Elroy glanced at her. ‘Diana, it was a simple question, or so I thought.’
He noticed her lips twitch, and was quite sure that she was letting him notice. ‘I don’t buy it. I can almost believe that Winter was something other than what she appeared to be, and I’m sure she had agendas of her own, everyone does. I highly doubt she was some sort of Xinti spy.’
Elroy grunted. ‘Let’s hope this investigation proves that then.’
‘You really think it will?’
‘No,’ he said, ‘I rather expect it won’t. But only time will tell.’
Yorkbridge Mid-town, 18.8.527 FSC.
‘Officers from the Federal Security Agency are requesting admittance,’ the apartment’s computer announced. ‘Agent Darren Wilcox is making the request.’
Janna turned and looked toward Sharissa. ‘Do you know him?’
‘Of him. He’s Internal Security.’
‘Oh.’
‘Computer, allow them in.’ Sharissa got to her feet and walked around the sofa she had been sitting on, then thought better and walked over to Janna. ‘I think they’re going to take me into the office. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but we’ve got nothing to worry about, I’ve done nothing wrong.’
‘I know.’
Sharissa looked at her. Janna knew, but she was still worried. Rather than say anything, Sharissa pulled her partner forward and kissed her, letting it linger for as long as she could before turning to the agents waiting in the doorway.
‘Agent Torrence,’ Wilcox said, ‘I am here to take you…’
‘Yeah, I figured this was coming when Dowler started his witch hunt. Am I wearing cuffs for this?’
There was a flicker of expression from the handsome, slightly older-looking man in the doorway; Sharissa thought it was sympathy. ‘Those are my orders.’
Sharissa stepped forward, holding out her arms. ‘Front or back,’ she asked.
19.8.527 FSC.
The news channels were throbbing with the scandal. Every single one of them, along with the private information aggregation sites and, especially, the various conspiracy networks, was wall-to-wall with the breaking news.
Justine watched it dispassionately at first, but with a growing sense of alarm. That something would come out regarding Winter’s secret had been a given, but it had not occurred that the suggestion would be made that she was a Xinti spy. Of course, it made sense. It was an effective way of blackening her name and probably fit some of the few facts they had. The reports made mention of encrypted data files and messages. She compiled all the reports for transmission, even as she set about attempting to discover how the information had been leaked.
It was later in the day when the second batch of reports started coming out and Justine’s disquiet grew. It came in various forms, but the basic element was the suggestion that Winter had covered up Aneka Jansen’s nature because she was a Xinti android. It further enhanced the idea that Winter had been working as a Xinti agent, and it broke the secret around what Aneka truly was.
Justine watched as Ambassador D’Jarnis was interviewed regarding the matter, his outrage obvious. ‘Sons of bitches,’ she said to no one.
The Islands.
‘I’m assuming you’ve seen the news reports?’ Dean Ajax looked like a worried man, more so given that his head and shoulders were blown up to two metres in height by the wall screen.
Elroy shook his head. ‘No, Dean Ajax, I’ve spent the entire day with my head in a bag.’
‘There are questions being asked by some of the board members. They know we did the analysis work on Aneka when she was found, they know we had to know what she was, and they want to know how we could employ her knowing what we did.’
‘Tell them to direct any queries to the FSA. Despite the fact that this information is out in the open, it is still technically a secret and you are still barred from talking about it. Until Dowler rescinds the security level on Aneka’s status, you can’t discuss it with them. End of story.’
Ajax nodded. ‘How did this become public knowledge, Senator?’
‘An exceptionally good question, and another one for the FSA. Goodnight, Dean.’ Elroy flicked his finger over a tablet resting on the arm of his chair and Ajax’s face vanished, sliding sideways to give more space for the other window which was waiting, shrunk, at the side of the display wall. ‘Did you hear that?’ he asked.
Ollander was sitting on a couch in her lounge dressed in a light Nusilk wrap which barely covered her long legs. She was a significantly more pleasing sight than Ajax, but Elroy could never help wondering what her motives were whenever she did it.
