by Berg,Alex P.
Your guess is as good as mine, Rich, said Tarja. He pinged me with a meeting request. Gather in the cabin, will you?
I moved away from the window and motioned to Carl, who stood at the side of my quarters. He’d kept me company over the past few days, even if most of it occurred in silence.
I found Tarja already seated on the wraparound bench seats, so I slid in across from her and made room for Carl. Ducic didn’t trail me by far. Ever since the pirate attack, he’d kept to himself as much as possible, and when we’d interacted, he’d kept his speech curt and succinct. I couldn’t blame him. I’d found the ordeal traumatic enough, and I was a rough and tumble guy who’d willingly signed on to the mission. I couldn’t imagine Ducic had ever expected to be embroiled in such an adventure as he pursued his post-graduate physics degree.
I gave him a nod. “How are you holding up?”
His ears lay flat against his skull. I hadn’t seen them up since before the fight. “I am primarily vertical, but thank you for your concern.”
The holoprojector above us spun to life, superimposing Vijay and the cramped interior of his office over the center of our cabin.
Vijay looked up. “Ah. There we go. Perfect. Although, Ducic…could you shift a little to the side?”
Because he faced us, the Tak’s rump hovered squarely in front of Vijay’s desk.
“Apologies. I meant no offense, or display of sexual interest.” He moved to the side.
“No offense, taken,” said Vijay. “Actually, if I’m being honest, I’m glad to see you alive and well, even if it is from a less than flattering angle. I had a chance to go over Captain’s Rhees’ reports and…well, as I said, I’m glad you’re all alive and in one piece.”
“As are we,” said Tarja. “So what’s with the holomeeting?”
“You’re close enough that the lag is negligible,” said Vijay. “I had free time and I figured I wouldn’t waste it. Besides, there’s no need for you to hang around the Snowbell after dropping Ducic off. The business we need to attend to can be conducted via encrypted channel as easily as it can in person.”
“And that business is?” I asked.
“Straight and to the point,” said Vijay. “A man after my own heart. Very well. I had three points I wanted to discuss prior to the culmination of your contracts. First, I wanted to thank you for your service to InterSTELLA. You’ve solved a problem that’s plagued us for months now, a problem that…”
He paused. After a delay, he snorted and shook his head.
“Is there a problem?” asked Tarja.
“No,” said Vijay. “Far from it. I meant what I said. I’m sincerely grateful for your service. But even now, after reading Rhees’ sworn affidavit and going over the ship’s logs, I’m still having a hard time believing it. When you approached me with the idea of riding along with the Agapetes and her crew, I didn’t think there was a snowflake’s chance in Venus anything would come of it. Yet…here you are. Victorious. You were right, despite the odds. I don’t know if you’re extremely lucky or extremely talented. Maybe both. Either way, thank you.”
I couldn’t tell Vijay luck hadn’t played a major role in our success without revealing how we’d tampered with InterSTELLA’s flight logs, so I kept my mouth shut. Besides, perhaps luck had played a role. There must’ve been other ships the pirates could’ve targeted, right?
“We appreciate the thanks,” said Tarja, “but I think the compensation we’re after is a little more tangible.”
Vijay nodded. “Which brings me to points two and three. When next you check your bank accounts, you’ll find the bounties we agreed upon in your contracts have been deposited. Try not to let your eyeballs pop out of their sockets. Ducic, while you and I aren’t eligible for bounty payments under the terms of our InterSTELLA employment contracts, the powers that be were generous enough to provide us with substantial bonuses for our efforts. I don’t know about you, but it looks my family is finally going to be taking that lavish trip to the Sirius system we’ve always talked about.
