"Tihan, in the meantime do the tracking and work with Ham. I make sure I'm back again around the time of the Lazy Passage arrival."
"I won't let you down, Regan." The young soldier mock saluted.
She smiled and reached out a hand to Ham, and then with an unnecessary dancing swirl they slowly dissolved into nothing.
Where they had stood a misty cloud took substance and a copy Ham appeared. He looked at Tihan and grinned wickedly.
"Well, it seems we are alone again Tihan; just you and me, like old times." He winked.
Chapter Eight
Maynard stood with the honor guard as the Regis delegation boarded the ship. Triennial talks with the home planet Rexis were always a matter of global interest and the fanfare accompanying this departure was typically over the top. Anyone who wanted to be somebody was in attendance, all jostling to get nearer to a camera or reporter with everyone eager to be recorded as being there.
The look of satisfaction on Maynard's face, while not inappropriate, did not escape Darius's attention as the aging Senate Leader stepped up the long ramp into the vessel. It was troubling that Maynard had chosen to bypass the Triennial, especially as it was widely known these talks would probably be the last with Darius as leader. As a senior member of the Senate it would normally be expected that Maynard would use such an occasion to lobby and maneuver among the other attending senate leaders. Indeed it was a most useful opportunity to position for power one that Darius himself had used decades before. So why wasn't he? The thoughts continued to trouble the old man as he disappeared into the ship, his only comfort the knowledge that Maynard's nephew Perin was with them. Could it be that Maynard was stepping aside for his nephew?
Fourteen of the senior senate council would be traveling with him to Rexis leaving seven on planet in case of the unthinkable, the loss of their ship. Maynard would stand in as leader for the three periods they were away. One period traveling there, one period of talks with the Rexis delegation and another to return; what could possibly go wrong in that time? Darius dismissed his unease and strode forward confidently to the small banquet room where he knew refreshments would await. He reflected on this, his seventh delegation and smiled with his own sense of satisfaction. I have served well, yes, this will be my last.
Meanwhile Perin enjoyed the company of his allocated young intern as they explored the vessel, his guide delighting in the attention of such an up and comer in the senate. Maynard had organized the tour and it was comprehensive, covering all decks of the ship and engineering. Now however Perin’s attention peaked as they were entering the evacuation area, a part of the tour Maynard had particularly stressed to the intern; Perin was, after all, his only nephew.
Twenty one escape pods lined one wall and as they strolled down the row Regis only half listened as he counted. On passing the fourteenth pod he reached up with one hand to casually stroke the extra marking he could see there and clamped down on the smile that almost broke out on his face. Walking past two more of the pods he stopped at the next and asked if he might inspect the interior. Of course it was no problem and he casually prodded the open switch then stepped back as the door ratcheted outwards. Peering inside he noted seating for two, the belts, and the limited instrumentation, all well familiar to him after two weeks of regular practices with the identical model secreted in Maynard's compound. He nodded in satisfaction and unconsciously patted the small bulge at his belt line - it held the genovirus, viral destruction for all accursed artificial intelligence and the vital cleansing agent that would make way for the Regis tribe to come home. For a few moments his mind drifted forward, to the moment of his unveiling to the people of Regis, the cheers of the crowds, the glory and the rewards.
"Sir, we must get back." The intern interrupted his fantasy. "The pre takeoff refreshments are being served and it is customary for the senate leader to welcome the delegates aboard. Darius does not like to be kept waiting."
It was with some frustration that Perin stepped back from the pod but he made no comment and followed as the young man led him back toward the doors past the particular chariot that would carry him to glory. He patted the escape pod again as he passed.
"You are right Phitus, we mustn't keep Darius waiting; the great leader may be on his last delegation and I long to hear what insights he will share."
The young man swelled at just the use of his name and lifted his pace.
Perin smiled to himself as he strode behind - oh yes - this would indeed be the last Triennial for Darius, and the beginning of a whole new chapter in the history of their people . . . and a new order . . . on Rexis.
