by Paul Collins
Unable to move freely above ground, Black used the orbital scans - plus some judicious hacking of the Qule Municipal Board’s computers - to construct a detailed map of all underground routes around the city, including sewers, stormwater drains, maintenance shafts, subway tunnels, linked basements, subterranean market precincts - used in Kanto’s ferocious winters - and even an ancient system of catacombs.
Black’s troops moved out, splitting up a kilometre from the safe house. Fenster’s team headed north while Black’s continued due east, towards the likeliest blind spot. Two hours later they reached the outskirts of the area.
To Black’s disappointment, it proved to be a false positive. But he had some good news. Fenster had located Roag at his family home and was having a quiet chat with the ambassador. He would report in as soon as he was done.
‘Give my regards to him,’ said Black.
‘I think I’m demonstrating that regard effectively, s1.r. ‘
Black led his team south to the second blind spot. As they neared it, his scanners picked up fragments of encrypted chatter with a RIM signature.
Deploying his troops for a surprise assault, he sent
Reddick, returned from orbit, and a female operative ahead to place charges.
They returned minutes later and gave Black the thumbs up.
Black did not give the signal to advance immediately. An urgent message from Fenster came in. Black listened intently and signed off.
Interesting. He couldn’t be sure, but he had an idea where the second set of lost coordinates might be found. And if he was right, it was an ingenious hiding place.
He gave the signal to proceed.
His team moved into the positions marked on the 3D scan of Anneke’s hidey-hole and blew the charges. A series of sharp cracks ricocheted through the tunnels. The air filled with smoke reeking of chemicals. People shouted and pulse beams sliced the air.
Black slid his infrared eyepiece into position and advanced at a run.
Straightaway, a figure loomed in front of him. Black’s shield took a sizzling hit, making him stumble. He recovered and returned fire. The attacker took one in the shoulder, spun backwards and dropped. Black leapt over him and kept going.
Then it was blades, fists and feet.
Black dropped two defenders but realised Anneke was pulling her troops out again. Indeed, the place seemed undermanned, which meant only one thing.
She’d been expecting him.
In which case -
Suddenly he was caught in an immobiliser field, unable to move. He cursed. He’d once got his foot stuck in such a field, designed for rodents. No doubt Anneke would find that appropriate.
Fortunately, the field was dispersed over a large area. Black found he still had a small degree of movement. He spoke rapidly into his intercom, sending orders. He activated a field to try to even marginally increase his range of motion.
It didn’t. Damn.
He tried another approach. It also failed. Black was sweating. Standing there, he was, despite the smoke, a sitting duck. Then he had an idea. Actually, it was Anneke’s idea.
He lock-synched his main deflector field with four of his team’s, removed the safety protocol, and pushed it to maximum. If he could blow the field over a large area, the collapsing harmonics would destabilise the immobiliser bond. In theory.
All he could do now was wait for his opportunity.
Two minutes was all he needed.
But it didn’t look like he would get them. Suddenly Anneke was standing in front of him, blaster aimed at his head.
‘This isn’t the morgue,’ Black quipped.
‘I can fix that,’ said Anneke.
‘You were expecting us.’ Where were his men when he needed them? He needed to stall for time. Hopefully she wouldn’t check her field readouts otherwise she would see what he was doing.
‘Naturally. This was a dummy blind spot. We figured it would draw you here.’
‘How clever of you.’
‘Seems you’ve been one step behind me all the way this time, Nathaniel.’
‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that.’
‘You haven’t figured out the final clue, have you?’
‘Maybe you shouldn’t have degaussed the meteor. Bit of a giveaway.’
‘Didn’t have much choice. But that doesn’t mean you know where the coordinates are.’
‘And you do?’
Anneke nodded. Her finger crossed the firing stud of the blaster. Black stopped himself from making another jibe. Anneke was so wired she might shoot him, immobilised or not. He needed seconds more.
‘I guess we’re looking for something microscopic.’
She started. He was right. He knew where the lost coordinates were!
‘Pity Uncle Viktus isn’t here to congratulate you.’ Anneke visibly took control of herself ‘I wouldn’t go there if I were you . . .’ she hissed.
‘Why? Did he beg for mercy? Well, wait till I get the rest of your family. Wait till I get my hands on Deema ...’
That did it.
The blaster in Anneke’s hand seemingly went off of its own accord. The pulse hit Black’s shield and did what he hoped it would, overloading the maxed out overlapping harmonics.
The whole field collapsed, giving off heat and a blinding flash of light. But unlike Anneke he’d been expecting it.
Now he was free.
He whipped up his handgun, saw Anneke’s dazzled eyes widen, took careful aim, and fired.
But as he did, a fist-sized chunk of concrete came out of nowhere, knocking Black’s gun from his hand, deflecting the shot.
A boy’s voice called out. ‘Anneke!’
Smoke swirled about Black. When it had cleared, Anneke Longshadow was gone, with those of her crew still able to walk, stumble or lurch.
Momentarily disoriented, Black swung about, aiming his handgun at anything that moved.