“One other important point stipulated in your contracts, Mr. Weed and Ms. Olli, is the confidentiality clause. As you can imagine, it’s in InterSTELLA’s best interests to keep the events that transpired aboard the Agapetes, as well as everything related to the incidents of piracy, under the staunchest of wraps. They say money talks, but in this case we wish it wouldn’t. We’ve arranged for your bounty payments to appear to be winnings from a high-stakes pai gow tournament you both attended in the sunny, luxurious Bella Lavica casino orbiting the hot rock pile that is Cetib. Should you choose to mention to anyone, in any capacity, that your time spent over these past days wasn’t spent at the Bella Lavica, you’ll find yourself prosecuted to the utmost extent of intergalactic law and taken for every fraction of a SEU you’re worth, which is a whole heck of a lot more than it was a day ago.” Vijay smiled. “But, you’ll still have our thanks either way.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about us,” I said. “From everything I’ve gathered, Tarja seems adept at keeping secrets, and after my last case with GenBorn and RAAI Corp., I’m used to the hush hush nature of private investigation.”
“Excellent,” said Vijay. “Now, unless there’s anything else you’d like to discuss before signing off…?”
Once again the thought of the remaining inside man hiding within InterSTELLA crossed my mind, but I couldn’t bring up his or her presence without admitting to our tampering of the ship’s travel logs. Was it even worth mentioning? The pirates had been dealt with. We’d been paid. The interloper wouldn’t dare stick out his or her neck.
Ultimately, I kept my mouth shut.
Tarja gave Vijay a nod. “Nothing on my end. I can’t say it was good working with you because we rarely saw you, but thanks for the hire.”
“Not a problem,” said Vijay. “If I need the services of a bounty hunter again, I’ll come calling, but forgive me for hoping I’ll never need to work with you again. Ducic. I’ll see you soon.”
With that, his holofeed flicked out, and I was left to wonder if I’d made the right choice.
32
The airlock door to the spaceport puffed open, greeting me with smells of industrial cleaner and a medley of assorted pungent alien musks. Carl stepped into the hallway, but I paused and turned.
Tarja leaned against the airlock seal, her arms crossed over her chest.
“So…I guess this is goodbye,” I said.
“It would appear that way, yes.”
Despite the bizarre set of circumstances we’d endured together, I found myself at a loss for words. “Thanks for letting me ride onboard the Samus. I probably owe you a few SEUs to cover my share of the fuel and snacks.”
Tarja chuckled. “I’m willing to overlook it. Not only were expenses covered, but I think the final payout more than covers it. As much as I hate to admit it, I wouldn’t have…won that pai gow tournament without your guidance, if you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I do. So what do you plan on doing with your earnings?”
Tarja shrugged. “I’m not sure. I might take a few years off. Travel the stars, see some sights. Relax and drink margaritas beachside somewhere, though that might not be the best idea with my complexion.”
I blinked. “Did you say years?”
“Yeah, why not?” said Tarja. “Why? How are you planning on blowing through your newfound riches?”
Come to think of it, I’d never read the InterSTELLA contract Vijay had sent me via Brain. Paige had approved it, so I’d affixed my digital print and moved on.
“How much did we earn from our domino victories again?”
“You didn’t even read the terms?” Tarja snorted. “You Cetieans with your government stipend payments. We won ten to the seventh spacebucks.”
“Ten million SEUs?” Vijay had been right. My eyes did try to leave my face.
“Don’t spend it all in once place,” said Tarja.
“I’ll
try not to.” Dazed, I turned to go.
“Rich.”
I paused and glanced back. “Yes?”
“Look, I think it’s safe to say I’m not much of a people person,” said Tarja. “I don’t warm up easily, and I don’t give out praise, like, ever. So when I tell you you’re not a bad guy, you should take that, frame it, and stick it on your wall. Hear me?”
I smiled and nodded. “You bet. See you around?”
She smiled back. “Not if I can help it.”
The airlock door puffed shut behind me. I shook my head, but the smile on my lips lingered.
With Carl at my side, I made my way back through the spaceport’s corridors, past the food courts and through the moving walkways surrounded by fish tanks, muscling my way through the crowds of humans and Taks and Diraxi of all shapes and sizes. Eventually, I returned to the spaceport’s base where the climber stations were.
“Manage to get us tickets?” I asked Paige.