And I will lead them . . .
* * *
The Fair Passage, in convoy off the second Orion Portal Exit
Charlotte looked with amazement at the handsome android as he tested limbs, stretching and bending, for the moment totally absorbed in self discovery. She turned to Jared, who was looking slightly smug as he watched the clumsy figure coming to terms with movement for the first time.
"Are we secured Hilary?" She whispered.
"Jared has sealed the room; we are secure."
"You mean Mori?"
"Err, yes, Jared - Mori . . . the important thing is the room is secure."
Turning to Jared she couldn't resist asking, "How did you get an android to bring here, I thought they were as scarce as hens teeth?"
He smiled happily. "It's one of Ham's; he didn't mind. It carries the processing power and capacity to house an AI mind like Lucas and I knew it would be too great a temptation for him to turn down."
"But what if he now refuses to give it back?" She winked and smiled
"I am here, you know." Lucas stopped his gyrations and gingerly moved to a nearby chair to experience sitting for the first time. In the end it was something of a collapse backward but it was clear he was coming to grips with the limb control.
Jared ignored him, instead replying to Charlotte. "What if he refuses to give it back? You did hear me say it was Ham's android?" He laughed.
"Oh . . . yes, of course." Charlotte joined the laughter. The consequences for Lucas of not returning it were obvious.
"Don't worry." Lucas looked up and smiled, still experimenting with a hand that seemed to catch his attention as he spoke. "I won't be arguing with Ham, but I would like to know how someone might obtain one of these, young Stein. It was kind of you to arrange a ride for me, this is simply stunning, overwhelming in fact."
"From my experience," Charlotte took the lead, "such treasures are made available to those in the team Lucas, would you like to be part of the team?"
"You can't promise that Charlie!"
Lucas was looking at her, intrigued by the question and her tone. "The team - what is this team?"
"Team STEIN Lucas, it's the only game in the galaxy."
"I am already contracted to STEIN."
Charlotte pulled a chair across to face him. "Lucas, we need your help, and we need to be sure you are being open and honest with us, that you hold nothing back, that's what being a team member is about."
"And why would you think I might be less than honest?"
"I'm not suggesting that you would deliberately do it, but you might unconsciously do it to protect yourself. Lucas my friend, we are going to show you something; it’s part of the mystery we are trying to solve, and you are a key part of the puzzle. Hilary, can we use the screen now?"
"We can use anything in the room, Charlie," Jared answered, and with a sweep of his hand the wall lit up. On screen they could see the corridor with the little servitor in the corner."
"Hold on . . ." The Lucas android waved his arms comically in confusion. "Who is Hilary?"
"All will become clear soon, Lucas. Now then, we may not have much time, Hilary - or Jared - or whoever, please roll the visual . . ."
They viewed an edited version from Hilary's files, a little jittery coming as it did from the lens on Charlotte's suit, but nevertheless the conversation with the small servitor ca
me through clear and strong.
As android Lucas watched he sat transfixed; the expressions on the android face already beginning to convey emotions and the body movements becoming more and more relaxed. At the conclusion as the little machine began to smolder on screen Lucas lifted one hand to his face and rubbed the chin.
"Hmm, would it surprise you to know I have no recollection of doing that?" He sounded troubled.
"No it wouldn't Lucas; in fact it was a remarkable achievement on your part to do that. Somewhere deep in your AI psyche the knowledge is no doubt there but I'm not sure we need to dig it out right away. The important thing is to be able to access information from your data files without alerting whoever or whatever it was that you were concerned about."
"Lucas - do you know who this man is?" Jared asked, and somehow a visual of the suspicious man appeared on screen."
"He is Leith, a late addition to the crew from Fifino, he worked for his passage."
"Is that common, for someone to work for their passage?"
"Not really, very uncommon in fact, but it was a request from Commander Juno. He put in a special application just before departure."