Finally, he let his hand drop. At least he knew the location of the lost coordinates. The next step in his grand plan could proceed.
He called his troops together, collected the wounded, despatched those beyond help, and headed back to the safe house.
As Black made his way there, General Hod, head of the security services, earned his high salary. By capturing Nathaniel Brown.
The trap was supremely simple, the timing perfect.
Black was so focused on recent events that he and his troops walked right into the ambush.
Fenster had detected a moving blind spot paralleling their position.
It had to be Anneke Longshadow. Black had instantly felt better, organising his team onto catwalks in a large underground chamber Anneke would shortly be passing through.
As the ‘blind spot’ headed their way, they suppressed talk, kept radio silence and waited with bated breath.
And then fell asleep.
A man toppled from his perch, breaking his neck. The others were taken as easily as fish stunned by a river explosive. What’s all the foss about? wondered General Hod.
When Black woke, in chains and shackles, his field generators had been removed and his entire squad had been X-rayed from head to foot. General Hod was there to greet him, a large grin on his face. ‘Ah, Hod,’ said Black. Just the man I wanted to see.’
Hod’s grin faltered momentarily. The man was so confident. Had he miscalculated? Had he neglected something? Hod tried not to swallow, reminding himself the man in front of him was supposedly deadly. He should not underestimate this man as others had.
‘At your service,’ said Hod, injecting a convivial note into his voice. Two could play that game.
‘Not bad,’ said Black. ‘You almost managed to pull it off’
Hod scowled, displaying his lack of self-control.
‘Don’t play games, Mr Brown. Your position here is gra
ve. And I assure you it will get worse.’
‘On the contrary, General, it is your position that is precarious. However, should you release me immediately I will endeavour to ensure you are not killed.’
Hod forced a laugh. ‘Brave words, Mr Brown. But
I have your -’
‘Ship. Yes, I know. Since I woke here, Anneke Longshadow clearly did not cause the blind spot we were tracking. The only other technology on this planet that could create a false image resides on my shuttle. Therefore you must have captured it. If I needed further proof, then your use of my name has completed the picture.’
‘Very clever. You are right. Not that it will do you any good. The punishment on Kanto for spying is death. And the manner of death is rather distressing.’ Hod saw the ghost of a smile on Brown’s lips. He was oddly unnerved by it.
‘General Hod, this is your last chance. Surrender to me, right now, or you will not live through this night.’
Hod’s face flushed with anger, though at the prisoner or at his own sudden skin-crawling cowardice, he could not tell.
‘I will have you executed immediately!’ he grunted.
‘I will not tolerate your insolence. Guards! In here!’ Silence greeted his words.
He stomped to the door of the cell. ‘Guards! Dammit, where is everyone?’
‘I imagine they’re upstairs, listening to the announcement.’
Hod frowned, feeling the stirrings of panic. ‘What announcement? What are you talking about?’
‘You have a view screen over there in the corner.
Why don’t you turn it on?’
Hod harrumphed and did as Brown suggested. Immediately, a god-like voice boomed from the speakers. The hand-held camera, carried by a news gatherer, bobbed and tilted pointing at a sky full of light and movement.
‘... declare talima,’ the voice was saying. ‘Citizens of Kanto Kantoris, be informed that your planet is under the interdiction of the Majoris Corporata for crimes against humanity. Be warned, fusion devices will be used on cities that do not comply with these directives. Furthermore, all Kantorian citizens must remain surface-based. No one will be allowed to leave until notified ...’
The camera tilted further up, zooming into space as it focussed on the glittering objects floating there. Soon Hod could see, clear as day, a vast array of ships in low orbit.
He started sweating.
The great voice boomed again: ‘All citizens of the Majoris Corporata in captivity must be brought to the Qule spaceport for repatriation. Failure to comply with this order will result in execution of guilty parties and their extended families.’
Hod, pale and struggling to breathe, staggered back to his chair and sat down.
Black held out his handcuffed wrists. ‘Now would be a good time.’
ANNEKE kept her head down with her face grimly set, like everyone else’s. Calling attention to herself right now was the last thing she needed, es pecially since Brown had issued a planet-wide arrest warrant for her, complete with holopic, biometrics and her unique biosign.
So Anneke shuffled along with the morning work crowd, Pagin on one side and Hugar on the other, doing her best to blend in, to not be noticed. Getting noticed in Qule was usually bad for one’s health.
Forging ahead, Anneke felt a surreptitious tug on her tunic. Without looking to see who it was, she changed direction, and found herself following Pagin into a narrow street between tall buildings and two ominous-looking guard towers. Her pulse picked up as she noticed a checkpoint down the end of the road. Hugar suddenly took her arm and strolled with her, as if they were lovers, then abruptly steered her through an arched doorway to her left.
There they found an automatic scanning device. She produced her RIM credentials, displaying them to the scanner. A moment later the heavily reinforced door opened and the field that prickled her skin dropped.
They entered the Sentinel Consulate.
Once within the old stone building, a holopic appeared in the air before them, guiding them to a room divided in two by a thick wall of glass, as used in pressure tanks.
