Piece of Nicias: A Sci-Fi Novel

by Francis J Coyle

  According to the travel guide, the slabs were removed once a year and new slabs were put down. The old slabs were sold for a high price and would grace the hearth of a rich businessman’s home. The less elaborate concrete slabs, carvings Leyland supposed, were entombed in mausoleums dedicated to those who died in the war against Soros.

  A klaxon blared, interrupting his musings.

  Leyland looked wildly around. The plaza emptied quickly as people ran for the closest building. Leyland turned and started firstly to walk then to run towards the closest entrance. According to the sign, the building belonged to a local advocate. The doors opened as he approached and he was beckoned to enter.

  Leyland removed his mask. The air in buildings was clean and fresh. He looked back across the plaza and could see that the three men who had followed him had taken refuge in the cafe and were staring at him from across the plaza.

  The air shimmered then the rain began.

  Leyland realised that the shimmer in the air was a force field. The rain became a beautiful but deadly rainbow as it bounced off the force field. The force field was not calibrated to stop the air from entering and Leyland started to cough as a wave of noxious gas escaped into the building.

  “Shut the door.” A woman behind him shouted.

  Leyland stepped away from the door sensor and allowed it to close. He turned.

  “I’m Paula Hailsten.” The woman said. “I believe you were looking to speak to me?”

  *

  “He should have provided an update by now.” Rosie Ire said.

  Simmons stood next to the bulkhead wall staring at the list of senators. He felt the need to stride up and down but the stateroom was too small. He didn’t want to show his impatience in front of Ire.

  “Yes he should have.” Simmons said. “But these are delicate negotiations. I would prefer that he took his time and did things right. As it stands, the list of senators who would support us is too small and our time is short.”

  Rosie Ire had done a fantastic job of compiling the senators. Thirteen senators were unaccounted for. Twelve senators were against the proposition, ten were for the proposition, the remaining sixty-five were unwilling to commit either way. The most common excuse was that they wanted to see the actual text of his proposals. Simmons didn’t want to show the text yet, he wanted to frame it as ‘the Jewel Navy have agreed, what’s stopping you’. Obviously that would only work if he actually had an agreement with Paula Hailsten.

  “Have you had any luck with the last seventeen senators?” Simmons asked.

  “Not as yet.” Ire said. “Seána Mercer has checked the communications and said that something on Jewel is interfering with our transmission. There is an acid rain storm passing over the city but she says it’s not the storm causing problems as she is still receiving other transmissions but it might be causing the senators to take cover from the storm.”

  Simmons nodded. He studied the list of names on the bulkhead wall again. According to the files that Mike Leyland had provided, there was sufficient evidence to blackmail a dozen of the senators in the maybe list. Others he might have to provide a healthy bribe in order to secure their vote. He did not want to blackmail or bribe anyone as, if he was caught, this would mean expulsion from the planet.

  “What if Leyland is working against you?” Ire asked. “He could be taking bribes from someone on Jewel and establish himself as a power here with the right connections.”

  “Not Leyland. I trust him.”

  “You pay him well, that’s not something to measure trust on.”

  “I’ve worked with him for five years, he’s never let me down.”

  “He did let you down.” Ire said. “You told me often enough that the asteroid deal was a done deal. That every possible contingency was covered. How did that work out for you? Where was Leyland, he was the one apologising and saying that you had not done enough. Does that sound like a loyal employee, blaming you?”

  “That was the one occasion.” Simmons said. “He has always been the best man for the job.”

  “I’m just concerned.” Ire said. “We have both worked hard for the last several hours. He is on planet, a hundred thousand miles away if not more and out of contact.”

  “Perhaps we should take a break.” Simmons said. “Leyland will be successful, I know it.”

  *

  “Pass me the adjustable spanner again please.”

  James Rivan and David Rawlins were again in the ducts. This time they were removing the four compressors from their housing and dragging them back through the metal ducts to the engine room.

  “Tell me again why we are removing the compressors after we spent so much time putting them in.” Rivan asked. He was wiry enough to sit comfortably in the duct, his feet braced against the metal wall.

  “The compressors we took from the pirate ship are of a different type than the ones we should have.” Rawlins said. His fingers rotated with practised ease as he removed the attachments from the compressor. “They are larger and less efficient which means the ship will move slower and burn more fuel. I have asked the Captain to order a new set, they should be here later today.”

  “What will you do with these compressors?”

  “Once the new ones are installed and working, I’ll probably flog these.” Rawlins said. “There are always engineers who are looking for a set of cheap compressors. These are barely worn as you can see.”

