to Riley. “Did you fix it yet?” I asked Logan.
“No.”
“What about being on a collision course?” Riley asked.
“We should have plenty of time to avoid it. As I was saying, the Transmission’s controls were damaged, but not the equipment. Repairs should be easy if we knew how the controls worked.”
“I could look at it for you,” Riley offered.
“It couldn’t hurt,” Logan said.
“How do busted controls lead you to sabotage?” I asked.
“Second clue, is this.” He pointed at the screen.
Riley bent closer, but I wasn’t going to try and decipher it. “And?”
“Operating data for the plant right before the explosion,” Riley said.
“And?”
“All the machinery was operating within normal parameters,” Logan said. “There is nothing here to warn of an impending explosion. No spike in power, no jammed valves, no fire or anything unusual.”
“But the computer might not have registered it in time. Did you examine the plant?”
“Of course. Went over it with a couple of the supervisors. They’re equally puzzled about the cause.”
“But that isn’t enough to suggest sabotage,” Riley said.
Logan uncovered a glass container. “Final clue. At the explosion site, I found an oily residue coating the walls, and pieces of a timer and switch. And before you try to explain them, I tested the residue and it’s a flammable substance not found anywhere in the power plant. It’s used in the recycling kilns on level one.”
Riley picked up one of the twisted hunks of metal from the container. As he examined it, a shocked horror filled his eyes. “This could detonate a bomb.”
A bomb. Spoken aloud, the words slammed into me. Someone had set off a bomb, killing people on purpose, risking all our lives—thousands of people. I let the stunned outrage roll through me. It took me a few minutes to pull my emotions together and think.
“Who did this? Why?” I asked.
“Who, would have to be someone who knew about the Transmission, and had enough knowledge to make and place the bomb so it didn’t blow a hole to Outside,” Logan said. “As for why, I can only guess. Since the Transmission was the target, either someone doesn’t want us traveling through Outer Space or someone wants to get our attention.”
“Do you think they will make demands or threaten to damage another system if we don’t comply?”
“I’ve no idea, Trell. This is all new territory for me.”
“If they plan to make demands, it should be sooner rather than later,” Riley said. “Actually, if they do contact Logan or the Committee, we might be able to find out who they are.”
“Have you informed the Committee?” I asked Logan.
“No.”
“Why not?” I demanded.
“I just connected the clues. And this information needs to be handled with care. Knowing we’re dealing with a saboteur gives us an advantage. If nothing is said, maybe the person will relax and give themself away.”
