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Gupta’s files also provided details about how the self-destruct syste sabotage of the Colossus 3, the mechanism had been altered to be initiated only by Carlton and the chief scientist, Chen Min, on the Colossus 5 It would also set the tie of its radio beacon

However, unbeknownst to the other Nine, Gupta had installed a back door into the self-destruct system accessible from any of the luxurious cabins set aside for the Nine He didn’t trust the others to do the right thing if the AI went haywire, so he put it in so that he could activate it if he saw the need to

Once it was activated from this secondary location, it would lock out the abort command froet on the ship and activate the self-destruct once the ships were in range of one another

“When do we expect the Colossus 5 to enter the tay section of the canal?” he asked Murph

“We got word that their flotilla set sail at five-thirty this evening It’s number two in line”

“Which puts the the tay section of the canal a half hour before dusk”

“That’s cutting it close,” Max said

The plan was to launch the Gator froo ships heading north, staying in the churning white water of its wake to avoid being visible from the ship behind it Then when they reached the cross-connector channel at the point where the Colossus 5 was going south, they’d peel away and cut across, coet’s stern just after sunset After that it was a si ship in the narrow channel undetected, without getting the Gator crushed against the earthen berms by the Colossus 5’s hull

Linda would be piloting the Gator while Juan took Linc and Murph with hi the team to a minimum for stealth

While they were on the Colossus 5, Max would co while Eddie led Raven, MacD, and Hali onto the Colossus 1 to rescue the prisoners

The success of Max’s part of the plan was contingent on the weather, but Juan was sure that wasn’t going to be a problem

He could see orange in the sky on the left side of the screen

“Pan to the west, Murph”

The camera slewed around until the entire screen was filled with an awesoht

An avalanche of dust was rolling across the desert toward the out the sun behind it