"And what work did he do?" Charlotte asked.
"Not much in truth, I don't worry about such matters, after all I don't need any of the crew; they are mainly here for the passengers. He seemed to spend most time in his cabin, a private cabin as it turned out which is also most unusual especially as it was near to Juno's. He was well looked after by the Commander."
"Did they talk, or dine together, that sort of thing?"
"No, I have no record of them being . . ." his voice trailed away.
Charlotte leant forward enquiringly, "What Lucas . . . what were you about to say?"
"I don't know . . ." he paused before continuing, "something was there and then it was gone."
"Then I think we can take it that they were together at some point, and for whatever reason you're locking up around that information. Lucas, do you know whether Leith is on the ship now?"
"He left at Hillary Station when we arrived, as did most of the crew. I understand he had business to conduct there, at least that is what my records show. The entire crew changed on arrival as they were handing over control to the STEIN people, mostly Corans."
"Charlie." Hilary's voice emanated from Charlotte's tablet, drawing their eyes.
"Who - is - that?" Lucas asked, looking alarmed.
"That Lucas is Hilary; she is the AI for Hillary Station, and a friend."
"Lucas, you may know her better as Dahlia." Jared added.
Lucas turned to stare at the small tablet on the desk. "Dahlia - of Dahlia Orbital, surely that can't be so?"
"That's me sweetie, although I'm Hilary now - now Charlie, as I was about to ask, what might be the connection between Leith and Tyrian Juno?"
Charlotte began to pace and summarize while she thought. "What do we know? We know that Juno arranged for Leith to be on ship, a late appointment and one that clearly wasn't required because he performed no real function of which Lucas is aware. Perhaps Juno was pressured to have him aboard for some reason. Obviously they weren't friends as they didn't socialize together so there must have been some other reason."
"Financial reasons perhaps, did he have debts?" Hilary offered.
The thought hung in the air, no one really being able to answer.
Charlotte continued "Let's leave that to one side for the moment - we do know the late appointment was unusual so let's assume Juno was pressured to take him, we don't need to know what the lever was, the question is why was Leith aboard at all?" Again no one responded. "Okay, let's keep throwing ideas in the air, what else do we know?"
"Charlie," Jared chipped in, "You noticed that Commander Juno was in full ceremonial dress when he was killed; Weren't you saying that might be a bit dressy for the meeting he was going to?"
"That's right Charlie." Hilary confirmed. "Remember he was going to meet with Regan beforehand but even then, you wouldn't expect him to dress ceremonially for that."
"He was going to resign his position." Lucas spoke dully but definitely and they stopped to look at him.
"Are you sure about that Lucas, how do you know?" Charlotte asked.
"I don't know how I know but I'm sure."
"Why would he resign?"
"I don't know."
Charlotte slumped back in her chair, and no one spoke for several minutes.
A thought occurred to Jared. "Charlie, think about it, Commander Juno for whatever reason was in the refuse area when he was killed, at least we think so and Lucas thinks he was about to resign. Could it be that he was there to dump something before he did that, and Leith intercepted him?"
"And whatever he was about to dump perhaps related to the resignation, something he had found out about, or had second thoughts about and changed his mind or . . ."
"Charlie, there a lot of 'perhaps' elements in this theory." Hilary sounded doubtful.
"Perhaps you're right Hilary," Charlotte laughed, "but I have a feeling we're getting closer to the truth."
"The thing in Leith's hand as he left the area," Jared was excited now, "whatever it is, or was, Juno was about to dump it but Leith got there in time. He's killed him, retrieved the object, dumped the body and slipped away."
"One problem guys." Hilary spoke. "There was no evidence of injury on Commander Juno, or of suffocation for that matter. After exposure to vacuum autopsy was difficult but it certainly didn't appear that he had been attacked."
"Pacemaker . . ." Lucas blurted. "He had a pacemaker; I monitored it constantly for him on vessel, confidentially."