  “Is it always like this?” Rivan asked. “Keeping the engines running, barely a thank you from any of the other crew. None of whom would be able to do their work if we were not here.”

  “Have you ever worked with your hands before?” Rawlins looked up from the compressor he was working on. He waited until Rivan shook his head. “When you do, you will realise that no job is a thankless one. I feel good not because the captain pats me on the back but because I know all the crew, all the passengers, would be stranded waiting for me to do my job. Pass me the screw driver.”

  Rawlins took the screw driver and hammered it into the back of the compressor. He then used is as a lever to haul the compressor from its housing.

  “Up and at ‘em Rivan.” Rawlins said. “Let’s get you doing some hard work by helping me lift this compressor free. You might even feel good about yourself.”

  *

  “Is there any word on those compressors?” Roger Stone asked.

  “None Captain.” Seána Mercer said. She brushed her hair back from her face as she looked up from her console. “I would tell you if there were.”

  “Don’t get snippy Mercer.” Stone said.

  “I wouldn’t if you didn’t ask once every five minutes.”

  “What was that?”

  “I said you’re getting hard of hearing Captain.” Mercer said.

  Stone gave her a tired smile.

  “The provisioning you requested has arrived on the concourse.” Mercer said. “Do you want to check it before they load it into the main hold?”

  “I do. I need to check the manifest.” Stone said. He pushed himself out of the Captain’s chair. “There is still a lot of bad feeling between our two planets. I want to make sure that they don’t load a bomb on board.”

  “Would they do that?”

  “Not if I’m watching.” Stone said. “You have the bridge, but keep your feet off the console.”

  Stone left the bridge, nodding to the Peace Officer standing guard.

  The umbilical tube stretched from the ship to the docking bay. Stone could see a pair of Peace Officers standing guard at the exit. Neither of them wore a side-arm Stone noted. The Lieutenant had probably realised the ramifications of a Peace Officer from Soros carrying a weapon on Jewel ‘soil’. One of the Peace Officers stepped forward with a raised hand.

  “Sorry sir, we have orders that no one is allowed to leave the ship.”

  “But I’m the Captain.”

  “Yes sir, please step back sir.”

  Stone burst into the stateroom. Lieutenant Hammond w
as writing reports.

  “What’s this about confining me to my ship?”

  “I’ve issued no such order.” Hammond said. He stood pushing back the reports with a sigh. “Let’s have a talk with Mr Simmons.”

  Simmons was in his stateroom poring over several sheets on his desk. Stone could see that he had expanded one of the sheets to view the details. Simmons listened with polite interest.

  “At the moment Mr Leyland is conducting some delicate negotiations on my behalf.” Simmons said. “We should hear the results of his meetings very shortly. Until then, I ordered a restriction on all crew and passengers alike from leaving the ship. No exceptions.”

  “But I am the Captain.” Stone said.

  “While you are on this ship you are the Captain and remain in charge, I will not go against spacefaring traditions.” Simmons said. “However, when stepping onto the concourse you are no longer Captain. As such, the restriction stands.”

  “I will of course enforce your orders Mr Simmons.” Hammond said. “I would appreciate in future that you inform me in advance.”

  “And the provisions?” Stone asked.

  “Get them delivered at a later date perhaps.” Simmons replied.

  Stone and Hammond left the stateroom together. The Peace Officer guarding the entrance to the bridge caught a glimpse of their faces and straightened into attention.

  Hammond clapped Stone on the shoulder once and they separated, Stone returning to the bridge.

  “Inform the cargo haulers that we cannot accept the provisions at this time.” Stone said. “Request that they return at this time tomorrow.”

  Mercer repeated the message into her comm and listened to the reply. Stone winced slightly at the volume of the reply.

  “He says he is not happy.” Mercer said.

  “No one is these days.” Stone said.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “But what if the instructions are to act as a spy for Soros against Jewel?” Lieutenant Hammond asked. “I don’t have the training on how to be a spy. Can you really see me as some undercover agent?”

  The old grizzled sergeant looked Hammond up and down for a moment before replying to the negative.

  Although Hammond had been given two squads of perhaps the worst of the Peace Officers he had ever had the misfortune to work with, the Peace Officer Corp. had also given him the sergeant. Hammond knew that any instructions given to him would eventually involve the sergeant and had taken the sergeant into his confidence regarding his instructions.

  “What if the instructions are to arrest the crew?” Hammond continued. He started pacing up and down the main hold. It was the only part of the ship that was empty of people. “Only the cook and the pilot are not convicted criminals so it would be easy to revoke their provisional status of community service and rearrest them for eventual exile.”