‘I assumed you left the channel open so that I would. I admit I was a little upset at not being told about Jansen myself, but seeing D’Jarnis ranting on Channel Seventeen made me realise why it was declared a secret.’
Elroy shrugged. ‘As I said to Ajax, those who know the full truth are currently not allowed to discuss it. I know from what Winter told me that Aneka herself was becoming increasingly disaffected by having to keep it a secret.’
‘I’m afraid I’ve barely met her. We spoke briefly at the function they threw for her when she first arrived here. I saw her when they came back from Negral, but we never spoke.’
‘She’s quite a remarkable woman. Intelligent, skilled, considerate, resourceful, and quite charming. She even indulged me in an evening talking about Old Earth history, which I’m sure bored her to death.’
‘Then I hope she isn’t going to end up in a cage as D’Jarnis seemed to suggest she should.’ Ollander turned at a sound from somewhere behind her. The action shifted her robe, revealing one breast, and she did not adjust it when she turned back. ‘My partners are home and I promised them some personal time tonight. If you’ll excuse me?’
‘Of course,’ Elroy said. ‘Enjoy yourself. I need to take a shower anyway.’ She smiled, and the screen went blank, and Elroy added, ‘A cold one.’
FSA Headquarters, 20.8.527 FSC.
Truelove squinted into the bright lights. She was tired and annoyed, and it was insulting that the people conducting the interrogation were asking her the same questions again even though she knew their instruments were telling them she was telling the truth. It was even more insulting that they seemed to think she would not know what they were doing.
‘Yes, I was read into the Aneka Jansen situation,’ she said in answer to their last question.
‘And what was your opinion of that situation?’ The voice was male and calm, no, it was bored. Truelove was fairly sure that the man did not really care what her answer was.
‘I thought it was deplorable and have attempted to assassinate Jansen fourteen times since I found out.’
‘You’re lying, Miss Truelove.’
‘It’s nice to know your toys are working.’
‘Answer the question, Miss Truelove.’
‘Why? Couldn’t you just replay the recording from yesterday? You’re asking the same questions.’
‘Just answer the question.’
‘No.’
‘You are refusing to answer the questions I am asking you?’
‘If you’re unsure of your equipment, get a telepath in here to verify what I’m saying. Until then, I don’t have to answer you, I’ve told you everything I know, and you can fuck off.’
‘Take her back to containment.’
Truelove heard the man getting up and saw something shifting behind the lights. She stood and looked around at the guards closing in from her flanks. ‘Yeah, I know the way.’
~~~
‘We’re trying to use traditional interrogation techniques on people trained in using those techniques,’ Wilcox told Dowler outside the interrogation room. ‘Truelove’s right, if you want to know the truth, you’re going to have to get psychics in here. We have several on the IS team…’
‘Psychics are people, people can be bought…’
‘Then why trust me?’ Wilcox did not have a great deal of integrity. He had
been selected to lead the detail interrogating the suspects, and he had recognised that that could very well lead him to higher rank. On the other hand, he was getting sick and tired of being second-guessed by a pencil-pushing moron with a fixation. ‘I’m starting to wonder whether you want the truth, or convenient lies. If it’s the latter, you can make them up without my help.’
Dowler glowered at him. ‘You’re out of line, Agent.’
‘No, sir, I am required under the rules of the Agency to point out when a superior officer is making ill-considered decisions.’
‘Get the psychics on the case,’ Dowler growled.
‘Sir!’ The voice came from behind him, and Dowler turned to see the young man he had taken on as his assistant. ‘Sir, there’s something you should see. The news channels…’
The Islands.
‘You seem, Mister Dowler, to be presiding over the leakiest organisation in the Federation.’ Elroy sat on his favourite chair looking up at Dowler’s face on the video wall. Elroy was amused and trying not to show it, and Dowler was incredibly pissed off and also trying to avoid showing it.