The next available seats weren’t for another forty-five minutes. Sorry.
I found a pair of free chairs in the waiting area and settled down next to Carl. Crowds of individuals milled in front of me, moving to and fro. They pressed thick against one another, their excretions wicking into the air, most of them paying me no more attention than a passing drone.
Despite their presence, I felt surprisingly alone. I had Carl and Paige at my side, of course, but they were part of my default state. Oddly enough, I think said state had started to grow to include Tarja and Ducic’s presence, foibles and all. Some part of me missed them.
Thanks for taking me and Carl for granted, said Paige. And please, don’t start with the waterworks. You know I hate tears.
I’m not that bent out of shape, I said. Just adjusting back to normal.
And normal meant I had time to think without being disturbed. I flicked open my Brain interface and brought a pair of images into my ocular display. On the right I positioned a still shot of Captain Horatio taken from Captain Rhees’ live Brain feed. On the left I placed a headshot from InterSTELLA’s public servenet, that of their COO, Salvig Halloföl. Through Paige, I’d run a search query on Salvig, but nothing in particular had popped out. He came from a long line of InterSTELLA employees, each more accomplished then the last, but nothing in the public domain hinted at anything underhanded in his past.
Can’t leave those alone, can you? said Paige.
I still think I see a resemblance, I said. Could be my imagination, but… I don’t know.
Well, it’s rather fitting you brought those up, said Paige, considering what I got back from the Cetie servenets.
You have the results of the facial comparisons?
Just in, said Paige.
Well, what are you waiting for? I asked.
Okay, so I had the program run both Salvig and Horatio’s facial features for similar traits. I was able to dig up older photos of Salvig for a more thorough analysis, but with Horatio we have just his current appearance. The results are as follows. Based on key genetic traits, the program estimates Horatio is related to Salvig with an overall probability of seven point four percent.
Seven percent? I said. Dang. That seems low.
It’s not that simple, said Paige. In this program, the overall probability of being related is generated by averaging through a weighted approach the individual probabilities by levels of separation. For example, it gives Horatio a three point three percent chance of being removed from Salvig by a single generation. The probabilities increase by separation up to a peak of twelve point nine percent at twelve generations removed before dropping again.
So…what? I said. Are you suggesting Horatio is Salvig’s great-great-however many greats-grandson?
Ten greats, said Paige. And no, I’m not suggesting that. Even if that were somehow possible, the probability of its likelihood is still estimated at under thirteen percent.
So what are you suggesting?
What do you mean? I’m relaying probabilities.
I sighed. Paige, I know you too well. There’s something on your mind you’re not sharing. Or something on my mind. Whichever. You know what I mean.
There was a pause. Alright. Fine. But this is purely speculation, understand?
Carl glanced at me. He hadn’t interrupted, but he was being kept in the loop, and he was as curious as I was.
Sure, I said. What is it?
You know how we still don’t understand how the pirates interfaced with the Agapetes at warp speed, or with any of the other InterSTELLA ships? said Paige. It seems clear they did so though technological advancements, despite our theories to the contrary, so I went ahead and ran a few extra probabilistic scenarios without your knowledge. Not facial recognition stuff. General probabilistic analysis using metrics I generated based on the pirates’ tactics, behavior, language, and other interpersonal parameters. Based on those inputs, I created a program to estimate their collective intelligence and estimate the chances of them crafting advanced Alcubierre technology on their own.
And?
It’s low, said Paige. Really low. Like, miniscule. The chances are even lower that the pirates and only the pirates would have access to the technology if they didn’t develop it, though the chances are higher that they’ve stolen the technology and others also have it but are hiding it. They’re still really low though. Fractions of a percent. Way lower than the chances of Salvig and Horatio being related.
Where are you going with this? I asked.
Remember the talk you had with Ducic? said Paige. Where you discussed Alcubierre drive technology and how someone might close on and match speed to a ship within a warp bubble?
You mean the conversation in which Ducic rambled about trajectories and vectors and the ship’s chronometer before wandering off in a daze as he thought of something to investigate?
