Vatican Ambassador

by Mike Luoma

  "Ah, yes. ‘Acting' ambassador, though, still, if I'm not mistaken... correct?"

  "Ah yes, for a little while longer, now that you mention it. Thank you."

  "That Mr. Al Sere you were speaking with earlier seems quite charming, doesn't he? Lovely man, glad they sent him. At least it shows they're serious," Wentworth says with pure sarcasm.

  "And how serious are you, 'Representative' Wentworth?"

  "Excuse me?"

  "How serious is the UTZ? Do you really want peace?"

  "Funny question, coming from you," Wentworth cracks.

  "Is it?" BC asks. He leaves the question hanging, and walks away from Wentworth. Never did have any illusions that this was going to be easy. Does anyone really want peace? I mean, really? Gotta wonder.

  BC leaves the reception behind, lets himself wander through the tunnels of Lunar Prime as his thoughts wander. He strolls down long corridors not really noticing much of his surroundings as he loses himself in his contemplation of the day and the conference.

  Ultimately, I can't make them want peace. No one trusts anyone else. Why should we? Why should any of us? Every side has shown itself capable of terrible things when pressed, when "justified". Hmmm. It's quieter than usual around this section of old Lunar Prime. The moon can be a serene place, sometimes. Hope some of that sense of calm filters through into our discussions over the next couple days. Wonder where everyone is? Probably distracted by the conference...

  "Hey! Campion!"

  BC's reverie is broken by the shout from Bruno, one of Wentworth's goons who have just appeared in BC's path.

  Oh no... Not this shit again!

  "Mr. Wentworth would like to see you."

  "Great,” BC says to the big guy. “Now what? Time for the next the part? Where you club me over the head and drag me off, right?" BC spits back at him.

  The big man looks around. There's no one nearby.

  The hunter surveys his surroundings before settling in to strike... Bruno shrugs.

  "Nope,” the thug tells BC. “Mr. Wentworth says it’s to be at your convenience... this time. Give him a call tonight,” Bruno says.

  "Or else?" BC prods.

  "Or else… I don't know. You're rude?” Bruno nearly makes a joke. “Just call Wentworth. Um, please."

  "Please. Wow, the magic word! Now, I'll call him. Because you said 'please.' I'm impressed, Bruno, I think we're taking this relationship to a whole new level!"

  Bruno shrugs, turns, and walks away. BC is left standing alone. He can't help but shake his head. He starts walking again.

  I wonder if the reception is still going on? Hope it wasn't rude of me to wander off like that. It kinda seemed over... If I screwed up it's because I'm new at this stuff. My excuse. But then, I don't want to give either side any excuse they can use to drop out of this peace process. Damn it. It seems hopeless. Still, I’ve got to try to pull it off to protect my status under the 'new regime'. Seems foolish to think we WILL find any common ground.

  Where the fuck am I?

  BC's aimless wandering has brought him into an area he doesn't recognize. He looks around, tries to get his bearings.

  Let's see... gotta focus, get out of my head and back into reality here. Hmmm, maintenance corridor by the look of it... there, that's a sign I recognize. The governor's office. Must be just off the main corridor. That way, I'll betcha.

  BC walks around a corner, up ahead to a larger, slightly more populated corridor. He's near the back of the Lunar Prime Governor's Office suite.

  Well, there should be a public com nearby, might as well call Wentworth, get it over with. Wow, look at that. Always takes my breath away.

  BC stares out the corridor window at Earthrise, half a blue-green, brown and cloudy blue marble. Nice. But I can’t start staring out the window like Edwards. Jeesh, I haven’t heard from him in a while. I wonder how he’s doing? Probably down there right now.

  Huh.

  Well, on to the other crap.

  Best call Wentworth… Where's a com unit when you need one? There it is! Wonder how this'll turn out?

  BC makes the call. Wentworth's face appears on the screen. He smiles.

  "Father Campion. How good of you to call. And so soon! I appreciate your swiftness. It shows you take this as seriously as I do."

  "Thank you. And you're welcome. Now… Why? Why have me call you? I just saw you. I haven’t been avoiding you, this time." BC stares at Wentworth on the screen. Wentworth stares back. Wentworth finally breaks the brief, uneasy silence.