‘The source of the leak will be found, and I don’t believe it came from my…’
‘First, it’s not your office. You’re the interim head, don’t get comfortable. Second, you’ve had no luck in finding the source of the first leak. And, finally, there is material in this one which was known only to members of the FSA. The assault on the terrorists in Harriamon spaceport, for example.’
‘I will find out who leaked this information, Senator. Count on it.’
Elroy smiled. ‘I am, Administrator. I am.’ His finger flicked over his tablet and Dowler’s face vanished. Ollander was painting her fingernails, dressed in a push-up bra and thong. Either she had no sense of personal space or she was doing it on purpose. She knew Elroy was without a partner at the moment.
‘You enjoyed that far too much,’ Ollander said, not looking up.
‘I did. The news networks seem to be taking the details of Aneka’s recent past rather more kindly than the basic revelation.’
‘Her actions paint her in a far better light. That hostage rescue on Harriamon you mentioned to Dowler seems to be the area of focus.’
‘On Old Earth they used to have “action heroes” and “super heroes,” fictional characters who did amazing things to defend the weak. Aneka did something no one else could have done, eliminated a potentially catastrophic threat, and with barely any civilian injuries. They don’t realise it, but they’re painting her as a super hero.’
‘It’s not doing any harm to the case for Winter either.’
‘No, it’s not.’ He watched as she finished her nails and stood up, frowning at something off-screen. ‘A problem?’
‘Hmm… Oh, well…’ She bent forward, picked something up, and then held the object out toward the camera. It was a dress in silver metallic fishnet. He could not really determine the length, but it was short. ‘I’m taking the boys out to Shin You and I’m trying to decide between this…’ She dropped the dress behind her and retrieved another, which appeared shorter and was composed of gossamer thin, red Nusilk. ‘…or this.’
Elroy was, for once, briefly at a loss for words. ‘Neither really goes with your lingerie, Diana,’ he finally managed.
She laughed. ‘Oh I won’t be wearing anything under them, Jackson.’ She dropped the second dress and reached for the clasp at the back of the bra. ‘Here, let me try them on and you can tell me which is best.’
Elroy suppressed a sigh. She was definitely doing it on purpose.
Herosian Gunship.
‘You’re doing that on purpose,’ Aneka said.
‘What?’ Ella replied, all innocence.
‘Lying there naked and making little sighing noises every so often. Read a book.’
‘I’ve been reading a book. And you’re hardly dressed.’
Aneka was wearing a cropped T-shirt and shorts; her suit had been damaged too badly for even the bio-plastic it was made from to repair effectively. ‘I am, however, wearing something. Justine’s taking a shower, go bother her.’
Ella sat up, her face shifting into something which was half-frown, half-pout. ‘Are you really saying you don’t want to have sex with me?’
‘I’m saying we had sex an hour ago and we’ve been doing little else for weeks, and… Oh God! Come here and take that look off your face.’
Bouncing off the bed, Ella skipped the couple of paces to where Aneka was sitting, and perched in her lap, as directed. Snuggling in as close as she could get, she began placing small kisses along the side of Aneka’s neck.
‘You don’t think you’re overdoing this a little at the moment?’ Aneka said, keeping her voice soft.
‘Yeah… I know… I am,’ Ella replied, not stopping the kisses.
‘Then why keep it up?’
‘I’m trying not to, but… I just see you, or Justine, or anyone I like the look of and… I’m so hyped up at the moment I can’t stop myself half the time. All this time alone with nothing much to do isn’t helping.’
‘We are going to have to try to get you back to normal as soon as this business is settled.’
‘Uh-huh.’ Ella went back to kissing Aneka’s neck.
‘And in the meantime, we could tape you to one of the bunks for eight hours a day.’
‘Mmm, kinky.’
Yorkbridge Mid-town, 23.8.527 FSC.
Justine watched the news channels with a smile on her face. Things were going better than she had expected. She had tracked down the source of the leaked information about Winter and the later one about Aneka to the Herosian embassy, no great surprise there, and had decided to fight fire with ethanol. She had carefully arranged for certain reporters who had been a little more sympathetic to Winter to receive anonymous drops of information on untraceable data cards and the results had been effective.