That’s the one, said Paige. It struck me that even though Ducic mentioned to you the fluid nature of space time within the warp bubble, you never discussed something known as the chronology protection conjecture.
You know I have no idea what that is, I said.
One of the fundamental tenets of Alcubierre drive technology is that it creates closed time-like curves in space time, meaning, at least in theory, the technology could be used to enable backwards time travel. The chronology protection conjecture hypothesizes that in cases where the classical theory of general relativity allows them, quantum effects would intervene to eliminate this possibility. But it is, after all, a conjecture, meaning nobody can prove its validity except by disproving it.
Hold on, I said. You can’t be suggesting what I think you’re suggesting.
At this point I’d consider it the longest of long shots, said Paige, but consider the evidence. The attacks on InterSTELLA ships always occurred in pairs, usually in short succession. If backward time travel were possible, it makes sense it would occur in linear fashion. So the pirates travel back in time, attacking one ship along the path, then skip back forward in time, attacking another. This would also explain why InterSTELLA scouts never found warp exit signatures. Because there aren’t any—not in this time period.
Carl butted in. Paige, I hold you in the utmost respect, but even I have to admit this is pretty fanciful.
You think I don’t know that? said Paige. There’s circumstantial evidence, too. The technology the pirates used to board InterSTELLA vessels mid-warp doesn’t appear to be of this era. Neither do their clothes or their speech or mannerisms. And don’t forget the fact that none of them appeared in any DNA or facial recognition databases. Or that they were using non-proprietary Brain technology and anti-aging antibodies.
I’d forgotten about those last points. Okay. Just for kicks, let’s assume you’re onto something. But we need to think about more than possibilities. We need to consider motives. Even if it were possible, why would Horatio travel back in time to rob InterSTELLA ships?
I have no idea, said Paige. But the interi
or of their vessel seemed to be composed mostly of organic materials and light metals. Maybe heavy metals are in high demand in the future. More telling is what the pirates didn’t steal. They wouldn’t have any use for our tech, clothes, or medical supplies. If anything, they’d want raw materials that hold their value. Or—and I’m getting creative here—what if the attacks were more personal. Salvig Halloföl follows a long line of successful Halloföls at InterSTELLA. Their family has been on an upward trajectory in that corporation for generations. Perhaps they’ve reached their peak, and future Halloföls won’t view the company in as kind a light.
I suppose that’s plausible, said Carl, but I think you’re misrepresenting the results of the facial trait comparison. Genetic similarities extend backward through generations as easily as they do forward. Assuming Horatio is related to Salvig, it’s far more likely they both share a common ancestor than that Salvig is that common ancestor. And it would be far easier for me to believe that a distant relation of COO Halloföl is resentful of his cousin’s success and wants a piece of it for himself. For all we know, Horatio approached Salvig, perhaps desiring a position of importance or to blackmail him, and was turned away. In his anger, he might’ve turned to piracy as a form of revenge.
I like your ingenuity, said Paige, but that wouldn’t explain the warp drive tech.
I looked up at the clock over the climber station. We still had about twenty-five minutes until our scheduled departure.
You guys are making my head hurt, I said. Can we drop it and bask in the fact that I made enough money to buy my own interstellar yacht?
I would, said Paige, but there’s one final point I feel impelled to share.
I sighed. Fine. Lay it on me.
Up until now, you’ve operated on the assumption the pirates targeted the ships they did because of some ‘insider’ InterSTELLA presence. It’s a good assumption, but the pirates could’ve just as easily gotten the same information from historical records.
Yes, but—
I stopped myself in mid thought. It was true. The pirates had only targeted the Agapetes the second time after we changed the travel logs to make it a more appealing target. A potential future interloper might be able to access the data as easily as a modern one would. Plus, the entire pirate ordeal was being swept under the rug, known only to those with the highest levels of clearance. In all likelihood, there’d be no lasting records of which ships were attacked or that the pirates were killed during the second attack on the Agapetes.