  "We need to talk. Not like this," he says, nodding toward the screen. "In private."

  "We do? As your host, I hope you're not unsatisfied with your accommodations. Do you need something? A toothbrush, maybe? Depilatory cream?"

  "Don't play front desk stupid with me, Campion. The stakes are too high for you to be so, er, witty. Just come visit my quarters as soon as you can. We need to talk."

  "Sounds absolutely cozy."

  BC isn't biting.

  Not this easily. Sure, just wander in to my den, said the spider to the fly...

  "With the conference just getting underway," BC protests, "I've got a lot to do. Responsibilities and all."

  "With it being so late in the day on our first day, I can't see how there can be any official activity planned today,” Wentworth says, pressing his point. “There's certainly nothing on my schedule. Is there something I should know about? Something you're not telling me about, Campion? Campion, are you there?" BC is distracted. Out of the corner of his eye he sees her again.

  God damn it! That is her! It’s gotta be!

  "I've got to go now, Wentworth, I'll stop by later, bye," BC says in one breath. He severs the connection, and runs after a woman who's got to be...

  Nita Bendix!

  It is her! Goddammit… Coming right out of the governor's offices, too! Right out of McEntyre's suite! How blatant is that?!

  Where’d she go? She was heading away from me, off toward the main dome. BC heads for the dome as fast as he can. She’s nowhere in sight. BC bursts into the atrium and almost bumps into a member of the UIN delegation enjoying some sightseeing under the dome. It is night in the main dome, but folks seem to have become nocturnal. There’s a crowd milling about, many looking upwards. People have turned out under the dome to see the stars during the dim “night” of Lunar Prime. A crowd of hundreds wanders about under the main dome, looking up. BC surveys the people in front of him.

  No sign of the woman who's got to be Nita Bendix! Where is she? And all these people!?

  Where is she?

  I didn’t really enjoy our last chase, come to think of it.

  BC continues to look around the dome for some sign of her.

  Nothing. She's gone. Nowhere to be seen. Well.

  Might as well go see Wentworth for some further frustration. Let's see, where's he staying? Lunar Lodgings 214 through 220...

  It only takes BC a minute to walk from the main dome to Wentworth's quarters. He keeps his eyes open for Nita Bendix while he walks, but she seems to have vanished.

  Bruno answers the door when BC rings at Wentworth's quarters .

  "Good evening. I'm here to see..."

  Bruno grunts, interrupting BC. He nods and motions for BC to enter past him. BC surveys the small anteroom as he walks in. He’d noted the rooms’ layouts before Wentworth moved in for his stay. BC looks for any subtle alterations to the waiting area. There are some different chairs and sofas along the walls. And another not-so-subtle alteration as well. That's new.

  Evidently, Wentworth brought his own bar.

  The other furniture has been crowded together along the walls to make room for a large bar, now facing the door BC came in through. Bruno's twin brother is standing behind the bar. Bruno 2? Betcha he's not back there for hospitality's sake. That's probably a ‘cleverly disguised’ security station. Wonder what capabilities it has?

  Bruno nods at his 'brother', and both of them head through another door behind the 'b
ar'. The door closes shut behind them. BC knows the plans for this suite. He can see the layout of the rooms in his mind.

  The main room of the suite lies just beyond that door. All the other rooms of the suite open on to that central room.

  After a minute or two, Wentworth opens the door behind the bar. He walks into the waiting room and over to BC, shakes his hand.

  "Thanks for coming, Campion. Let's go where we can talk. Come in," he says, and motions for BC to precede him in through the door behind the bar. BC doesn't move.

  "Can't we talk here?" he asks.

  "I'm afraid not," Wentworth laughs, "never know who's listening out here. Nope. Come on," he nods again to BC to go ahead of him.

  They enter the central room. Wentworth indicates that BC should follow him into one of the side rooms, on the right. As he walks through the door into the room, BC can feel a weird charge like static electricity in the air.

  "This is my secure room," Wentworth explains, once they're in the room with the door closed. "It's a necessity when you travel on high level business. You've got to have a temporary, portable field generator to shield your delicate communications and negotiations." Wentworth leans towards BC almost conspiratorially. "Spies. Eyes, ears. Competing businesses." He nods for emphasis. "Hostile governments! They're everywhere! Everyone is trying to listen in, to get an edge!"