  “That would not make sense Lieutenant.” The sergeant said. “If they wanted to arrest them why not wait until we return to Soros?”

  “What if it’s Paul Simmons, Rosie Ire or Mike Leyland?” Hammond said. “What if they want to defect? Or perhaps the agent has heard that Simmons is passing secrets to Jewel and wants them under lock and key?”

  “What if it’s none of that and the agent just wants a safe trip home?” The sergeant said.

  “I’m getting too caught up in this, am I?”

  “Yes sir, it’s better not to borrow troubles before they happen.” The sergeant said. “My old Sergeant, and we are going back a few years, he used to say that the orders of the Generals are just that, orders. It’s your job to interpret them. You are both the legal and the moral authority to the Peace Officers under your command. You should do what is right.”

  “What if I don’t know what is right?”

  “We will still follow your orders Lieutenant.”

  *

  “The shields are raised to protect against the acid rain.” Paula Hailsten said. “It also provides protection for me. No communications, whether they are spy cameras or listening devices are able to penetrate the shields so we have total privacy until the rain stops and the shields come down.”

  “The three men following me will know that I am in here.” Mike Leyland said.

  “There are four men following you.” Hailsten said. “You only saw the three that they wanted you to see. They know that you are a visitor to the planet so they will assume that you are a stupid tourist, caught in the rain and hiding at the nearest place. When the rain stops I want you to return to the plaza, to the same spot and wait another half an hour so they are not suspicious.”

  “I have been sent by my employer to open negotiations with you.” Leyland said.

  “What would Paul Simmons want from me and what can he offer me?”

  Leyland started.

  “You know my employer?”

  “The mutual friend who put us in contact with each other spent an hour checking you out.” Hailsten said. “He delivered the file to me when he requested the meeting. I would have refused the meeting without prior knowledge of you or your employer.”

  “We have a problem with the outer Soros asteroid belt.” Leyland said. “Explorers from Jewel originally discovered and settled the asteroid belt. According to the Soros Council, the Jewel system have a contested claim. We want the Jewel Navy, who have fortifications on the asteroid field, to confirm that they are happy to release control of the asteroid belt and that they no longer contest it. It will need to be in an official statement to your Senate.”

  “So why come to me?”

  “You have strong links with the Jewel Navy.” Leyland said. “We are confident you can exert the right amount of pressure on the appropriate parties.”

  “What do I get for helping you?”

  “Your shipyard is currently empty of orders.” Leyland said. “You were expecting an order from the Imperials to start building destroyers and frigates for them, that order is no longer progressing.”

  “How can you free the order, it’s stuck in the appropriations committee?” Hailsten said.

  “I have friends in both high places and the low infernal ones.” Leyland said.

  “And you will be able to persuade them to help you?” Hailsten asked.

  “I know which buttons to push.” Leyland replied. “As I am not a citizen of Jewel, I may need assistance if I do need to strong arm any of my contacts. Would you help me with this, it’s all for the common good obviously.”

  “Obviously.” Hailsten said. “You may not be aware but I have already been approached earlier by a friend. Someone else is aware of what you’re trying to do, you might find some roadblocks in the way.”

  “Life would be so much more boring without challenges, don’t you think?” Leyland said.

  *

  “Well, have you managed to speak to her?”

  “Yes sir.” Leyland replied. “I can’t go into details at the moment as I’m worried my communications might be monitored. The lady in question assured me that it was something she would like to assist with but she no longer had the contacts with the appropriate parties. She also said that a third party is trying to get involved, someone may have got wind of our plans. We need to go with Plan B.”

  “You assured me that Plan B would only be done as a last resort.” Simmons said. He bit back a curse and glared at Leyland instead.

  “Sorry sir, I’ve failed you.”

  “Finish with what you’re doing and return to the ship. We will discuss this further face to face.”

  Simmons punched the disconnect on the console. His plans were starting to unravel. He stood up and started to pace the length of the stateroom. Rosie Ire lifted her feet out of the way.

  “I told you he was incompetent.” Ire said.

  “There was no way he could have predicted that Hailsten no longer had the resources to assist us.” Simmons replied. He gnawed on his lip.

  “At least we are in a position to release the wording of our request, which goes something like, please, pl
ease, please let us have the asteroids back.” Ire said.

  “Have you had any luck with the other thirteen senators?” Simmons asked.

  “Yes, now that the acid storm has passed and the shields have come down.” Ire said. She consulted her notes. “We have gained another two so we have twelve definite Ayes and twelve No. The remaining seventy-six are firmly stuck in the ‘we will wait and see’.”