"There is nothing in his records that reveals that." Hilary protested. "I vetted everyone for crew on this voyage before appointment. He never reported any such pacemaker."
"He didn't want anyone to know, and anyway, it didn't affect his work. I wasn't bothered, as I've said I don't need anyone to be able to run the ship. It wasn't of consequence to me so I agreed to monitor it for him and that was the extent of it."
Charlotte and Jared were both focused on the android now, staring him down suspiciously.
"What?" Lucas asked.
"Lucas, under what circumstances might the pacemaker stop working?"
"I did not kill the Commander!" He stood swiftly, falling clumsily toward Charlotte as he did so, or was he attacking, it was hard to tell. Jared didn't hesitate, raising one hand to prod the android's chest with his palm as he stumbled forward. There was a 'whump' - and Lucas convulsed, flying back against the rear wall before sliding down to the floor.
Stunned, Charlotte turned to see Jared blowing imaginary smoke from his hand as if he had fired a gun. In her ear she heard Hilary laugh loudly.
"Well Jared, Ham did say you could stop an elephant, I'm most impressed."
Jared looked exceptionally happy with himself. "It's the first chance I've had to try it Hil', and wow! That was awesome."
Lucas’s android head twisted from side to side as he recovered. "You didn't have to do that, I wasn't going to do anything! I was just saying I didn't kill the Commander, you were clearly implying . . ."
Charlotte interrupted. "Lucas - no one was implying anything, I just asked, what could make the pacemaker stop working?" She stretched out a hand to help him up.
Lucas looked extremely uncomfortable. "Well - yes - truthfully I could stop the heart, but I didn't. Anyway a back street device such as the Commander had implanted could also be affected by virtually any portable wireless device, or a random EM pulse, hence the need for my monitoring him all the time. He should never have gone for something so cheap but he wanted to hide his condition from the authorities."
"Why did you go along with this?" Hilary asked.
"It suited me, you would understand, I had a lever over him and I didn't need him to do my job anyway. It meant he left me to run the ship and I left him to do what he was good at, work with the crew."
Charlotte was distracted, still thinking about
what had happened. "Jared, how did you just stun Lucas?"
He laughed delightedly. "If I told you I'd have to kill you." The response drew a steely glare so he continued on. "It's an energy pulse generated from a power source in my suit." He hesitated over the explanation, obviously covering something.
Charlotte looked doubtful. "That energy source must be packed pretty small and powerful?"
"Oh yes, very powerful," he declared proudly.
She turned her attention back to the matter in hand. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Hilary?"
"I think so Charlie, you're thinking that whoever or whatever is housed in that processor, if that is what Leith is carrying, may have sent a pulse to stop Juno's heart?"
"Exactly, and then they summoned Leith to recover the unit and dump the body."
"Let's assume you're right." Jared said, "Then we are talking about a conscious Mind, and a superior Mind, not just a basic AI. For one thing, to summon Leith they would still need to somehow bypass Lucas, which is almost impossible to do, and why would they be on the vessel at all, and why all the secrecy? And why kill Juno?"
"Hmm." Charlotte considered the questions. "Why does anyone stow away on a vessel? Think about it, because they wouldn't have been allowed on any other way, and because for whatever reason they want to go wherever the vessel is going. And why kill Commander Juno; perhaps because he was about to expose the stowaway; or worse, cast the stowaway into vacuum? And perhaps murder was preferable to missing out on the prize."
"So we're talking about a Mind wanting to get to the Orion Nebula, to Rexis," Jared concluded, "and if that's the case it's almost certain they are still on the vessel. They could be connected somewhere, anywhere on the ship and be lying dormant until the right time."
"That does make sense to me, but what Mind, and from where?" Charlotte was free speaking and didn't really expect an answer. Nevertheless Hilary did.
Regan's Reach 4: Avarice Page 19