  A bit over the top. Paranoid? Not if they really are out to get you...

  "Can you feel it?" he asks BC.

  BC nods, "Yeah. I feel like all my hair is standing on end." Wentworth laughs, "Yeah, that's it."

  "So no one can hear us now?"

  "Not by any of the means currently known to be available," Wentworth says.

  "Nice. I'd like one of these myself," BC says appreciatively.

  "We all have our secrets to keep. Don’t we?" Wentworth says. "Let me cut through the bullshit and cut to the chase. What's your game, Campion? Why haven't you contacted us directly this summer? And this conference, without consulting with us beforehand..."

  "It's what the Pope wanted," BC says simply. " You know Linus is not like Peter was. He told me to do this, to show him my loyalty, to show him I can do the job. So I did it. I couldn't get in touch with you directly or it wouldn't have come together. It wouldn't have looked right."

  "I still can't believe the UIN agreed to it," Wentworth admits.

  "I think I may know why they agreed, or at least part of the reason,” BC says to Wentworth. “They think Lunar Prime is friendly territory for them once again," BC says.

  "Why? McEntyre?" Wentworth asks.

  "He's their man,” BC says, nodding. “Always has been. I've studied his OPO dossier, trust me on this!

  “And I just saw something tonight that confirmed my suspicions!” BC tells Wentworth. “I knew we'd be overrun by spies and agents at a conference like this, it always happens. Been there, done that, you know? Anyway. I saw a UIN agent tonight leaving his offices, a woman I've crossed paths with before, name of Nita Bendix. She infiltrated the Lunar Security Corps a few years ago. She nearly blew my cover back, um, when I first got here on the moon."

  Don't want to tell Wentworth, 'yeah, back when I killed McEntyre's wife, the governor,' that's my little secret. Although, knowing Wentworth, he all ready knows. He's high enough in the UTZ

  to know what the OPO was up to. Just don't have to say it out loud.

  "Bendix?" Wentworth inquires, "Don't know her."

  "Doesn't matter. She's UIN, she tried to kill me once,” BC tells him, “And now she's back, apparently checking in with McEntyre! That’s why I was distracted as I called you!

  “I tried to follow her but she got away from me. She's good. She, um, killed Meredith McEntyre..." BC

  tosses it out.

  Let's see...

  Wentworth laughs a sharp, short laugh. "Look, I know you did that job, Campion, so you can cut that shit out with me."

  Wentworth tries to stare him down. "Remember, Campion. I have read your dossier. I make it a point to find out who’s crossing my radar screen. After you showed up with Fiza, I discovered that you’d done some work for us. I know all about you now.”

  He's got a point.

  "Still," BC picks it up, "Nita Bendix is the one most people suspect did it. Well, except for McEntyre. And she is a known UIN agent! Governor Edwards found out as much." A thought occurs to BC, "You know, Wentworth, we could make this work to our advantage."

  "How so?" Wentworth asks.

  "If we can connect the dots between her and McEntyre publicly, we might be able to show our current governor for the UIN sympathizer we know he is,” BC says. “Discredit him and drive him out of office!"

  "You don't like him much, do you, Campion?” Wentworth admonishes BC. “You shouldn't let your emotions color your judgment so much."

  "Granted, I’ve got issues with the guy, true. But while he's governor, the moon is friendlier to the UIN

  than it is to the UTZ. How can that be good?"

  Wentworth pauses, thinking. He gets up from the table.

  "I'll be right back. When did you see her, again?"

  "Just before I got here."

  "Right" Wentworth leaves the room. BC can feel the static energy shift and pulsate as the field is disturbed. After a couple of minutes he feels it again before he sees Wentworth come back in the room. Wentworth is smiling.

  "I have someone tracking down the security records. Surveillance cameras cover the governor’s office. We'll see what security has on Ms. Bendix."

  "So you have access to the security cameras?” BC asks.

  Wentworth nods, smiles.

  “I used to. I lost access to them once McEntyre took over,” BC admits.

