by Sam Sea
“Of course we have not found his research papers on these projects. Of course we didn’t. It never occurred to me that these here… “ he flashed the found documents in the air above him. “…is all there is. Not with his dedication to perfection and organization. That is why I am calling you. To clear this out.”
The man was silent for a moment, but Val wanted answers fast.
“You really don’t think that something that happened her on Vezna had anything to do with his murder?”
“You are changing the subject. Please do not do that. Unless you have something to hide. Please stop wasting my time.” Val’s voice was loud enough to attract Li’a to the office. Her curious look was following Val as he got up to his feet, and started to shuffle files in the air above.
“Am I to think that he fasted over ten thousand credits on communicating with you over talking about the weather? He seemed to be calling ”
“No, no… He was not calling me…”
“No, he was not calling only you, but he was still communicating with you on a weekly basis. So what exactly is going on here?”
“But, maybe I can send you information he held here as well as list of all associates here. I am sure they can help you more than I can…”
Val thought he heard enough. “Your last conversation with Teri, what was it about?”
“It was-“
“And do not lie to me because I’ll send an order to the local police to cuff you and send you to Pluk. It’s half way to the Capital from there. Maybe I can meet you there…”
“Okay. No need to do that. I am sure we can clear everything-” the man was getting red in face, sweat appearing next to his ear. He lifted his hands up like he was surrendering.
Val for a second took his eyes of him. His communicator was blinking with messages from Timor. He let the dean sweat out his answers while he cast a look at what Timor send him. It took him not more than a few seconds to shut the microphone out of the communication, and turned to Li’a.
“I will need to talk to the victim’s assistant again. Right away. It’s urgent.” He said as she was still looking at him, nodding her head. “Faster the better.”
“Send me all the information you have.” He abruptly interrupted Dean. “I will talk to you really soon again.”
The next second Val shut the communication with dean Clingman’s red, sweating face in utter disbelief that his interrogator suddenly decided to terminate their conversation. Val didn’t even see it as his eyes were already piercing files arrived from Timor, his brain finally connecting points together.
Then he closed his eyes, and decided that another cup of coffee could only help him, and decided to walk three floors down to the main cafeteria.
When he got back to his office, Li'a together with Wida Manodz, the ex-assistant to Dean Teri, were already waiting for him in. With approving taps on Li’a’s shoulder, he congratulated her on her speed.
"Thank you for coming again, " Val said as he shook Wida’s head for the second time in two days..
"Well, anything I can do to help, like I said before-"
"I just went over some of the files that the dean had backed up on his home server that we were not able to crack before, and I got some really interesting files that got deciphered, so I have a few questions that I hope you can help me with.”
“Sure, that’s why I’m here.”
“What do you know about Xirtonian military artifacts, those that were introduced between 1200 and 1400 Saris years, making them, what? Over five hundred years old now? ?"
The assistant suddenly became very confused. It certainly was not a question he expected. He looked around unsure of what to make of the question.
"Not very much... I mean... I know that Xirtonia was one of the systems that was destroyed two hundred years ago, and they were using a lot of robotics, some from the earlier periods, which they specialized for the war. But I am afraid, I do not know that much. I mean that is not one of my specialty. I teach pre-Saris history. I think you have a wrong professor. My knowledge here is very limited-"
"Really...? You mean, you never saw any of these before?" Val asked and placed tens of photos to float in the air. They all showed a small droid, the size of a human palm, with a little barrel of a gun sticking down from the middle of its tiny body.
“They used to be often referred to as space needles. Do not know if that is because they were so small that they could hardly be detected or because they had enough power and acceleration that they could be positioned in space, out of planet’s scanning system. And then, they could be ordered to swarm down, and with supersonic speeds penetrate any kind of defenses and shoot their projectiles at their targets. You’d be dead long before any scanner had a time to light up an alarm.
"I personally remember those buggers. They were one of the main reasons why we had to pound Xirtonia to the dust. They would sniper us out, and we had no good defense against them. This model here…” Val opened another image and made it fly around. “This one is one of their smallest models. It has almost unlimited remote-operation capacity, I mean, as long as you’re on the same planet, hundred, two hundred miles, no problem. It could work very well for special, automatic targeting with its scanning capacity leading the droid straight to its target where it would be terminated. Now, that model which you see… it is one of the most advanced models, which we are quite certain was not used to assassinate Teri DiAmon… We believe this here model was used…”
The image showed a model which was painted in bright colors of warm-weather birds, partially covered with artificial feathers.
“It does not have extended remote capacity like the other one, or automatic targeting system, but it is still very capable of being very deadly weapon for anyone who is using it… You know, that is why they made them illegal centuries ago. They were just too deadly, too easily abused and used for wrong purposes.”
Val let the image fly around Wida’s head while he looked at him straight in the eyes. “Have you ever seen a model like that?”
Wida, although the mouth was wide open, remained dead silent. Val cast a glance toward Li’a who seemed to be equally nervous, obviously not anticipating where that is all going.