The interview someone had attempted with Katelyn Looper and Dillon Zacks, Aneka and Ella’s neighbours, the day before had been broadcast on only a couple of channels. It had been very short, for one thing, consisting of Katelyn stating that, ‘Aneka is a good woman. I don’t give a fuck whether she’s a robot or an alien ghost from another dimension. She saved my life, saved my friend’s life, and you can take your snide remarks and fuck yourself with them.’ That had been followed by Dillon offering to demonstrate how the reporter’s camera could be used as an endoscope. It had not aired on many channels, but it had still caused a slight uptick in opinion regarding Aneka.
With the announcement the previous morning that the secrecy order on Aneka had been lifted, more people were free to talk about her. The entire crew of the Garnet Hyde had found themselves with cameras pointing at them at one time or another. All of them had said that Aneka was no more a Xinti than they were, and backed it up with stories of how she had saved their lives on Alpha Mensae, or Old Earth, and how she had fought to find a way to leave Negral when it looked like it would be unsafe to do so. Surprisingly, Delta Ling’s statement that if Aneka had not intervened, she would not have a boyfriend was a very popular clip.
The most surprising interview of all, however, had been done over a tachyon connection to Harriamon. Recorded questions had been answered by Captain Tor ‘Ape’ Gibbons of the Admiral Banfry, though what the station had got back had probably been a lot different from what they had expected.
‘You want to know what my opinion is of a Xinti walking around the streets of Yorkbridge?’ Ape had said into the camera on his terminal. ‘Well… As I said in answer to your previous question, I was here when the Garnet Hyde arrived in the Harriamon system. I detained her, and I was there when Winter interviewed her. I told my son and his mother that they should stay away from her, and I thought Winter was insane to let her go back to New Earth.’
He paused, apparently collecting his thoughts. ‘And then they got hijacked to Negral. That’s where Aneka’s body was built. You could say that Negral was her home world as much as Old Earth was. Aneka Ja
nsen wanted to get my family out of there, get them home. That may be a Xinti-built body she’s walking around in, but the mind inside it isn’t a Xinti mind. You ask someone religious whether she’s Jenlay, or Human, or whether it’s really Aneka Jansen, I don’t care. It’s a damn good mind and a lot of Jenlay could learn a thing or two from her. She’s willing to risk everything for people she’s never met, and she’ll move planets for her friends. So don’t talk to me about a Xinti walking around Yorkbridge, there isn’t one.’
Tristar Township.
‘The Admiralty will have a fit,’ Gillian commented.
‘If we’re lucky,’ Drake replied from the wall, ‘they’ll suffer collective heart failure and be replaced by competent officers.’
‘Are they still bugging you? The reporters.’
‘There’s a van outside, but most of them have given up. Shannon’s lying in the bedroom with the windows darkened until the headache goes away. At least when she comes out it won’t be as bad. You?’
‘I had the township guards chase them out after the interview.’
‘And that’s why I’m staying here,’ Bashford said, ‘rather than going back to my apartment.’
‘Uh-huh,’ Drake replied, ‘and the sex has nothing to do with it?’
‘A fringe benefit.’
‘What about Monkey and Delta?’
‘They’ll be here in about an hour,’ Gillian said. ‘I invited Janna, but she said the reporters haven’t gone after her yet and she wanted to be at home when Sharissa was released.’
There was a noise from off-camera at Drake’s end, and then Shannon wandered into frame, sleepy and naked. She blinked at the camera, or rather at the wall at the other end. ‘Oh, hey guys. If I’d known he was on the phone I’d have put something on.’
‘How are you feeling?’ Gillian asked.
‘Much better now there aren’t reporters crawling all over the house. I just hope it’s done some good.’
‘Consolidated Media’s opinion polls are showing a bit of a polarised reaction,’ Bashford replied. ‘There’s actually more overall interest in Aneka than there was, but still more negative reaction. On the other hand, the positive viewpoint is at about seventy per cent.’
The Winter War Page 24