  “You know, if we can find a recording of her with him, or her leaving his office, he's done!" BC is smiling now, too.

  "If we get that evidence, recorded ‘proof’, I'll make sure the footage finds its way to my news networks,”

  Wentworth says. “We'll have this all over our media! Maybe we can make it look romantic between them, you know? Really make the guy look like slime: sleeping with his wife's killer! We can always back it up by throwing in the affair he had with that little Asian hooker he almost beat to death. Oh, that is juicy!” Wentworth says with a little yip of a laugh. “That will play very well. Good for the ratings! We can play up the salacious details: did Meredith McEntyre die because of her politics? Or was it because of jealousy?” Wentworth says, like a mock announcer. He turns to BC.

  “What do you think, Campion?"

  "I think the way your mind works scares me, Wentworth,” BC tells him, “but I admire you all the same for your ability to brew up bullshit."

  "I'll take that for the heavily qualified compliment that it is, Campion. Thank you. But what, then, drives your mind, Campion? What is your game? What are you playing at? You don't expect me to believe you've thrown in with this new pope, do you? After our agreement?"

  "I haven't thrown in with anyone,” BC says. “I'm doing what the pope asks because it will do me no good to disobey papal orders. It'd blow my cover. So I play along. I perform as the Pope asks. And who knows? Maybe, just by accident, we could find a way to make peace. How 'bout that?"

  "Don't tell me you’re beginning to believe your own bullshit, Campion,” Wentworth says, wagging his finger at BC. “You haven't suddenly become an idealist on us, have you? Peace?”

  Wentworth laughs. “You know, at this point, we'd love it! This war is not profitable for the UTZ. Not anymore,” Wentworth says, shaking his head. "We had to run the UIN off the Earth because they were destroying our resources and killing our people. They were damaging the world's economy. The instability, the threat, the chaos they created was bad for business, made it nearly impossible to do business,” Wentworth says. “The war was necessary for our physical and economic survival. But the war, while at first profitable, has proven to become a case of diminishing returns. It has ceased being cost effective,” Wentworth offers.

&n
bsp; "You know, Campion, if the UTZ could have peace with guaranteed security for our investments, holdings and people... safe from random attacks! And be allowed to mind our businesses and make our profits? We'd be 100% for it! But the UIN will have no part of such a peace. You'll see, Campion,”

  Wentworth says, glaring at BC. “They will never leave us alone in peace. They hate us, and everything we stand for. Shit, they hate you, too, Campion."

  "What do you think that you, the UTZ, could give to them to make them stop fighting you?" BC asks. Wentworth is struck by the question, taken aback. "Huh?” He gathers himself in a second. “I don't know… Our heads?” He laughs ironically, “They want the Earth. The whole planet! Now claimed by the UIN as Mecca – you know their drill."

  "Well, maybe if you hadn't gone and nuked their original one…" BC points out.

  "Look, that was way before my time!” Wentworth protests. “Forty years ago! Why hold that over our heads now? It was an old soviet H-bomb. It could have been anyone!"

  "Right," BC agrees sarcastically. "Anyone. And they didn't nuke Jerusalem, either, way back when."

  "Actually," Wentworth says, "They probably didn't nuke Jerusalem."

  "Really?"

  Now this is news!

  BC goes on, "Do tell," he says, gesturing at the room's electronic walls, "After all, no one else will hear. Are you gonna tell me we did it?"

  "No!" Wentworth laughs, "Not by a long shot. Our best guess is that it was Hindu extremists, separatists looking to frame the Muslims and provoke a conflict with the west."

  "No shit," BC says.

  Not sure if I believe that... The war went out of control after Jerusalem... whoever did it got their conflict, if that was what they wanted. How long have we known the Muslims didn't do it?

  BC asks Wentworth, "How long have we known that?"

  "Not that long. We have a record of a deathbed confession from one of the guys involved. He died of old age, about seventeen years ago. We found out about the confession about ten years ago." BC is stunned and amazed.

  I can't believe...

  "Why not reveal this to the general public? The whole war..." BC asks.

  "The whole war," Wentworth interrupts, "won't be effected by us 'revealing' this fact. The UIN knew it before we did! And they didn't reveal it, either! We only found out when we turned one of their operatives.