They took seats and waited. Pagin was visibly nervous and excited. The Sentinels were mythical icons of the galaxy. The thought of seeing one up close was almost more than the boy could bear. Anneke hid her smile, as did Hugar, though he kept licking his dry lips and shifting restlessly in his chair.
The lights on the other side of the glass dimmed and a huge hooded figure appeared from the gloom. An edifice like a piece of modernistic sculpture rose out of the floor. A Sentinel seated upon it like a king on his throne.
‘Is it real?’ asked Pagin in a loud whisper. Hugar shushed him.
Anneke Longshadow,’ came a voice like grating granite. ‘You are far from home.’ s are you,’ said Anneke.
‘I am Ekizer. Why are you here?’
‘I have come to ask for your help.’
‘We do not help individuals. That IS not our purpose.’
‘I do not ask help for myself, but for this world.
Nathaniel Brown, through the auspices of Majoris Corporata, has interdicted Kanto, as you must know. I believe he means to wage war on this world.’
‘What evidence do you have?’
‘None,’ said Anneke, slumping slightly. ‘Save that I know Brown well. He plays a dangerous game and is utterly ruthless. He wishes to punish Kanto for the wrongs of many and establish the Corporata as the only viable political body in the galaxy.’
‘You believe he seeks Empire?’
Anneke was startled by Ekizer’s perceptiveness. But then again, the Sentinels had been observing and policing the galaxy for over a thousand years. Just because they did not interfere in human affairs didn’t mean they did not understand them.
‘I do. And I beseech you to come to Kanto’s aid.’
‘You think Kanto deserves aid?’
‘Perhaps. Perhaps not. That isn’t for us to decide.’
‘No. It is not.’ There was a pause as if the Sentinel were considering her request, communicating with others of its kind. Finally, Ekizer said, ‘My people are on their way, Anneke Longshadow. Their journey began more than two weeks ago.’
Anneke stared. ‘How is that possible? Brown wasn’t here two weeks ago.’
‘The facts are as I state them. Fare thee well,
Anneke Longshadow.’
The light behind the glass blinked out, plunging that half of the room into a perfect darkness. As
Anneke and her companions rose to their feet, bewildered, Pagin pressed his face against the glass and peered into the dark half of the room, seeing nothing but shadows within shadows.
Avoiding detection, they trudged back through the city towards Hugar’s house, where Anneke was staying. She wondered at the words of Ekizer.
The Sentinels had already begun their journey. How could they have known? Were they seers?
Could they view the future? This added a new dimension to her understanding of the Sentinels, an understanding that had recently been deepened by her sighting of the tapestry in the Trade Commission and her analysis of the blood samples.
She now knew what the Sentinels were.
Their return journey was not without incident. They travelled via a different route, but as they entered a back street, a squad of Kantorian guards appeared at the far end, setting up a checkpoint. Anneke and Hugar changed direction, only to discover another squad doing the same behind them.
A loudspeaker crackled in the air: ‘Citizens, you are to form a line at each checkpoint. Prepare to show ID.’
While this was happening, soldiers sprinted along the street ordering shopkeepers to shut and bolt their doors.
They were boxed in.
‘Spiffie,’ said Anneke.
‘My thoughts exactly,’ said Hugar. To Pagin he said, ‘Boy, get out of here. I kno
w you can make yourself disappear. Tell the others. Then get back here to see where they take us, if we are arrested.’
Pagin glared back at him for a moment, a stubborn look on his face.
Anneke lowered her voice. ‘Please, Pagin. If you can go, go. We will need your help later.’
The sulky look faded. Pagin nodded once and disappeared into the crowd. She did not see where he went.
He’d make a great RIM agent, thought Anneke. Then she turned business-like. ‘What will they do first?’ she asked Hugar.
‘Each Kantorian must carry the triplex - three forms of identification. It is a crime not to have your triplex on your person at all times, and just for this you may be arrested. However, in your case, with the warrant out ...’
He did not need to finish the sentence. She’d be lucky if she wasn’t shot on the spot. ‘What about you?’ she asked. ‘Is there a warrant out for you?’
‘No. As far as I know, I am in the clear.’
‘Then we must part company. Being near me would be hazardous to your health.’
‘I am a hazard myself,’ Hugar said with a smile.
While they had been talking they had moved towards one of the lines. There were so many people corralled into the narrow street it would take an hour for the
Kantorian guards to process everyone. A lot can happen in an hour, Anneke kept reminding herself Hugar added, ‘Can you escape from here?’
‘I’m not sure. I’m not fully equipped. I figured carrying a shield generator around might attract attention. Bad call, I guess.’ She looked up and down the street. ‘I do have a few tricks up my sleeve. Unfortunately, there are too many innocent bystanders here.’
‘I could create a diversion.’
‘No. The movement needs you. Leave this to me. I’m going to join that line over there. See you later.’ With that she hurried across to the other line. For the next forty-five minutes she inched forward towards the checkpoint like everybody else.
When she reached the hastily set-up bench the young Kantorian officer seated on the other side did not bother to look up.