"You see, you should have seen one of them before, because, you see…” Val throw a video bit in the air. “…this recording from dean’s office clearly shows that the dean gave you this unit…and what was his instructions?” Val twitched his finger and the video was moved five minutes along.
“…Mr. Mandoz,” Dean Terri was clearly talking to him as he held the droid in his hands examining it,” …I do not need to tell you how highly illegal these units are. Possessing one can cost a person his life. Not even museums are allowed to have one. And we are not even allowed to talk about them, even have pictures of them…It’s all punishable by law. I understand that the last ruling, which happened some hundred-fifty years ago, sentenced the law-breaker to forty years on Pluk… I do not plan to spend forty years there. So please, do what I ask from you. Take it to the police, and just turn it in. I have all the documents of origin here, stating where it was found and how. Give it all to police and let them deal with it. If you have any problems, you can have them contact me, all right?”
On the video, Wida shook his head and, together with the droid, took the files of the origin, and left the office.
“Now, we know, you really never turned that droid to the police, did you?”
Wida eyes stopped watching the video quite a while ago, and with sunken head, they seemed nailed to the floor.
“Why?” Val asked while his stare tried to penetrate to the reason. “Why would you do that? Was it all about the money after all? Chance to get to a higher position? You got fed up being jerked around? "So what happened, the dean just became too big of a pain in your ass? Is that why you killed him? Why, why did you do it?”
“Does it matter now?” Wida uttered words out without lifting his head.
“What I also truly
do not understand is, I mean, you are supposed to be smart, highly intelligent, educated… You’ve been around to know the system and how it works, so what I really want to know is how could you ever kill the chief commissioner’s own brother and think you could get away with it? Didn’t you think that they would send the meanest, craziest ECI to track your ass down, and make you pay for it.?”
Val took his badge out in one hand while his gun he held in another.
Chapter 19 – Settling the Score
An hour later, Val was already back home, sitting by his coffee table and sharing it with Chief Commissioner Valiko’s hologram.
"ECI Val, you impressed me yet again… I’m very impressed indeed. Solving the mystery in such a short time.” The chief commissioner was obviously very pleased. “Can you tell me how could you, in less than 48 hours, find out who killed my brother?"
"Well..." Val had another five, almost six hours before the best window for his takeoff. He felt like he had plenty of time to talk. The pressure was gone, and he could taste nothing but a sweet taste of success. "You know, it was really not that hard. At first, I thought that the killing was related somehow to you and your family...maybe a vengeful killing, an enemy your family created a long time ago, that sort of thing. But before I decided to venture into that possibility, I decided first to look into other options which seemed easier to verify.
“Love or money... usual motives. Most killings are done on the account of one or the other, especially those that are planned out like that. So I decided to talk to people who were connected to your brother in one of those fashions. We also had to figure out how the assassination was actually accomplished, which was rather difficult, I have to admit. But once we figured it all out and found out certain discrepancies…together with the proof we got… It all lead us to the major suspect, which in the end, as you could see in the video I sent you, he admitted to."
"Yes, I looked at some of it, and I will go over all the other files you send me soon enough… You sentenced him to five hundred years on Pluk? Rather unusual?”
“I considered terminating him right there, but he truly seemed…” Val thought a bit about the perfect word “…already broken. And it just didn’t seem right to take his life there. If he was aggressive, if he seemed not repented, not apologetic, then maybe… But I think he knows what he did was wrong, so I spared his life so he can live with that knowledge until the end. I found that as the most righties thing to do.”
“Quite right…” the commissioner was nodding his head in the approving manner until his eyes suddenly narrowed. “You ran into some problems during the investigation…I mean, with Madam Vilksy. ..I mean, I’ve already looked at the video, and know you are cleared of the killing of her bodyguards...but, still… and it is more of a concern for you than anything else...You know, her family is very powerful, and they will hate you forever."
"Well, they already do on the account of what I've done eighty some years ago – I judged her grandfather as well"
"You know her family will hate you forever, will try to get back at you, I am afraid."
"Yes I know. Well, they will have to get in the line for that…a rather long line to tell you the truth.
The commissioner chuckled on that.
"Well, thank you for everything you’ve done here, for bringing my brother’s killer to the justice. I wish you all the luck in the future, and thank you again for handling it all so well.”
"Well, thank you, Commissioner, for the trust you granted me."
"I just have one more question for you..."
"Yes?"
"You sentenced Madam Vilksy to 60 years on Pluk."
"And?"
"Don't you think that is a bit too harsh? That is almost like a death sentence, no?."
"Well, not really and not really."
Val took a second to compose his voice. The anger that flushed in he didn’t want to show through his words.
"First 'not really' is due to the fact that I also judged Wall, the man she contracted to steal from your brother, equally. Yet, she is, in a lot of ways considerably more guilty than him. Yet I do not see you protesting about his punishment.”
Be careful, Val, you don’t need another enemy, somewhere inside hiis little voice started to warn him.
“You did not protest about his punishment because you know it is just. So what are we to do then? Do I sentence one person differently just because they belong to the different social circles, just because her family circles are closer to yours, or the emperor’s? She broke the law, and showed no regret in doing so. She even instructed her guards to prevent me from doing my job. You clearly saw that in the file I sent you, saw how fast they were to reach for their guns and were ready to interfere with me… Those guards that I ended killing. I have actually not processed that crime, but I am sure I can get a recording where she is instructing them how to behave... But let that be something to consider in the future. She thought she could have it any way she wanted it, thought she could do whatever she wanted to. She let her vanity dominate her, let it to ruin her…
“Well…the second, 'not really' is because sixty years to serve on Pluk is not the same for everyone, especially not for someone going there with all the resources her family has. Pluk is, as I understand, not the same place it once was. Corruption seems all too present there, so I have no doubt that the suffering, if any, she endures on that planet will be very limited."
Long after they ended that talk, the commissioner set in his home office for a long time, thinking and occasionally smiling, smiling for the first time since his brother died, and making a firm mental note not to challenge ECI Val's judgment so freely again.
Val made another call after finishing with the commissioner. "Tim, have you been enjoying your holidays so far?"
"What holidays, I've not been able to sleep not even for an hour since you ‘sent me on a vacation’."
"You know, Tim, instead of sounding so negative and complaining, you should feel good…You did good. I could not have closed this case without you. Finding that the dean’s assistant was looking to moon-light as an assassin really solved it all…. Finding the other pieces was then very easy."
"Nice of you to say it even though we both know it is not true...Wait a second, wait...you are being so extra nice to me, You never call me ‘Tim’ unless you want something. So stop sweet-talking me…What is it that you want this time?"
Val took a long breath, and smiled.
"Actually, you remember one of the reasons we went to Zalirus?"
"To look for what happened with Senator Sulivaro?"
"Yes…And I just got a whole research vessel re-build and equipped with all the mechanics we need to find him or anybody else who survived the crash. I mean, we still haven’t finished our mission…still a lot of questions remain…you know- ?"
“Wait, wait, wait…a research vessel? I’ve never heard of such a thing!”
“Well, I borrowed this,” Val suddenly felt an urge to cough “…relatively new, less than hundred years old… smugglers’ rig. It was impounded by ECI some time ago. But it was in a great shape, and I fixed it up even better! It is fast and powerful little thing, can brake gravity of any planet in the system, make clicks at twice the normal speed…I’m telling you, it’s beautiful! And wait until you see the stuff that I put inside of it.”
“Me…going on some hundred years old rig? Are you kidding me? I love my life. Besides, who is going to fly that thing?"
“I am…I know how to fly, and of course, there is an autopilot-“
“Hello...hello...I cannot hear you...what were you saying...the communication seems to....down...loosing...voice"
“Stop goofing around, Tim-”
“I…shhhhhh…”
“I can hear you talking through your hands.”
Timor didn’t answer nothing for a while.
"Stop playing a victim here. You know you will enjoy it. So suite up. I will be on your planet in two days. That should giv
e you plenty of time to sleep."
"Two days? Only two days?! What can I do in two days? Admit it, you will not be happy until you really kill me. And even then, you will probably say, ‘ you will enjoy it’."
After finishing with Timor, Val went out to the ship. All powered up, it looked even more impressive than last night. It had a fresh paint on, golden and silvery at parts. The nozzle of a paint gun was still in the hanger.
He took it and on the forward section of the hull, decided to spray paint the name he decide the ship should carry, The Space Needle. It looked a very clumsy job, but he did not care.
Later, he opened the ship’s main gate and walked inside to find its cargo bay fully filled with all the boxes he left to be loaded.
He went over to Mikka’s things. He took dark, protective shield of her ten-foot long wooden commode and flipped it over to look over one massive, greenish tube which almost completely covered the furniture’s inside. It was a medical, regeneration unit, the one that had already saved his life more than once. It may become very useful wherever he goes. Damn if I let this collect dust in some warehouse, regardless if it’s illegal or not. They stopped making these a long time ago. Now, ones you found in the hospital were five times the size and hundred times as slow. He wondered how she got hold of it. It certainly was worth more than anything she and he could ever earn.
Then he opened other boxes of confiscated things belonging to her. He looked through a lot of knifes, riffles, guns… Most of the stuff was of extremely good quality, something worth keeping. Some were old relics he had not seen in ages.
Probably stuff she took from her victims. I do not see her buying many of these items - they are that rare.
There were also paintings, awful lot of them, all piled together. Most looked only good enough to be thrown in the fireplace. Then there were objects wrapped inside the red silk clothes, a jewelry box made of white Syrian gold. And a katana-like sword. He took it in his hands, took the blade out, it shone blue color of Syrian steal, hard enough to slice the diamond, light enough to wield it with two fingers.
